DANCERS from Dance Barre studio in Durban North brought home several medals after they performed at the South African Championships of Performing Arts (SACOPA) recently.
Dancers in the team were north Durban residents: Anikwa Mkhabela (Inanda), Cassie Esterhuizen (La Lucia), Anzel Carstens (eMdloti) and sisters, Shaé and Skyé Geary (Durban North), Donna Da Costa, dance instructor from Dance Barre said the competition included six days of performances as well as a medal ceremony and final showcase.
Also read: Precious nets success in truncated year
“We participate in all styles of dance. My pupils took part in a variety of dance styles including: acro, contemporary, lyrical, hip hop, ethnic, jazz, musical character, variety arts and song and dance. There were five pupils in the high performance team and every single pupil achieved a gold medal, whether it was for a solo performance, duet or group piece. All five pupils also participated in the final showcase which offered an opportunity for them to be seen by the rest of the competitors,” she said.
Dancer, Shaé Geary (16) won an overall award for her performance in the variety arts category.
“I am very proud of how KZN did this year. We brought home quite a lot of medals. I am proud of all of us, because we did better than I thought we would. Our group of five did very well, we all won a gold medal,” she said.
Esterhuizen who also performed at the competition, won gold medals for her group ethnic dance, cheer routine as well as her trio performances and her solo performance.
“I was very nervous when I started dancing, but then I got used to is. My favourite performance was my contemporary dance,” she said. Younger dancers, Anzel Carstens and Skyé Geary performed in the Glitterbugs group where they earned three gold medals for their three routines, said Dacosta.
Also read: Precious nets success in truncated year
“They also earned the overall group award in their age category,” she added.
Mkhabela, who won gold medals for her song & dance, duet, trio and group routines, said the team has lost one of their members who tragically passed away before the performance.
“I am really proud of our achievement. Being in a trio and then loosing a member of the group is really hard on the group, both emotionally and in doing the routine without that person. Being there for each other is important,” she said.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za). At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.
You can also sign up for news alerts on Telegram. Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5532. For more from Northglen News follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram
