GALLERY: Sparrows could fly to Croatia

The gumboot dancing team of the Sparrow School has qualified for the DanceStar World Finals in Croatia, in 2016.

This came after the team finished at the top of their category in the DanceStar Joburg qualifiers at Vodaworld on 24 September.

The team finished first in the Folklore Junior Formation category to qualify for the A league.

Sparrow School is currently searching for sponsors to fund the trip to allow the team to compete in the World Finals in 2016

Natasha Campbell, performing and creative art head of department and team coach, said that she is extremely proud of the team.

She believes that Sparrow School was the only remedial school to enter a team and noted that many of their competitors came from dance schools.

“They performed like seasoned performers,” said Campbell, “You wouldn’t have known it was their first time in a major performance.”

The team consists of 15 members from ages eight to 14.

The choreography is coordinated between Campbell and the team itself.

Campbell added that the routine include some flips and acrobatics that “really impressed the judges.”

Team captain, Ziyaad Davids (10) admitted that the experience was “a little bit scary”, but proclaimed that he would not be nervous should the team be funded to fly to Croatia.

“Every child deserves a fighting chance,” said school principal, Vanessa Bodrick, “Learners with academic challenges often excel in other areas and these may include physical activities, sports or skills. We are proud of our Foundation School learners who strive for excellence in all they do.”

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