Linden dancer is the cream of the crop
LINDEN-Rebecca Burger left dancing for a while but has since come back with a bang winning a major regional competition.
The 19 years of hard work put in by Linden dancer Rebecca Burger set her apart in a regional dance competition on 20 September during the Talent Africa Competition held in Randburg.
In the competition where hundreds of dance hopefuls participated, Burger stood first in three categories. Burger won these prestigious honours for her solo contemporary routine.
“I needed a 75 per cent mark to go to the finals and I was awarded 88 per cent and came first in my age group and was the best dancer in the competition,” she says.
The 22-year-old brought down the house and earned the thunderous applause of the audience during her contemporary routine. The astounding win saved her a spot to compete in the national competition in March 2015.
“I am so excited because I love dancing more than anything else; I will perform an African jazz routine, contemporary piece and a ballet pointè-shoes routine for the finals,” she says.
If the odds work in her favour, Burger will win the ultimate prize of dancing in New York.
“There are so many opportunities abroad…one of the girls from last year is dancing with Alvin Ailey Theatre which is a dream come true for most dancers,” adds Burger.
This enthusiastic ballet dancer started dancing at the age of three. She joined Mzansi Productions where she danced for two years and left it for teaching.
“My mother says, if you can’t live your passion then live passing it on to others which is why I decided to go teach and the children I have been blessed with to teach become more part of my heart in every class.”
While fulfilling her desire to teach children how to move at Redhill School, Burger realised that teaching does not “feed her soul enough”.
“I love teaching children as young as three years old; I train them cecchetti which is an Italian-based dance method but I decided to enter this competition so that I feed my passion for dance more,” she says.
Burger specialises in ballet, tap and modern dance.
“If I do not dance my soul is just empty. I have been blessed with the best teacher– Diana Ward-Hull. She supports me and I hope to do what she does,” she says.
Burger added that without her family her dreams would not come to life.
