Dancing on the wild side

The Deutsche Internationale Schule Johannesburg (DSJ) is gearing up for its annual Dance to be Wild (DTBW) Ballroom and Latin American Championship , which will be held at the school on 20 and 21 March.

Representative and organiser of DTBW Sheila Upton explained the purpose behind the championships. “The DTBW initiative attempts to lead South African and international ballroom and Latin American dancers to contribute effectively to the fight against the indiscriminate killing of our rhino population through dance. Thereby, empowering South Africa’s children to take ownership of their wildlife heritage through education and dance,” she said.

Marketing and public relations manager at the DSJ Savo Ceprnich said the school is extremely thrilled to be involved. “The DSJ is immensely honoured and privileged to be hosting an event of such magnitude. ‘Dance to be Wild’ stands firmly behind the rhino poaching awareness cause and this is another issue that the staff and pupils of our school support,” he said.

Ceprnich pointed out that the event highlights the school’s involvement in social issues internationally. “The event allows us to showcase our school and facilities in our 125th anniversary year, not only to a local market but the international community.We cannot wait for the weekend to arrive,” he said.

Upton expressed her excitement and said, “We are delighted to be involved in the championship with the DSJ. It should prove to be quite a successful event.”

The Saturday evening will play host to premier participating dancers and serve as a gala and opening ceremony for the championship. On Sunday all the freestyle sections will be participating against one another.

Upton also spoke about other causes that DTBW has been involved in. “During 2014 we visited nine schools (over 10 000 children) in the Komatipoort area, educating and creating awareness on the vital importance nature conservation plays in their futures,” she concluded.