Power of Dance troop visited the little children of Thorn Tree Academy to inspire young minds through dance.
On 1 September, each child and teacher were treated to a yummy lunch to fill tummies and get the mini dancers ready with tons of energy.
None of the children at the academy had ever experienced a dance class which initially made for some pretty shy wallflowers.
Each child at the academy is subsidised through the academy’s bursary programme, with many benefiting from a full bursary. Most of the young minds live inside the Pipeline informal settlement with at least one or both parents being unemployed for various reasons. Thorn Tree tries its best to mould well-rounded individuals with life skills that will help them create a better future.
Coach Corlanie Botha spoke to the group about the importance of hip-hop dancing, the history and how it can help a person feel empowered. The dance form involves a variety of moves that can be both graceful and powerful.
“That’s why hip-hop is so cool because depending on your mood you can get your build-up aggression or energy out in a positive and healthy way,” she added.
Power of Dance is a non profit organisation that works on educating children through the power of dance.
“Our vision is to give hope to talented young dancers, to encourage them not to stop dreaming and that anything is possible through hard work, passion and dedication. Through the love for dance we empower and enable young talent,” said Botha.
Jade Lavarone, a student at Power in Dance (the dance school branch of Power of Dance), who has competed in multiple international competitions, started the dance class off by showing the newbies some interesting moves. Young girls and boys sheepishly tried to replicate the moves. It did not take long for the nerves to melt away and for the true super star in each one of them to shine brightly.
After learning a full routine to a Chris Brown song, the class was divided in two for a ‘dance battle’. This got everyone extremely excited as each dancer showed off their newly learnt hip-hop routine.
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Details: Thorn Tree Academy 082 785 5010.
