Making all the right moves

POLOKWANE – Hip hop dance choreographer, Thlompo Victoria Maponya, is known for piecing together outstanding performances and is happy to do what she loves for a living.

Originally from Ga-Makanye Limpopo, she currently resides in Turfloop. She grew up with Jack Mawasha, owner and founder of JAMA Dance Studio, where she is employed as a choreographer.

She is currently studying BSc in environmental and resource studies at the University of Limpopo. “I am a self-taught dancer but took dance classes for two years where I learned a lot of dance techniques to be able to give dance classes myself,” she explains.

She chose dancing as a platform to express how she feels without any limitation.

Maponya says her family has always been very supportive of her dancing career which they realised was her passion, as long as she had her studies as a back-up plan, should all else fail. “I’ve been in the industry ever since I was four, because I’ve always loved to dance, I was a judge for a dance show called Street Cred Season 1 on SABC 1, last year, which was an excellent opportunity and experience for me, because I saw a lot of raw talent,” she adds.

She says besides her dance skills she also started poetry at the age of four and won the Lentswe Poetry Competition on SABC 2 at the age of 10, before she started dancing. “I am currently a songwriter for local artists.”

Maponya believes that dancing is the best exercise because it replaces doing heavy exercises and keeps one fit while having fun at the same time, which a lot of people, especially children, enjoy.

“I have 14 students at the studio, ranging from four to 13 years of age. They are so cute, and they catch the moves quite quickly. I honestly enjoy working with them,” she says.

Her advice to young dancers or up-and-coming dancers, is to have a positive attitude, because the best feeling about doing what you love, is that you become positive about everything in life.

anne@nmgoup.co.za