LIMPOPO – THERE are so many bad influences in communities, such as drugs and alcohol abuse, and young people are falling victim as there aren’t enough recreational activities, says Matabo Mathekga.
Matabo is the co-founder and manager of Divine Dance Crew from Mankweng.
“There aren’t a lot of activities in our community for young people so I started the dance crew in 2014 to keep them busy,” says Matabo.
He says the crew has four dancers between the ages 15 and 19.
“They are talented and dedicated to what they do, and most importantly, they love dancing. I want to groom them so they can take dance to the next level and even be well-known nationally. All members bring a different style into the crew, we don’t really like to define our dance style because we dance different routines, ” he says.
Matabo says they have received a great reception so far all across the province. “Our biggest achievement by far includes the campus to campus tour, which we did recently. We toured higher learning institutions around the province and the audience loved us. It is a great feeling to know that there are so many people who understand the language of dance.”
He says he is happy he can contribute to his community by exposing talented young people, and he invites others who are passionate about dance to join them.
He admits that it is not always easy, especially when they have to travel far and buy dance outfits.
“We finance everything from our own pockets. Some people donate to us during performances, but we call on more people to assist us.”
Matabo says the love for dance keeps them going strong.
