It’s been 14 years since sisters Zelda Lange and Maryke Ludik opened Ludik’s Acrobatic Dance Studios and they show no signs of slowing down.
Just last year, the 32-member club participated in the Young Performers Awards at the National Eisteddfod Acadamy (NEA) in February. They made it all the way to the finals held at the Atterbury Theatre in May and were the only acrobatic group to compete at the finals.
In October, the dance studio also competed in the Integrated Artistic Acrobatic Association of South Africa held in Randfontein where they blew the competition out of water. They bagged 37 first places, which was the highest number of first places achieved by a dance school at this competition. Dancing schools from Durban, Rustenburg, Middelburg and Randfontein participated in this competition.
The club is currently preparing for its internal exams where members are judged on technique, acrobatics and modern dancing. With members ranging from three to 24 years of age, Zelda says some of the benefits of acrobatic dancing include hand-eye coordination and flexibility.
“The muscles are really stretched which is good because it helps with dance moves,” she said.
The dance studio has three categories for dancers grouped into novice, intermediate and elite championship.
“We have pupils who were not naturally gifted when they came to us but with enough training and commitment they have become good dancers. Unfortunatley acrobatic dancing demands 100% commitment so there is no time for other sporting activities,” said Zelda.
For more information about the studio, contact Maryke on 079 881 1267.
