Inspirational dance instructor crowned Mrs Uniworld South Africa
She was picked on for her fuller figure and chocolate skin and Melanie struggled to fit in among her peers or be appreciated for her individuality.
‘BEAUTY begins the moment you decide to be yourself’ – a popular quote to many but a life testimony of recently crowned Glow Tv Mrs Uniworld South Africa, Melanie Kisten.
The Bluff mother of two participated in the pageant which empowered and celebrated married women in their own right.
Having grown up being picked on for her fuller figure and chocolate skin, Melanie struggled to fit in among her peers or be appreciated for her individuality. As an outlet from teenage stresses she pursued her love for dance and signed up for classes. “Unfortunately I went to a dance school where I was considered too fat and too dark to be part of the team. It broke me but I told myself that I would take that negative and turn it into a positive.” And so she started her own dance school at the age of 16, Melanie Kisten Dance Academy, which she ran from her parents’ dining room and the group grew from strength to strength through community support. Twenty three years later she has 280 students. Some of her students were also part of her very first production, Kambakhtishq (Damned Love), in 2010 which ran as a Bollywood movie but live on stage and was a great success. Since then she and her team have had another four successful productions, which not only entertains audiences, leaving them stitches but also empowers and helps the confidence of her young students.
“Many students in my class have very low self-esteems because of being picked on by their peers. People will always have something to say about you. Like Mahatma Ghandi once said that we ought to be the change we want to see in the world. I want to be the change and so I said to one of my students that participating in the Glow Tv Mrs Uniworld South Africa pageant was not all about me, but also as a means to inspire other girls whom I see a lot of myself in when I was younger,” said Melanie who shared that she was intimidated at first by the other beautiful contestants.
“It was about going out there and showing other women that if you believe in yourself and are comfortable in your own skin, that will shine through more than anything. You do not have to have what society has defined as the perfect body or look like a movie star. Be yourself in order for others to see the beauty that makes you who you are. Self love triumphs all. So I went out there and did just that and got the crown.” Together with the Mrs UniWorld title, Melanie also won Mrs Humanitarian, Mrs Congeniality and Best Talent.
Melanie is an export documentation controller by day and when she isn’t inspiring young girls or at her dance school, she is dedicated to supporting the Bluff Hope Centre as an ambassador for the community organisation which is committed to feeding the less fortunate in the community.
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