AT just six years old Gabriella Love Harrison’s passion for dance is blossoming.
The little dancer, who hails from Wentworth, recently competed in her first competition, the Natal Festival of Dance, and achieved great success.
The competition, which saw students from 23 dance schools in KZN compete in various categories, was held at the Reddam College in Umhlanga.
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Her mom, Laurene Harrison, said Gabriella competed in six of the dance categories and placed in five.
She received a gold medal for her fairy dance, and silver medals for a national group dance: Swiss, a solo national dance: Swiss, a duet, and a demi character solo dance as Angelina Ballerina.
Harrison said Gabriella, who is a student at the Betty Blake Academy of Dance on the Bluff, was excited to participate in the competition.
“She had been training hard and was not as nervous as I thought she would be. However, when we attended the first day of the competition, to support others from her dance school, she got to see the stage and where the judges sit.
“She had told me that she was not nervous at all and that she remembered all of her dances and would be okay,” said Harrison.
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Harrison said Gabriella, who is in Grade one and home-schooled, started ballet lessons at the age of three.
“She has done her first American Academy of Dance Performance Awards and achieved silver, with double distinctions in level one ballet. She did her second Performance Awards in June and achieved gold for level two ballet,” she said.
Harrison said dancing had many benefits, especially for a child.
“Dance is excellent for physical coordination, posture, mental strength, and focus. It also helps children build their social skills and instills self-confidence. But, it is lovely to see the friendships developed through dance,” she said.
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