Dancing to their own beat, Eldos
Dance allows self-expression
The brightly lit dance studio at the Crystal Mall Gym in Extension Six is dimmed by the passion and smooth movements of three dancers who rehearse here from 9 am to 12 pm daily.
BLVK as they are named, are comprised of dancers who are almost frenetic in their movements when they finally take a break.
Founded four years ago and performing mainly under the Eldorado Park Arts and Jazz Festival, the troupe set out on their own in 2016 to make their mark on the local dance scene.
Keshia Maconi (23) established the crew out of an underfed appetite for the art and hopes to see many youths pursuing it as a sustainable career.
Maconi says, “Dance allows self-expression through visual art and movement. Not all people are designed for the corporate world and my parents have only recently accepted me doing anything in that sphere would be soul-destroying.”
“Not all people are designed to conform to systems and programmes and dance is about embracing diversity.”
Boasting a host of talent in the creative spheres, Maconi describes herself as a photographer, writer, dancer. In short, a person who is influenced by the arts. The group incorporate various dance forms such as ballet, hip-hop, house and contemporary dance into their routines and have performed on big stages at events held all over Johannesburg.
On the whole, they are passionate about community work and with the support of EAJF, hold imbizos where they have skills development workshops to transfer their talents to aspiring dancers.
Maconi laments the fact that dance crews in Eldorado Park fade soon after being established and tells of her ambition to create a crew known for its longevity.
The crew members are Kristin Adams (18), Taryn Hughes (19), Bradford Cox (20), Allison Welcome (19) and Nadia Solani (21). Aspirant dancers wishing to join the crew can contact Keshia Maconi at keshiatylor@ gmail.com. BLVK can be seen performing on stage in the video clip below.
