ARTFULLY executing ‘step up’ after ‘step up’, Richards Bay teen Alexandra Pillay has danced her way into the international spotlight in just under three years.
The love of upbeat music led the spunky 13-year-old Grade 8 pupil at Richards Bay High to join Switch Swag Dance School in 2013.
‘When I danced there, it was the first time I connected to the sound of the music. I gained experience and improved my technique,’ she said.
‘When I’m on stage, I fully express myself.’
Alexandra subsequently won awards at every competition the school held, and in March 2015 she performed at the Boardwalk Talent Showdown in Richards Bay.
After her performance an agent of Applause Rising Talent Showcase (ARTS), an international organisation which helps aspiring dancers, singers, actors and models gain exposure in the entertainment industry, invited Alexandra to audition at the International ARTS Talent Showcase in Johannesburg (IATS).
Here, in October, she showcased her talent in front of international scout and ARTS founder Kim Meyers.
Delivering another knock-out performance, she was immediately invited to attend the ARTS Convention in Orlando, USA, in July this year.
In preparation for the convention, ARTS hosted contestants at a training boot camp in Johannesburg, where Alexandra decided to venture into creative and photographic modelling and acting alongside dance.
‘Boot camp was much less about what we needed to do and more about what we wanted to do,’ said Alexandra.
‘I got to define my brand so I can go out on stage and say this is me.’
At the convention, contestants will perform, meet and be interviewed by leading names in the film, fashion and entertainment industries, which Alexandra admits will be daunting, so overcoming stage fright will be her next challenge.
‘It’s not about the competition,’ she said. ‘Until July my focus is on practicing, improving and maximising the opportunity.’
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