Maria De Los Angeles is in the midst of her ballet class. Her English is almost indecipherable as she barks out instructions to the teachers in attendance, throwing her hands around animatedly. I strain my ears to try and follow, I cannot. But those who matter – the nine or so teachers in the room – seem to understand her every command perfectly and promptly.
Famed German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche’s words come to mind: “And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” Perhaps it’s not for me to understand. This, after all, is their craft.
In this small hall in a community centre across from the Hector Pieterson memorial in Orlando West, Soweto, a Training Teachers in The Township session is in full swing. It’s fast-paced and rigorous. De Los Angeles, who is in South Africa under the exchange programme between the South African International Ballet Competition and the Cuban Ministry of Culture, puts the teachers through some exercises, correcting their form and technique when necessary. The Cuban methodology she uses in her practice has consistently produced some of the best ballet dancers in the world.
She trains them as if they are the young kids for whom this training is intended, so that they are able to experience and understand the very lessons which they’ll be giving to their own students.
From here, they will then go and teach what they have learned to various students in ballet classes across Soweto, Ekurhuleni and Ennerdale.
Within the next six weeks, De Los Angeles will go to each one of the teachers and observe as they teach to ensure quality control. This is hugely important in this programme because many of these teachers have not received classical training, so there is a need to ensure that progress is monitored.
Dirk Badenhorst, the chief executive of the South African International Ballet Competition (SAIBC), founded the Training Teachers in the Township programme to improve the standard of ballet in South Africa.
“I’ve been running the SAIBC since I founded it in 2008,” he told. “I’m not feeling that we’ve transformed classical ballet enough in South Africa. A lot of people have been doing amazing programmes but still we don’t even have 50 percent black dancers in our companies or competitions.”
This lack of transformation is the force that’s driven Badenhorst, who also frequently judges at international competitions around the world, to consider how best to fast-track transformation.
“I’ve been working with the Cuban methodology for a long time and I’ve seen the impact of Cuban methodology around the world. Given its strong basic technique and how it speaks to the typical South African body, which is similar to Cuban body in that it is slightly hippier, slightly bustier, this was the ideal methodology to use.”
In his pursuit for the advancement of ballet in South Africa, Badenhorst has been pushing the head of the National Ballet School of Cuba for a teacher who can specialise in teaching young kids.
“I believe that’s where we’re going wrong in South Africa. A lot of people look at ballet training as recreational, which it is, but it still has to be great training so that if a child decides that they want to make this their career they are able to do so.”
Badenhorst then extended his request by saying he’d also like to train teachers. And so De Los Angeles was identified in Cuba and brought to South Africa last year to assist with the founding stages of the programme.
“This is her second time in South Africa. She specialises in training youngsters from the age of 6 to 15 and she’s also a qualified teacher of teachers.”
Gustin Makgeledisa, one of the teachers undertaking the programme, speaks of De Los Angeles’s strong influence in his technique. “With the Cuban methodology, the dance is very detailed and difficult to grasp,” he explains. “Maria has been very patient and she’s given us this skill which has really opened our eyes. We want kids to feel comfortable learning ballet right here in the townships and not have to go to town for classes.”
As the session goes on, I notice that De Los Angeles is very particular about punctuality and respect. She makes a point of stopping the class each time new visitors enter the hall and greeting them smilingly along with the other teachers.
Having only recently launched, the Training Teachers in the Township initiative has but 20 teachers. Badenhorst’s goal is to grow the programme to more than 100 teachers by the end of the year and to 1 000 by the end of three years.
“I really want us to have an association that oversees the maintenance of the programme, ensuring the buy-in from everybody to the programme is strong so that it stays successful and trains really incredible dancers.”
A range of media outlets were in attendance at the programme launch on May 17. Others have shown up since then and many are still to come. Public interest in this programme has been high and Badenhorst hopes they can build on the current momentum.
“In Cuba and China, ballet is really for everybody. In the past it was elitist. What I’m trying to do is say ‘no, this is just another language, a unifying language’.”
A key focus of the Training Teachers initiative is to equip teachers with the necessary skill and know-how to make a living from ballet classes.
In the middle of the session, Badenhorst requests a break so that he may address the class. In his impassioned speech, he preaches self-sustainability and the importance of each teacher charging a fee for their work.
Many of them express their frustration at the delay in payment that they’ve experienced from parents and others offer advice and share their experiences. It has the feel of a family conference – Badenhorst sitting as its head.
“One thing that I feel very strongly about is that I have an idea of what South African ballet should look like,” he explains. “But I come from a specific perspective. So I want people like these teachers or the students who have done African dance to have their influence. When we start telling South African stories through classical ballet, imagine the beautiful things they can create.”
He speaks of his regret at the lack of opportunity afforded to the teachers in his programme during their younger days. Some of them, he says, have incredible talents that could have become something special had they received the appropriate training. The initiation of the Training Teachers in the Township programme is a dream come true for Badenhorst and an opportunity to redress the access issues he’s been witness to. But is it the pinnacle of what he’s been pushing for in the past few years?
No.
“I would like to take it one step further. I would like to have an actual school where all of this can happen. There has to be a space where the super-talented can come together and be trained together. That is my dream.”