Cape Town - These seven young dancers are gearing up to compete in a world dance championship in Croatia next year and are making an early start raising funds for their much-anticipated trip.
The dancers, who each entered as solo acts are part of the Jodie Jackson Dance Centre, based in Lotus River.
Last Saturday, hopefuls lined up for their auditions at the Dance Star South Africa Qualifiers held at Durbanville High School.
In the competition, run by SA Dance Talent, Chris Stafelberg and his team provide dancers with the platform to qualify in either Cape Town or Pretoria to represent South Africa next May at the World Dance Star Finals in Porec, Croatia.
JJDC entered eight Urban Style/Hip-Hop soloists and one Contemporary Modern soloist into the competition this year and was left bursting with pride when no fewer than seven of their entrants qualified for the national team.
The owner of JJDC, Jodie Jackson, 31, says she is very proud of her talented squad and says it’s a fantastic opportunity to be seen by talent scouts on an international stage.
“This is an amazing achievement and this will be the second time our dancers will have the opportunity to represent SA,” says Jodie.
“I’m proud that my assistant coach, Caylum Hughes, and I will have our work showcased on the world stage.”
The dancers are Justin Napoleon, 14, Damon Newton, 13, Monique Daniels, 12, Tayla Pasqualle,11, Luthando Baduza, 11, Chantal de Haan, 20, and Caylum Hughes, 20.
“These dancers come from all walks of life in the communities of Grassy Park, Strandfontein, Retreat and surrounding areas,” says Jodie.
“A trip like this can cost between R30 000 and R35 000 per dancer, which is not easy for any parent or dancer to come up with.”
To this end, the dancers are in the process of creating a Go Fund Me account and are also planning various fundraising events.
Jodie adds: “We ask that our community supports us in all our efforts and if there are any donors or anyone willing to sponsor any of the children individually or the JJDC group in any way, to please contact me on 074 880 9532.”
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Daily Voice