Bontle Modiselle is considered as one of the country’s finest dancers and choreographers, and now she hopes to be one of the country’s top presenters too. The young star has just joined etv’s music show, Club 808, where she will be co-hosting alongside Lawrence Maleka. Although Modiselle is no stranger to the industry, she does consider her new job as her big break. The dancer played Khanyi in the 2015 dance film, Hear Me Move and has been featured in music videos for some of the biggest stars in Africa.
“I am also at ease with this new job, it just feels right, everything about it feels right, from the timing to the people I work with. I feel incredibly blessed to be in the space I am in right now,” she said.
As happy as she is, it all does still feel like a dream. “I am still in disbelief to be honest, I don’t think that the reality of what has just happened to me has set in, maybe that’s because I am a very neutral person and like to stay calm, but either way I am beyond excited to be given this opportunity,” she said.
Modiselle has replaced Boity Thulo, who left the show last month. “I got a call about a month before Boity’s departure was announced. I went through an audition process and it was not the easiest thing to do because I had never worked with an autocue before, so it was very new to me because in the past I had been given a script to learn,” Modiselle said.
Although she admits that the audition process was a new environment for her, she clearly had something the shows producers liked because within days she received the good news. She said, “You know what when they called and said I got the job I actually asked them if they were sure because I was so shocked. In fact my family could not stop screaming with excitement and I just stood there.”
For Modiselle, moving from dance to presenting has been an interesting transition and she thinks she got the gig because of her relatability, “I definitely think that there is a level of relatability that I have. I am full of energy so when it comes to Club 808 all you are going to get in the real me. I am a dancer and choreographer so that really helps me with this job. The two are very different, my dance is a physical expression but I honestly feel that dance has helped me understand presenting better. Even acting has helped me get to this point”.
She said that fans should tune into the music show because the industry is opening up and she is ready to shake things up. “People are always saying that the entertainment industry needs to open up, and this job could have been given to any well known presenter but it was given to me, she people get to enjoy a new face and I really want to shake things up a little. I work with a crazy bunch of people who are great at what they do and all we want to do is create great television for everyone,” Modiselle said.
On replacing a star as big as Boity Thulo and whether she felt pressure , Modiselle said she does not see herself as Thulo’s replacement. “I think that is is very difficult to replace someone. Boity did such a great job on the show and I think it would be such an injustice to her if I tried to do what she did, or even try to be like any other person, for me that’s an injustice. I am on Club 808 to be myself, I’m not trying to replace anyone,” she said.
The rising star will also be choreographing the first African Reggae Music & Dancehall Awards taking place in Johannesburg later this year. “ What's really great about Club 808 is that we are encouraged to take other jobs and dance is my first love so I am very excited about the awards,” said the self taught dancer. She also plans on opening her very own dance studio later this year.
Catch Bontle on Club 808 every Friday at 6PM on etv.