South Africa is a nation with a passion for dancing.
We are a nation that believes in expressing oneself through dance and utilizing the art of dance to overcome our daily struggles. This is the philosophy on which SboNdaba Dance is built.
This organization, which takes its name from its dynamic creator and renowned choreographer Sbonakaliso Ndaba, has a very particular mission: to find promising dance talent at the grassroots level and develop dancers into professionally qualified and marketable dancers and teachers.
In a nation where unemployment remains above 35%, it made reasonable to emphasize job creation as a desired objective. “When dancers graduate from SboNdaba Dance, they will be skilled performers, but more significantly, they will be certified dance teachers who can earn a living while applying their skills to the benefit of the local communities,” says Sbonakaliso Ndaba, director of SboNdaba Dance.
This emphasis on job creation is what drew Extreme to sponsor SbaNdaba Dance. Extreme’s Marketing Manager, Natasha Coppin, affirms, “Extreme believes in the ability of dance to empower South Africa’s improvement.” “SboNdaba Dance implements its mission through an outcomes-based program that enables individuals and generates positive energy for change in their surrounding communities. We are honored to be a part of their exciting and transformative journey, fueled by the energizing kick of Extreme.”
In addition to contributing to the funding of SboNdaba Dance’s current program, Extreme has included several dancers in its recent Bula Sekele national dance competition as performers. “Bula Sekele” (a popular culture word meaning “make the circle bigger”) is a call to open the dance floor to let more people to participate in the event. It is also a demand to expand the opportunities available to dancers in our country by expanding the dance industry.
The certificate offered by SboNdaba Dance is fully recognized by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), and all dancers are currently on track to graduate by the beginning of 2023. These courses will enable dancers to teach extra mural workshops in communities and dance studios by combining their current understanding of Contemporary African Dance and Contemporary Dance with their additional teaching skills.
In fact, all the dancers have already taught Outreach Classes in their own areas, and these seminars are designed to enhance their teaching abilities and boost their confidence as instructors.
Mthetheleli Dlakavu, a talented dancer who was discovered locally and recruited to perform at the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival in 2022, is just one of the many success stories to emerge from SboNdaba Dance. Mthetheleli is now training for a UK tour with the critically acclaimed show Shona the Musical Choir.
SboNdaba The future of dance is bright, and Sis’ Sbonakaliso remains as passionate as ever about the transformative potential of dance. And today, with the assistance of Extreme, realizing that desire has become somewhat simpler.
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