These dancers the riel deal
SA troupe ‘ready to take on world’ after winning gold at championships in Los Angeles
AGROUP of Western Cape teenagers, who performs one of southern Africa’s oldest dance forms, have struck gold for South Africa at an international competition in California. Team South Africa’s Die Nuwe Graskoue Trappers, a riel dance troupe from Wupperthal and surrounding towns, won the group production competition at the World Championships of Performing Arts in Los Angeles at the weekend.
“This was the most amazing feeling and a great inspiration for what is to follow. There is a great sense of pride and the kids are now ready to take on the world,” said the troupe’s trainer and choreographer, Floris Smith in an e-mail to the Cape Argus.
Smith, the deputy general manager and executive chef at Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat, has been working with the team since 2012, training them in his spare time.
The troupe consists of 17 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 19, and were competing with dancers from top dance schools around the world.
The dancers and their band will also compete in other categories of the competition, which finishes on Saturday.
Messages of congratulations have been streaming in on the group’s Facebook page.
The riel, which often incorporates imitations of animals, including the baboon, ostrich, peacock and meerkat, used to be performed around the fire by the Khoisan.
It requires fast footwork and, as was the case decades ago, is often performed around the fire.
Before 2006, the riel was “almost nonexistent” in South Africa, but a competition launched by the Afrikaanse Taal- en Kultuurvereniging (ATKV) revived it.
In 2006 only seven teams participated in the ATKV Rieldans Competition, but last year the competition attracted almost 100 teams.
Die Nuwe Graskoue Trappers is the defending champions of this competition’s under-18 category.
Elias Nel, project organiser of the ATKV competition, said the team’s win in Los Angeles was a huge boost for the local competition and for the revival of the riel.
“It will give the riel a lot of international exposure and create a lot of interest. We are so proud of the team.”
The troupe is among a group of 90 young actors, singers, musicians, dancers, models and variety artists, who are representing South Africa at the world championships.
They all won gold at the recent 2015 South African Championships of Performing Arts.
South Africa also won the award for the country with the most entries at the world championships, which was received by Dr Ellen Roux, director of the South African Championships of Performing Arts.