Two-time world dance champ earmarked for top award
In 2013 Modjadji was crowned top dancer by Talent America Showcase
INTERNATIONALLY acclaimed choreographer Paul Modjadji has been nominated as a finalist for the Inyathelo Philanthropy Awards, which will take place in Cape Town on Thursday.
Modjadji, a two-time world dance champion, has had a roller coaster ride to the top in the entertainment sector. In August this year, he was honoured with the prestigious Mandela Washington Fellowship Young African Leaders Award, an award he received from President Barack Obama at a ceremony in Washington DC.
Modjadji also recently choreographed the highly successful Gauteng Sports Awards, with his 16-member dance group performing during a live television broadcast on Supersport.
Back in 2013, he was crowned top dancer globally by the New York based Talent America Showcase and two years prior to that crowning moment he made history by being crowned the first African dancer to win the European Star Dance Union World Championships, in the solo jazz category in Croatia.
As a young leader he’s been honoured with a Global Young Leaders Award, by the Washington DC based Global Young Leaders Congress, and here at home he is a recipient of the NYDA South African Youth Award in the Arts and Entertainment category, an is a recipient of the National Heritage Golden Shield youth advocacy award.
Modjadji’s passion for the arts is only matched by his dedication and commitment for uplifting young talent from townships across the country. Through his commitment under the Leaders Who Dare to Dream Foundation, an NGO he established five years ago, he has given dance classes to over 10 000 young people.
It is this commitment to improving the lives of young people and encourage their dreams that saw his nomination for South Africa’s crème de la crème awards for philanthropy work. The awards seek to strengthen civil society organisations and grow local philanthropy in support of a vibrant democracy in South Africa.
“The Inyathelo Awards have established themselves as the Oscars of the philanthropy sector, giving encouragement and support for humanitarian efforts by ordinary people with a commitment to impacting the lives of others and I am delighted to have been nominated as a finalist this year,” said Modjadji.
He cites the importance of us all remembering that we each have a responsibility to play our part towards creating the Africa we all want to see. “Pondering on the essence of ubuntu that has governed our existence and communities for centuries, we need to all be reminded that giving is a daily practice that doesn’t always mean grand gestures, but more a way of living that recognizes that we are all here to serve each other, even if serving means giving the elderly lady your seat in a bus, or donating time to an orphanage,” he added.
His next plan is to raise funds towards building dance academies in townships. “I realize that if we want to effectively remove young people from the streets and fight the drug scourge that is affecting the youth of today, we need to start with creating cool spaces for young people to gather and engage with each other in ways that are both creative and stimulating. The arts are a window to the soul and a great vehicle to building character and a positive society,” he concluded.
www.paulmodjadji.com