Feel good dancers make an impact
People from all walks of life and across all ages gather in celebration of their passion for movement in 10 days of hard work that culminates in a magical performance, which raises funds to help those who are less fortunate
BUDDING East London dancers have come out for eight years to sway, bop, bounce and waltz as they spend a few short weeks learning to dance before appearing on stage.
The Vicky Luff Dance Academy – now in its ninth year – offers everyone, from beginner to advanced and both young and old, an opportunity to learn how to dance.
From December 1 to December 13 Luff and a group of choreographers will give daily lessons in nine different dance styles which include hip hop, krump, classical, contemporary, tap, pantsula, gumboot, Spanish and belly dance.
Dancers are separated by age into mini (6 -8 years), junior (9 - 12 years), senior (13 - 8 years) and master (19+).
Once students have grasped some basic moves in the different genres, the groups are then combined to put on a showcase which friends and family, as well as the general public, can buy tickets to watch.
Proceeds from the show are given to charity every year.
The Guild Theatre’s The Show Must Go On campaign has been chosen as this year’s beneficiary.
Previous beneficiaries include the SPCA, Silver Crown Home and Autism Sinethemba, a school which caters for autistic children.
Luff, who runs Dynamic Dance Academy in Dorchester Heights, said the idea for the yearly programme started out as a tiny seed of thought and evolved into the reality it is today.
“I started the academy in 2007. I took a break in 2010 so this year is the ninth season of the dance academy. Wow, well it started out as a possibly good idea, then it became a dream and then a reality.
“I studied dance after school at Pretoria Technikon and after injuries returned to East London and became involved more in choreography,” Luff said. “I wanted to let others know and experience a little something of what it is like to study dance and to be exposed to different genres of dance, with different teachers and choreographers.
“And not just a one-hour class after school, for a full day. I wanted kids to enjoy their dancing, and to love and respect their bodies as we only have one body and we need to look after it.
“I wanted to inspire, mentor and share the universal language of dance with our younger generation and at the same time share with them my passion for the arts and theatre.
“I want them to have fun, make new friends, move their bodies and challenge their minds.
“If nothing else, I want them to one day look back at their lives and for the memories they have of Dynamic Dance Academy to be a highlight in their lives.”
According to Luff, no experience is necessary to sign up for the classes as the dancers are taught the moves from scratch.
This does not mean experienced dancers are not welcome, she added, with most given an opportunity for a solo piece based on their performance.
To make room for responsibilities such as work and school, classes for seniors are held after 5pm weekdays and on weekends, high school seniors from 8am when they are done with exams, and juniors after 2pm when they are done with school. Students get four hours to learn each style. “For example, the hip hop session will start and they will have to learn the routine in that amount of time. Then the next day they learn the next routine at the next class and so on and so forth.
“Once they have learned all of the different styles we then meet and we put it all together into one show. All of this has to happen in 13 days,” Luff said.
“To start, classes are held at my studio in Dorchester Heights but when we come together we move to St Marks Church in Cambridge because we need a bigger venue. Preparing for the show is a lot of hard work but it’s also really fun. The showcase is the culmination of the classes and it’s a really great opportunity for everyone to show off what they have learnt and for the choreographers to show off their capabilities too.”
Luff said the group performs twice: one show earlier in the afternoon for charity and a second for a paying audience.
She explained: “There are those members of the public who would love to experience a show of this kind but really just can’t afford the tickets.
“That’s why I have this show for them. The show itself is nice and early in the afternoon so everyone, from school pupils to the elderly, can attend.
“The proceeds from the sale of the programmes are donated to charity.
“I approach a company to design and print the programmes each year. When guests arrive I hand the programmes over to them, but ask for a small donation in return. It really doesn’t matter how much. Some people give R20, others only R5.
“It’s that money that I give to charity.”
According to Luff, the showcase is given a different name each year, with this year’s dance extravaganza titled Wonderful Journey.
The journey represents the path that the dancers, choreographers and Luff travel within their individual lives and during the classes before reaching the final show.
Luff said the classes taught more than just dancing: they give the students an opportunity to make friends and to learn about teamwork, with the added high of getting to perform at the show.
“The first day is usually a bit awkward for some because they’re still new to this and they’re trying to get used to everyone. As soon as they start dancing, everyone immediately starts to loosen up and the fun begins. By the time we get to the show, everyone has made firm friends and they are a team,” she said.
“The performance is definitely the highlight of it all. It’s actually quite unbelievable to watch the performance and get told this was all put together in 10 days. You have to see it to believe and when you do you will probably say ‘I can’t believe they did that in 10 days’.
“It’s a fun, energetic, entertaining show for the whole family that will get your toes tapping, your heart skipping and definitely put a big smile on your face. It’s for young and old.
“There’s an incredible amount of discipline required from the kids. The best for me is to see how each of them grow from day one on December 1 to the show on Tuesday, December 13.
“They always blow me away and I’m always so proud of each student.”
Applications for classes close on November 20 and cost R800 for mini, R700 for juniors, R1 250 for seniors and R600 for masters.
Included in the cost are dance lessons for each of the different styles, studio time, an official T-shirt, a certificate and a DVD of the show.
Tickets for the show cost R80 and are available from Computicket.
“I’m just incredibly blessed by the continued support I receive from my family, the choreographers and the students. I hope that the community will take the time out of their busy schedules to come along and support us,” Luff concluded. —