City ballerinas awarded New York bursaries

Even without theatre shows and dance classes for most of this year, the ballerinas from the Midlands Dance Theatre Centre (MDTC) did not let the Covid-19 pandemic stop them from going for gold and receiving bursaries to attend summer school in New York City next year.

Six ballet students were awarded gold with distinction, ten dancers received gold, and 13 dancers were awarded bursaries to the New York Summer School in July 2021.

MDTC owner and dance instructor, Susan Cleary, said these achievements have definitely been the high note to a challenging year for the dancers who were not able to perform in any shows or theatre productions. Even their ballet classes have been online via Zoom this year.

“This has been such a difficult year for us all and taking part in the American Awards and achieving these results was definitely worth it for the dancers. At least they have had some reward for all their hard work and perseverance this year,” she said.

Cleary said, regardless of whether the dancers are able to go to New York next year, it is more about the honour of being chosen to attend the prestigious programme that counts.

An exciting new venture awaits MDTC next year as the dance school is set to merge with another city dance school, DanZit. Cleary said, in light of the pandemic, the move made sense. The merging of the two dance schools will also allow for a wider variety of dance classes and styles on offer, including jazz, street dance, contemporary, musical theatre, acrobatics and tap, depending on the community's interest. BalletRip and Argentine tango classes will be on offer for adults.

Cleary is also hoping to get more boys interested in dance. DanZit owner, Jamie Knott, said she is excited about the merge and the opportunity it affords to offer a larger variety of dance styles for kids and adults.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us that it’s no good going on our own if, as dance studios, we are to survive the pandemic. Dance studios have faced financial repercussions. The partnership enables us to keep going,” she explained.

The team is also appealing for anyone who is interested in taking tap and BalletRip classes to make contact with them. For 2021 enrolments or enquiries, email: susan@mdtc.co.za /jamie@mdtc.co.za

Pictured in the front row (from left) are six of the 13 New York Summer School scholarship winners: Amy Goddard (Laddsworth Primary), Jessica Fenwick (the Wykeham Collegiate), Zimi Tshaka (Epworth), Jessica Conway (St. John’s DSG), Julia Lee (St. Anne’s College), and Thando Maphanga (Clarendon Primary). Other bursary winners are Abigail Newman (the Wykeham Collegiate), Courtney de Villiers (Clarendon Primary), Amahle Mtshali (Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High), Akhona Hlophe (Clarendon Primary), Daniela Abreu (the Wykeham Collegiate), Zimi Tshaka (Epworth), Jessica Fenwick (the Wykeham Collegiate).