Riel cultural dancers vie for top spot at Paarl finals
RIEL DANCE groups Betjies van Betjiesfontein and Betjies Rooirots trampled all opposition into the dust on their way to winning the junior and senior cultural 2016 ATKV-Rieldans finals in Paarl on Saturday.
Betjies van Betjiesfontein from Clanwilliam showed some nifty footwork to be crowned kings of the final’s junior category, while Betjies Rooirots from Elizabeth-fontein took no prisoners to win the senior category.
As a dance form, Riel dancing had been practised mainly on farms, particularly among sheep-shearers from the 1930s to early 1960s.
The dance has to do with romance between males and females and imitates and the actions of animals and birds. Among the categories depicted are the butterfly-dance and the flirting of roosters, male-ostriches or turkeys.
Results of the competition include: Senior Ms and Mr Rieldance Personality 2016, respectively Bernadine Fortuin of Betjies Rooirots and Angelo Hugo of Boesmanland Bitterbessies.
Meanwhile, junior Ms and Mr Riel Dance Personality 2016, respectively were Lee-Ann van Wyk of Betjies van Betjiesfontein and Jason Robert of the Calvinia Sitstappers.
Best senior female dancer was Anechia Cloete of Griekwa Ratelgat and best senior male dancer was Abraham Willemse of Betjies Rooirots.
The best junior female dancer was Luwandri Schrader of Brand- vlei Stofskoppers and best junior male dancer Cheslan Claaste of Betjies van Betjiesfontein.
This was the 11th consecutive year that the ATKV Riel Dance finals had been held.