TAKE A BOW, KITTY

We couldn’t resist asking Kitty Phetla questions inbetween shots. Turns out she’s just as intriguing off-stage...

What’s your main focus this year?

It’s imperative for me to be mindful and to take care of my emotional and mental well-being. Last year was all about doing things, without thinking about what I truly wanted. I want to be intentional about mastering my craft because it’s so vast, and always a work in progress. What’s the hardest career lesson you’ve had to learn?

Crafting your career is what gets you ahead. I’ve also had to master the politics that come with the work I do.

What do you love having for breakfast?

I enjoy cereal. I also love eating eggs because you can have them at any time of the day.

The last thing you do before you sleep?

I switch on my radiogram and put on a nice record. I play LPs, so I select about 10 to play in a week, then I just randomly choose something to play from that list. Currently, jazz singer Betty Carter is on repeat.

Do you think more black girls are joining the ballet industry, or is there more transformation that still needs to happen?

I definitely feel there’s been a huge growth, and that ballet is now more tangible in the black community. Since the inception of my career, I’ve always done outreach programmes with the Joburg Ballet company by taking ballet to the people. And yes, we are getting more black audiences. It’s not so taboo anymore.

What do you do for fun?

I play music and do some house work. Going to the driving range to hit some golf balls calms me down. I also run 5 kms every morning.

Last country you visited?

China, where I bought a tea set that I’d always wanted, and a nice scarf for my mom.