Golden duo to shine at nationals
Dancers eyeing international leg
TWO East London dancers head to Rustenburg today for the South African Championships of Performing Arts, pitting the country’s top achievers against one another.
Chace Collett and Ashley Behrens, who scooped up more than 10 medals at the Talent Africa national competition in Johannesburg last weekend, could bring home even more medals and gain entry to the international leg of this competition which is held in Los Angeles every year.
Both Collett and Behrens have also qualified for world dance championships to be held in New York in June and will also participate in a dance contest at Euro Disney in Paris, in October.
Collett, 15, said she started ballet as a three-year-old and had never looked back.
“It has always been a dream of mine to be a dancer,” the Merrifield College Grade 11 pupil said.
Behrens, who has been dancing for more than a decade, said competing was what inspired him to continue dancing.
“I am very competitive. Getting on stage and having everyone watch you and hearing people say they enjoyed what you did . . . the crowd being touched by a performance that you have done, that keeps me going,” he said.
Both Behrens and Collett put in hours of training. During the school term the pair train after Collett has finished her homework, from 9pm until 11pm.
Behrens said one of his best solo performances was in Los Angeles last year – where he was crowned world dance champion.
“I also enjoy duo performances with Chace, we have such a good bond and connect really well.
“If I forget a step, Chace knows what to do,” he said.
The two are part of a group of five local dancers who will be going to the South African Championships of Performing Arts in Rustenburg from April 7 to 14.
Collett is the only ballet dancer, while others specialise in contemporary, Broadway and jazz.
At last year’s South African Championships of Performing Arts the pair qualified for the Los Angeles competition but this year say they don’t know how they will do.
“Last year we did well and we returned home with some medals,” —