Sunday News (Zimbabwe)

Talent is everywhere but opportunit­y is not! …12-year-old Filabusi dance prodigy starts own group

- Clementine Phulu Sunday life Reporter

SHE STARTED dancing when she was five years old, Musawenkos­i Dlamini (12) who is doing Grade Six at Alpha Primary School at Insiza Filabusi has managed to form her dance group NyakazaNya­kaza which now consists of 12 members.

Growing up with no access to any dance classes and without getting inspired by anyone but born with a talent Dlamini from Insiza village E ward 17 in Filabusi, Matabelela­nd South province, started dancing at a tender age when she was doing her Grade Zero along with her friends who are now part of the dance group and she still believes that one day she is going to be recognised and get a chance to dance on the best dance floors in and outside Zimbabwe.

“I started dancing when I was doing my Grade Zero which is when my talent started showing up and whenever there was an event at my school or anywhere else everyone knew that I was going to dance, years to come I believe that I will get the opportunit­y to perform on the top stages in Zimbabwe and even outside country,” she said.

Being left out because of the environmen­t you are living in, Dlamini wishes to develop her community and even other communitie­s in the rural areas by building halls where they will be dance floors and where they are going to be dancing lessons for everyone who wish to further his or her talent.

“As people from rural areas we are viewed as people with no vision, people who are backward and people turn to look down upon us and I wish to change that, it might not be today or any time soon but one day I’m going to build halls where people with talents are going to be able to show case their talent and even get to be taught new skills to further their talents,” she said.

When Dlamini started the Nyakaza-nyakaza group she was inspired by one of the group of dancers which she saw on one of her mother’s phone which is where she gets to see trending dance moves.

“I like watching some music videos, videos of people dancing from my mother’s phone and that is where I get to see new dance moves and improve my dance moves. There is this video which I saw, I think there were about seven girls who were dancing then when I went to school I told my friends about the video. That is when we got to showcase our talent.

Dlamini got the name Nyakaza-nyakaza from her background inspiratio­n where she would dance and her grandparen­ts will say “nyakaza manyakaza” for motivation. She then adopted the name Nyakazanya­kaza.

As someone who is talented and wants to be recognised Dlamini is in need of support and help from those who can and those willing to help may contact her mother on 0780369964.

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