Young Hout Bay dancers were thrilled to see all the hard work that went into their choreography come to life on the big stage last week.
The 30 dance students from the Amoyo Performing Arts Foundation performed in the 2024 Schools’ Arts Festival at the Artscape Theatre Centre on Monday August 19, according to Amoyo project manager Marilyn Noble.
And the Amoyo group was among the top-20 schools selected to take part in the festival’s closing performance on Thursday evening.
The dancers – aged from 9 to 18 – are pupils of Sentinel Primary, Disa Primary, Moravian Primary, Hout Bay Primary, Silikamva High, and Livingstone High.
They performed two dance pieces, Joy of Dance and The Lost Children Away From Home, choreographed by Amoyo’s head dance teachers, Mandisa Qwesha and Nandipha Sandlana.
“As a proud product of this community and a former dancer myself, I am thrilled to have led the Amoyo team in preparing for this prestigious event. While the preparation phase can be busy for our support staff, I relish the opportunity to work behind the scenes, ensuring every detail is in place to showcase our talented young performers,“ Ms Noble said.
Ms Sandlana described Joy of Dance as a vibrant dance piece that “celebrates the transformative power of dance, showcasing how it can boost muscle tone, strength, endurance and overall fitness through energetic movement”.
The Lost Children Away From Home expressed perseverance and emotional support, she added.
The festival was the first time Amoyo’s junior dancers, aged 9 to 12, performed on a big stage with professional lighting and in front of a large audience, said Ms Sandlana.
“It’s a milestone achievement and a testament to their hard work and dedication,” she said.
“It’s my second time performing at the Artscape. I got so inspired because performing there is a big opportunity for me to be in the spotlight,” said Linamandla Voyi, 14, who has been dancing with Amoyo for four years. “I really enjoyed performance even though the dance was very challenging, but at last we did it.”
“I found the dance very challenging because it was a fast dance, and we had to use the emotions throughout. I still hope that I can achieve my goals of becoming a dancer someday,” added Mpokiseng Rawu, 15, who has been dancing for seven years with Amoyo.
For more information about the foundation or how you can support it, contact Marilyn Noble at marilyn@amoyo.org or 021 300 3297.
