Over the past two weeks Jazzart Dance Theatre and the Contemporary Dance Laboratory offered the learners of Noorder Paarl High School exceptional opportunities in dance.
On 12 March, the Jazzart dancers performed extracts from the Meraki Festival performed at the Artscape Theatre earlier this year to the dance learners of Noorder Paarl. They also presented dance workshops to 215 Grade 8 and Grade 9 creative arts (dance learners), offering the learners a chance to learn, move and be inspired by the passion and skills of the Jazzart dancers.
A week later on 19 March, 41 dancers from Noorder Paarl High School visited the Contemporary Dance Laboratory where the principal of the dance school, Kateryna Aloshyna, presented them with an engaging contemporary dance workshop. The focus was on floor work and the building of trust between dance partners.
Aloshyna not only taught the learners new movements, but also instilled in them a greater appreciation for dance as an art form.
She also invited the learners to the dance performance The Forest.
Participating in these extraordinary opportunities over two weeks empowered the dance learners of Noorder Paarl High to gain insight into professional dance training and to see what is possible with dedication, perseverance and hard work.
Aphiwe Sodlamba, who matriculated from Noorder Paarl High in 2017, is part of the Jazzart Dance Theatre group.
