There has been a feast of dance at this year's Festival, with many showcasing their talent in this physically challenging field.
There has been a feast of dance at this year's Festival, with many showcasing their talent in this physically challenging field.
“The passion that fuelled me to begin dancing in childhood is what gets me up early every morning and inspires me to train for hours a day nearly every day of the week,” said Fana Tshabalala, Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner for Dance, who performed his piece, 'Induma'.
It is the dancers' commitment that creates a magical field and to many, endurance, strength and resilience become second nature.
“If one truly has the calling and will to become a professional dancer, the way will appear,” said Thula Cruikshank, from the Johannesburg Youth Ballet who played Hansel in the dance performance Hansel and Gretel at the Festival.
Dancers take care of their bodies by training consistently, with thorough warm-ups and cool downs. They eat nourishing meals that supply a lot of protein for muscle strength and complex carbohydrates for endurance.
“You must have a very solid foundation and stay healthy in your body to be able to last in this field,” said Tshabalala. They get plenty of sleep and, other than occasional celebrations, they usually go to bed early so they can get plenty of rest before performances.
“The balance of hard work, with rest and recreation to let the body recover, is important,” said Manuel Norambuaenz, a ballet teacher at the National School of the Arts.
