The four Majestic Power Movement dancers show off their certificates from the Grand Slam Hip-Hop Competition in Retreat. They are Iviwe August, from Sea Point High School; Andriyano Conradie, from Hout Bay High School; Lesedi Mere, from Hout Bay Primary School; and Sibulele Busakewe, from Hout Bay High School).
Four hip-hop dancers from Imizamo Yethu and Hout Bay have been chosen to represent the province in a national competition.
Iviwe August, from Sea Point High School; Andriyano Conradie, from Hout Bay High School; Lesedi Mere, from Hout Bay Primary School; and Sibulele Busakewe, from Hout Bay High School, represented the Majestic Power Movement crew and booked their spots for the national contest after taking first place at the Grand Slam Hip-Hop Competition in Retreat on Saturday July 27, according to the founder of the crew, Luzuko Sodladla, 23.
Mr Sodladla, of Imizamo Yethu, leads a team of 24 youngsters in the dance crew.
His passion for dance blossomed when he was 6 years old, he recalls.
“I started taking dance seriously when a well-known dance coach, Gio Fisher, scouted me. She saw my potential before I saw it in myself, and after that, I saw what I was capable of. Later on, I started planning a dance initiative where I could bring the kids from my township and see the dance world in a bigger spectrum.”
He found the inspiration to start his dance crew at his church, he says.
“Every time there was an event at church, my parents would ask me to create a dance with the kids there.
“After we had gotten used to hosting a few performances at our church, the kids said they wanted to make their own crew so they asked me to teach them some more dances, and that's where Majestic Power Movement started.”
The competition in Retreat was a Dance Sport Club League event, and the crew intensified practice sessions to prepare for it, he says.
“Once we were selected by the league, we knew that we had a lot of work ahead of us and we were in game mode. When we qualified for nationals on Saturday July 27, we were a bit emotional because the journey wasn't easy and our hard work finally paid off.”
The four dancers will now form part of a team to represent the Western Cape at the nationals, a date and venue for which have yet to be announced.
Each of the dancers needs help to cover the costs of the tracksuits they need to compete in the national competition, says Mr Sodladla.
“We need help with the Western Cape uniform kit, which is R2000 per dancer. We accept any type of help that’s possible like some dance sneakers would be great as well.”
Sibulele says she has found another family and refuge from life’s hardships in the dance crew.
“What I enjoy about dancing is that it allows you to forget everything, and when the music plays, you have the excitement of the crowd,” she says, adding that her favourite genres are amapiano, hip hop, gqom and Afrobeats.
Iviwe adds: “When we got selected, we were over the moon and full of excitement because we knew our talent was finally acknowledged.”
The dance crew appeared on Cape Town TV in July and performed in front of more than 6000 people at Cape Town International Convention Centre last year for a world conference.
For more information, contact Luzuko Sodladla at 078 146 5388 or email sodluzuko370@gmail.com.