[imagesource:screenshot/DW]

SboNdaba Dance is a local company, founded in October 2021 and launched in March 2022, that is changing the lives of young Capetonians in need by fostering a space for connection, expressive movement and storytelling.

Led by award-winning choreographer Sbonakaliso Ndaba as Artistic Director, SboNdaba Dance is more than just a movement studio.

With Ndaba’s guidance, dancers have the opportunity to express emotional depths through exploring important issues like environmental custodianship, poverty and gang violence, masculinity, and the impact of colonialism on present-day youth.

The troupe recently performed a breathtaking piece at Artscape titled ‘Diverse People Unite,’ a must-see offering that truly captures what SboNdaba Dance aims to do through this special medium.

DW Media recently spoke to one of the key dancers at SboNdaba Dance, Clayton Jannike, a young man whose story is bound to touch every South African.

“Dance is not just dance to me. It’s like… my whole entire life,” Jannike explained. “It’s like, the rhythm that’s inside of my body, it creates a connection and I kind of follow the feeling in my heart and what I feel.”

While Jannike’s passion and talent are crystal clear, it was a murky and gruelling process to get to this point.

Growing up on the Cape Flats, an area of the city spoke about in hushed undertones due to the ongoing gang violence and drug use that threatens to lure in young vulnerable people, Jannike struggled to finish school and found himself being seduced by the party lifestyle of many youth in the area.

An important catalyst for Jannike’s inspiring shift was the birth of his daughter, who he had at 16, around the same time he auditioned for SboNdaba Dance.

Dance is the soul-connecting medium that eventually pushed Jannike to finish his schooling and make positive changes in his own life.

“It opened my eyes and made me a better person.”

Now, Jannike wants to share his experience with the local kids in his neighbourhood, who are no doubt going through similar (but unique) experiences of growing up in a place characterised by violence and drug use. Local laaities are always welcome to share in dance with Jannike and his family.

“I use the skills they love. They love Hip Hop. They don’t have a lot of opportunities… My yard is always open and free, for the kids to come play any time” Jannike gushed.

With the legacies of Apartheid and colonialism continuously impacting the youth in areas like the Cape Flats, the importance of this kind of connection and expression is paramount.

We salute SboNdaba Dance and its creative impact on both the lives of youth in our country and the arts and culture in South Africa in general.

Check out the dance troupe’s upcoming events and support these awesome young movers and shakers!

[source:dw]