Contemporary Ballet

The Contemporary Ballet Programme was established in 2009. While 40 senior DFA students auditioned to become part of this specialised dance programme, only nine girls were chosen for their talent, ability, attitude and desire to further their dance skills with more rigorous training – something that requires full commitment and complete dedication. These students are role models for DFA’s younger dance students.

Initially, in Feb 2009, Noluyanda Mqulwana was promoted to the position of Coordinator of the Contemporary Ballet Programme. She is a wonderful role model – having joined DFA at the age of nine, she has gone through the ranks and is a true product of the organisation. However, in January 2011, Noluyanda left DFA to pursue an incredible opportunity of furthering her professional career through dancing in a production of The Lion King in Singapore.

The Contemporary Ballet Programme is now being coordinated and taught by Philip Boyd (DFA CEO) and Christopher Kindo (DFA choreographer and teacher). In 2011, six very promising senior male students joined this group (always welcome), creating healthy competition (which is a good thing). As success in the dance profession hinges on both skill and versatility, Philip and Christopher have designed the classes to include a balanced variety of styles. During the week, the students have daily classes spanning classical ballet, contemporary dance and jazz, as well as Afro-fusion – a range that covers all the styles so necessary for any dancer today. The group often has the opportunity of working with guest teachers and choreographers, which helps them to build up an exciting and varied dance repertoire that will provide excellent material for public performances.

Most of these contemporary ballet students are part of the Young InSPIRAtions Performing Group. This means that they not only receive a sound training, but also get to work with experienced local and international teachers and choreographers. Many workshops take place during their training and the students have the opportunity of seeing a variety of dance performances at theatres in and around Cape Town. They are also gaining valuable experience through staging performances in a variety of contexts.