Sensible, upright dancers

May 16, 2012 | Sbusiso Shongwe | 1 comments

SACRIFICE, loyalty and focus make Trounce, a hip-hop dance group from Bloemfontein in the Free State, stand out.

CONSCIENTIOUS YOUNGSTERS: Jiva Flexi, top, from Bloemfontein, and Vuka Dance Project from Kimberley

The boys could have given other groups a run for their money

They are living proof that a more responsible, highly-focused and conscientious youth is emerging from the ghettos.

Trounce is made up of six youngsters who are well-known in their neighbourhood for their dancing skills.

They unfortunately did not participate in the latest Step Up or Step Out auditions because one of their members was still in school.

"One of our members attends school and we were not prepared to compromise his education," another group member said. "We wanted to dance, but did not audition for that reason. Maybe next time," he said, as a parting shot to the popular e-tv youth reality contest and the competition's organisers.

"The boys could have given other groups a run for their money," one of the judges said at the time.

Another beautiful example of our conscientious youth is a young dancer called Small. He has been dancing alongside Chomee of 999 Music and Thembi Seete of Boom Shaka.

Small has great dancing skills and could have had a bright future in Johannesburg, but instead of making a name for himself here, he went home to Kimberley in the Northern Cape to share his skills with other youngster in his kasi.

Small and his close friends formed Vuka Dance Project, which has been registered as a company.

They speak the only language they know - exquisite dance. When they dance they are overwhelmed and the serenity in their faces spell love and passion.

When the highly impressed Step Up or Step Out judges asked the Vuka Dance crew how long they had been dancing together, struggling to catch their breath, they answered: "Our dance company is fairly young."

Undoubtedly, a new breed of youth, who dance while taking education and their future seriously, is emerging in South Africa and they are thankfully setting a positive trend.