Due to funding from the National Lottery the non profit organisation (NPO) Aphrodite Belly Dance Studio in San Remo, Strandfontein, could compete in the Cape Town Oriental Dance Festival at Artscpae in October last year and at the Egyptian Cinderella.
Both projects were in collaboration with Belladonnas. The dance festival attracted national and international dancers and audiences.
Approximately 100 dancers participated in the dance festival and the Egyptian Cinderella, a dance through story-telling addressing xenophobia and racism.
“This in itself gave the young dancers the opportunity to learn that we have to remove barriers and spread love and unity. The funding will give the Aphrodite Belly Dancers the opportunity to participate in the annual Miss SA Belly Dance competition in Johannesburg on Tuesday 21 March. Besides the competition, the dancers can also attend workshops with renowned international belly dance teachers,” says Stephanie Singh, director of the Studio.
The workshops will up-skill the dancers and for many dancers, this is a dream come true.
Aphrodite Belly Dance Studio strives to deliver community development through the art of creativity.
“We created jobs for residents in Strandfontein and surrounding areas in costume making, props design and making, social media empowerment, to learn how to choreograph and cosmetology,” she says.
