Dancing their way to a higher place

A GROUP of break-dancers from Parkside, East London, have decided to uplift their community themselves by building a dance studio.

The studio is being built in the backyard of a dancer’s home in Parkside.

Sherwin Reenes, who has been involved in the dance industry for the past 10 years, came up with the idea because there was a desperate need for practice space. “We have nowhere to practise; we either ask schools to allow us to use their classrooms or we practise on any open field,” he said.

The dancers themselves have done the work on the studio. When the Daily Dispatch visited the site yester day, the basic structure of the studio was complete. The building consists of wooden walls and proper roofing.

However, the flooring still needs attention. Reenes said they had struggled to complete it because they lacked financial support. “But we trust it will get done.”

The project started more than two years ago with the help of Reenes’ mother, Sthelena Reenes, and his sister Veronique Swart.

Sthelena said that originally the space was to have been used for an additional room, “but Sherwin approached me about the studio and I decided to support his vision.” She said it had cost her and her daughter more than R4000 for building materials and supplies but because she believed in her son’s vision, she had gladly helped.

The other purpose of the studio is to provide workshops and training for up-and-coming dancers from within the community. Sherwin has mentored young dancers for the past two years and hopes a studio will provide a more formal setting.

“About 16 children are busy dancing instead of doing drugs or other criminal activities in the area,” said Wade Martin, who is a co-dancer with Reenes.

The dancers hope the community of Parkside will contribute to the completion of the studio. They feel this initiative will also benefit the greater community of East London. —