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BY BILLY SUTE
THIS year marks the 26th for the annual Durban dance extravaganza, Shall We Dance which, produced and directed by Neville Letard and Caryl Cusens, will feature more than 100 performers when it is staged from September 7 to 16 at the Playhouse Opera.
The event showcases various dance companies and dance styles including Ballroom, Latin American, belly-dancing, Bollywood, ballet and just about everything else in between.
The featured couples this year include Danish dancer Nikolaj Lund and Polish dancer Marta Kocik performing Ballroom and Latin. They have dance titles from Denmark, throughout Europe and Japan, and will be making their first appearance at Shall We Dance and in South Africa.
The couple have been together 10 years and are currently the Danish 10 Dance Champions, claiming that their favourite dance is the tango which they feel is closest to their personality – vivid, sensual and passionate.
Back again this year is Durban dance duo Statik, which will perform high-energy, tightly choreographed routines. The team comprises Selwyn Rautenbach and Clinton Green, who have been dancing together since 1995. Their routine fits somewhere between Michael Jackson and hip-hop and breaks conventional dance style boundaries.
Fan favourite Gerhard van Rooyen is also back this year, and will be joined by Moldavian athlete, Ecaterina Jeleznii, performing in their jaw-dropping adage style
Making their first appearance as featured dancers are Siphosethu Ngcobo from Umlazi and Sibusiso Ndlovu from Ladysmith. These young talents will perform with Madison Bromfield. Ngcobo and Bromfield will be taking to the floor for the Ballroom sequence, while Ndlovu and Bromfield will be performing the Latin American.
Damon Beard once again will compere the extravaganza, for which booking is now open at Computicket outlets.
