October 8, 2007
By Millicent Kgowedi
HIP-HOP dance king Shane Sparks will be in Jozi this month to host two dance workshops.
On his first trip to South Africa, Sparks will hold hip-hop dance workshops at the Village Hall in Midrand on Friday, 19 October. Sparks is the choreographer and a judge on the popular reality TV show, So You Think You Can Dance. He is being hosted by The Worxshop Studios.
Its hip-hop unit, Worxshop (WX) Hip-Hop, is organising the event. The unit aims to provide a platform for dancers and to serve as a link to local and international job opportunities. It also provides a healthy alternative over drug and alcohol abuse for young people.
Helene Venter, the public relation officers at WX Hip-Hop, says: "Hip-hop and street dance have been around for many years and have always been a universal language. They [are] a fusion of dance disciplines and cultural interpretations from around the world."
Artists use this style of dance in music videos and concerts as it is very entertaining and is fast becoming one of the most popular dances in the world, she says.
Sparks will hold workshops in Joburg and in Cape Town. "Hip-hop is extremely popular and growing day by day in South Africa. By staging these workshops with Shane we offer the world's best to our local talent. The interest [here] is as huge as in the US."
Hosting Sparks will build business relationships that will help to promote local talent and offer local youngsters opportunities to work and study internationally.
Jef d'Engle, the spokesperson at International Dance Company of South Africa, says that Sparks is a role model to many young people.
Now 33, Sparks started his dancing career at the age of 11. He performed at talent shows and school festivals across his home state of Ohio, in the American mid-west, becoming known for his interpretation of the robot dance and the moonwalk. He has appeared in the film You Got Served and the hit television show So You Think You Can Dance.
At present he is a judge on and choreographer of the show.
The WX Hip-Hop team is sponsoring more that 50 underprivileged dancers at the workshops. "This is not nearly enough and it is our aim to get at least 300 more of these dancers to attend," Venter says.
Tickets to attend the workshops are R300 each. There will be two 90-minute sessions on the day, the first at 2.30pm and the second at 4.30pm. There will be lots of give aways from Sparks's clothing label, S Style.
To book, contact Helene Venter on 082 858 5183. Booking closes on Saturday, 13 October. Companies are also invited to sponsor dancers.
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