A dance in the right direction
The dancing duo Macaela Davies and Stephanie van der Riet earned their place in the front row in their race at the Germiston Eisteddfod on Saturday August 21.
Both received diplomas for their simple dance routines, which is the highest honor in this type of competition. They received gold for their duo.
Stéphanie, 27, had never planned to start dancing. Her mother, in fact, started with all of this about five years ago when she and a few friends attended a few classes. But, the friends didn’t last long and she asked Stephanie to join her in belly dancing lessons. Stephanie immediately fell in love with the sport and joined Synergy Worx in Monument.
“I noticed that there were other styles as well and I started to do everything. I have participated in contemporary dance competitions but also in hip hop, lyric, acro, cheer, belly dance and Broadway. I like the challenge and it’s a good outing. In today’s life, you can’t always say and do what you want, so that teaches discipline, ”said Stéphanie.
Macaela, 15, started dancing a year ago, having first taken classes at another institute, but left after a week. She and her father walked past Synergy one day and she knew she had to check it out.
“I have always had a passion for dance; it is a way of escaping reality. I don’t like therapy so dancing is my therapy, ”said Macaela, explaining that she mainly does contemporary, acro, hip hop and Broadway. “The best part is living your feelings while dancing. I suffer from social anxiety and when I dance I don’t have to talk and you can show your feelings.
Stéphanie said: “The hardest part is when you fight with a new stage. If you don’t practice it, you will lose it. The best part is I can go somewhere and make new friends and have fun. It’s like a small family we go to every day. Also, I like to be challenged.
Macaela explained that the hardest part of dancing for her is “… being around people who can do specific things, specific movements and you are the only one in the group who cannot do it. It’s a lot of pressure to try to get it right. Also, work on flexibility – some people cannot become flexible easily.
“We made the duo in two weeks because we decided on it at the last moment. We had to choose our song and make sure we both hooked up to it, ”said Stephanie, while Macaela added,“ Duets are very difficult, especially with the same gender. Your movements must be precise and at the same time, otherwise you will lose your bearings.
Both want to fight their way up to their SA colors and be part of the Diamond squad to compete in Barcelona in 2023.