The adopt a dancer program is a project were one donates whatever one can afford.

One can adopt a dancer by helping with anything that he\she needs from the attached document, then you as a personal sponsor will have a relationship with your dancer. Every month the dancer will write a letter to you and tell you everything that he\she experienced on that month, whether it’s going to shows or performances that your money helped him\her with. The dancer will keep you up to date and we will also send an email to you biannually to report on your dancer and if you want to have the dancers contact details you can have that. Then you can call the family and know your dancer well.

All this is done with love and the belief for the Alexandra dancers, if you want to adopt a dancer, contact us at kbt@syrex.co.za and we will send you a list of all our dancers, then you can choose the one you would like to adopt.

Please find the attached document of the adopt a dancer project that has all the needs that one dancers needs hope that all this information will help you help a dancer to continue with the love of ballet.

The “Adopt a Dancer” program began in early 2007, with a fundraiser at Kirsten Nash and Bill Park’s home in West Vancouver, BC, Canada. Penny Thloloe had been working herself to the point of exhaustion and Kirsten decided that it was time to finally meet and find a way to go to the next step, so Penny was flown far, far away from home to the West Coast of Canada to finally meet the people on the end of so many emails and telephone calls. It was a complete act of faith on all sides, as Kasi has been from the beginning and as the universe would have it, that faith was blessed with luck and the visit was a life-changing experience for everyone involved and the three weeks Penny was in Vancouver flew by in a whirlwind of creativity, love and laughter.

Part of that visit was spent preparing for a fundraiser at Bill and Kirsten’s home. Many of their friends chipped in…Sharmina Murphy, with the help of Julie Urquart and Janna Van Niewenhuyse headed up the kitchen and catering, Michele Ross strapped on her apron and helped. Penny peeled garlic and chopped onions until her eyes were watering, and Miesje Taylor volunteered as bartender for the evening. Darcy Smith made an incredible seafood feast and Liquid Art provided a wine tasting in the cellar which proved very popular! Kim Reeves, Amanda Morris, Sharon Jenvey, Tessa Ainge and Audie Wong donated ballet clothing and shoes for Penny to take home to the children. The assistants and office staff of Joe Murphy’s law firm, Battista, Murphy and Associates, organized to collect everything from make-up to pencils, crayons and so many other wonderful things for the children.

Bill Park made sure the house was full of some of the sponsors from “The Bird and the Waterfall” and many other generous associates as well as so many other friends of everyone involved and what resulted from the generosity and kindness of so many people was that we raised over $13,000 for the “Adopt A Dancer” program, or roughly enough to cover a year’s worth of ballet lessons and so many other things for 6 ½ dancers!

Some people adopted a dancer outright, and others were grouped into mini-communities to adopt a dancer. In return for their generosity, the children are encouraged to write letters to the sponsors, to form an emotional and mentoring bond that it is hoped will take them through into adulthood, and sponsors are encouraged to begin a “pen pal” relationship with the child. The internet has made this a very accessible concept. All of the children’s letters are scanned and sent to the corresponding sponsor groups, as well as posted on the “Adopt a Dancer” page of the Kasi Ballet website. All of the sponsor’s letters will be scanned and sent to Kasi Ballet, who will then print and hand the letters out to the children.

In this section of the Kasi Ballet website, you can find the sponsor lists, names of the children they sponsored and the children’s first thank you letters. There are also several letters from children yet to be sponsored and if you or you and your friends would like to sponsor one or more children, and would like some information on the program, please feel free to contact Penny Thloloe through the contact information on this website.

Thanks for your interest or continuing interest in Kasi Ballet Theatre and please consider the “Adopt a Dancer” program. We can all make such a difference one child at a time!!

Dina Skgobela - Age 11 yrs.

Sponsors
Trev Deeley Motorcycles

Dina has been dancing with penny for 3 years and I now working on her grade 3 exams. She has been spotted as a talented young lady by the Johannesburg youth Ballet and also she has never had a score below 75 for all her exams.

She is being sponsored by a couple in Canada who own Harley Davidson and they have so much faith in her that they willing to put their money into making sure she reaches her target. Dina has featured in newspapers and magazines like Bona and others.

Dina dreams of becoming one of the best ballet dancers in the world and to be able to teach children around the world. Dina’s other dream is to be a pilot, so she can bring the world to the less fortunate.

180 Sun Bird rd. Westbank, Alexandra Tel- 0840821892
Iphutheng Primary School (grade 5)

Gaopalelwe Mkhine - Age 10 yrs.

Sponsors
Sharmina and Joe Murphy
Battista, Murphy & Associates

Dimakatso Modiba - Age 11 yrs.

Sponsors
Bobby Burgers
Dimakatso Modiba
Lou Blair
Janna and Rick Van Niewenhuyse
Peter and Elene Fox
Ian and Oksana Slater

Dimakatso’s personal goal is to become a physiotherapist as well as a ballet dancer. She hopes that she will be able to make people aware of their bodies and help them be healthier. She also wants to teach children in Alexandra and the surrounding places.

65-2nd Ave, Alexandra Tel- 0766602793
Skeen Primary School

Lebo Mafa - Age 13 yrs.

Sponsor
Barry and Cheryl Jackson
Diana Alton
Dawn Van Vliet
Ken Tremblett
Lilly Kazaz
Todd Patchell

Lebo is 13 years old and also started with Kasi Ballet theatre a year ago and has progressed extremely well she is a member of the Johannesburg youth ballet and is in the process of attaining her grade 5. She is very talented and has featured in all our shoes as a leading dancer.

Lebo wants to become a professional dancer, mastering ballet and then other genres. She also wants to study psychology and would like to travel the world performing ballet, starting in London then Australia and so on. She is inspired by teacher Penny and the way she dances, and hopes that she will also open her own company. Lebo would like to inspire kids and show them how ballet has made a difference in her life.

309 Namibia rd. Tsutsumani, Alexandra Tel- 0732944708
Orange Groove Primary School (grade 7)

Thato Shai - Age 12 yrs.

Sponsor
Simon and Joanna Baston
Julie Urquhart
Michele Ross
Canex Construction
Catherine and Robert Sheppard
Vincent Tattersall and Mandy Morris
Sean Ungemach
Kimberly Catliff
Wayne Wilkins

Thato is determined to be a ballet dancer; he feels that there are not enough male ballet dancers in South Africa. He feels that, as much as we don’t have enough ballet dancers in SA, we should focus our energy to less fortunate countries like Nigeria. Thato states that, “before worrying about overseas we should empower kids in our own continent.

3414 Far Eastbank, Alexandra Skeen Primary School (grade 5)