Penelope Thloloe has been dancing for over a decade and is the artistic director of Kasi Ballet Theatre. Penelope attended the National School for the Arts. Her afternoon extra mural dance classes at the Ballet Theatre Afrikan Dance Academy consisted of daily ballet, modern and Spanish classes together with extensive rehearsals and performances.

Penelope has performed many soloist roles in classical and contemporary works in the company’s repertoire. These pieces have been created for the company by many of South Africa’s leading choreographers. Her outstanding comic acting abilities were used to the full when cast as an ugly sister in the past production of ‘Cinderella’. This talent was polished further by the London based Rembart school of dance.

She achieved a scroll at the National School of the Arts; Penelope has also presented choreographic works at two DanceCor Choreographic Workshops and choreographed a solo for her DanceCor Associate Exam. She has also choreographed some pieces for London based school Rembart School of dance.

Penelope, including ten other professional dancers from Ballet Theatre Afrikan has been trained as internationally recognized ballet teachers in the Cecchetti Method. She in turn is passing her skills back to the communities with 250 young learners from Alexandra, Soweto and surrounding suburbs being trained at four satellite schools.

The enthusiastic and driven leadership of these outreach projects is provided by Penelope, being the Director of Kasi Ballet Theatre. Her roots in the Alexandra community are very strong: her mother, Mapula Thloloe, is a teacher at Minerva High School and her father Isaac Thloloe is Head of Department of Life Orientation at the Realogile High School and also chairperson of the Alexandra’s Life Orientation Teachers’ Forum.

She has identified a very strong wish in the community of Alexandra for the development of professional dancers, the in depth training required to transfer the skills needed for those wishing to make dance a career. This would result in the production of many self-sustainable dancers; dancers that can go out into the marketplace and earn their living from dance. It would also eventually result in a number of qualified teachers of dance from the community. This will require a great deal more input from both sides than the once a week recreational lessons, at present the only form of dance in the township. The training of a professional dancer requires many hours a week from both the teacher and the dancer and a commitment
over many years. It also requires the support of the families and the community.

Ms Thloloe has already approached the schools of Alexandra and has had an overwhelming response, especially as the project would be based directly in Alexandra. As most children in Alexandra have no means of transport, it would be impossible to put in the hours of training unless the project was based within walking distance. She has therefore identified suitable facilities at Eastbank Hall for the short term in the heart of Alexandra and is presently spreading the word at the schools.

Kasi ballet theatre was registered 2005 and is presently working on the 3 sections the academy, youth dance company and the professional company. At present she is working on her own company Kasi Ballet theatre. Penelope is charming, communicates easily and shows a great deal of maturity. She is passionate about her dancing and is an extremely hard worker.

Lee Piedt, 22 years of age, began dancing at the age of 7 at Silver Leaf Performing Arts which is a non-profit organisation under the direction of Amelia Du Toit. She began at The Athenaeum in Kenilworth, Cape Town. She remained a loyal dancer to Silver Leaf until the age of 19 and had the privilege of touring with them to Finland and Amsterdam through government funding. She took part in various outreach programs as well as educational workshops
with Jazzart under the Direction of Alfred Hinkel. She was part of collaboration between Silver Leaf and Jazzart for Dance Cape in 1999 and worked on projects with Freeflight Dance Company. She joined Ballet Theatre Afrikan in 2004-2005 and performed in a number of the company’s productions.

She is currently freelancing as a performer and was offered to perform as a dancer for Danny K and various other artists. Lee is a very enthusiastic dancer who is passionate about what she does and only hopes she can pass that enthusiasm on to others who wish to dance.

Margarita Naydenova was born in Bulgaria where she began dancing a the National Opera Ballet School. There she had the opportunity to do a 3 month exchange program with The Bolshoi Theatre. In 1997 she immigrated to SA where she schooled at the National School of the Arts and danced in her spare time with Ballet Theatre Afrikan. After finishing school she excelled in various advanced examinations from the Royal Academy of Dance, Cechetti and Dancecor methods. In 2002 she achieved the Cechetti Associate Teachers examination and has been teaching in various outreach schools in Alex. In 2004 she resigned from the position as a soloist from Ballet Theatre Afrikan and has been dancing for various choreographers namely: Christopher Kindo, Adele Blank, Vincent Mantsoe,Natalie Fisher and David Matamela.

She is currently freelancing as a performer and was offered to perform as a dancer for Danny K and various other artists. Lee is a very enthusiastic dancer who is passionate about what she does and only hopes she can pass that enthusiasm on to others who wish to dance.

Bongani Nkabinde, 20 years of age, began dancing at the age of 19 with a local group D.T.D mainly dancing Hip Hop. Bongani has performed at various functions including Festival against Crime, Miss Maimane Phiri Beauty Contest, BTA Dance Contest, Rhema Church and Slaghuis. At the age of 20 he joined Kasi Ballet Theatre where he currently doing ballet and contemporary dance.

He is greatly inspired by Wade Robinson and hopes to become an ambassador of dance, and to create a higher quality of dance in the townships and South Africa.

Marise Dusheiko aged 22 began dancing at age 5 under Jane Pick in the Royal Academy of Dance method. At age 10 she began Modern dance through the Dancecor syllabus. Over the next 8 years she trained in many forms of dancing including Tap, Latin American, Irish, Freestyle and Funk Jazz.

In 2002 she joined Ballet Theatre Afrikan where she performed in national outreach schools performances and theatre productions, toured extensively with the company nationally as well as to Zimbabwe and successfully completed her Cecchetti Advanced examinations. In 2005 she joined the South African Ballet Theatre as a graduate where she performed in various full length classical ballets.

Marise joined Kasi Ballet Theatre in 2006 with the vision of helping to develop a company of young, talented and diverse dancers while creating a love and appreciation of dance to under privileged children around South Africa.

Lerato Letlape, 23 years of age, began dancing Hip Hop 7 years ago, at the age 20 he started a local group D.T.D mainly dancing Hip Hop. Lerato has performed at various functions including Hora-Café, Alexandra Technical, Miss Maimane Phiri Beauty Contest and Slaghuis, at the age of 23 he joined Kasi Ballet Theatre where he is currently still dancing Hip Hop and contemporary as well as ballet.

He is greatly inspired by Michael Jackson and Usher Raymond. His goal is to become the most talented dancer and choreographer and to teach children in the township the quality of dance.

Kristin Wilson aged 22 began dancing at the age of 5 in Oceanview Cape Town under her mother who taught ballet to young children on behalf of Coloured Affairs. She joined the Ballet Theatre African Academy and Youth Dance Company at the age of 15 and began performing with them locally and abroad, she went on to join the BTA Company as soloist where she worked until 2004. During this time she performed in national outreach Schools performances and choreographed works for the FNB Vita dance umbrella. She also acquired her RAD advanced Ballet qualification and her Cecchetti International Ballet Teachers. She is currently a freelance performer and choreographer over the past few months she has been working on projects with The Freeflight Dance Company, La Rosa Spanish Dance Company and a Woman in arts, project at the Dance factory.

Kristin also enjoys teaching students at the Gauteng Dance Academy as well as open classes at the Moyo Dances Studio in Orange Groove. Kristin embraces new creative ventures and collaborations and is excited about South Africans Kinetic culture and its huge potential for Dance Art as well as education and empowerment.