Our very own dance super star Paul Modjaji is currently in Croatia for the 2016 dance star world championships, on which he is also one of the judges. It has officially kicked off on the 24th of May with the semi qualifiers, and the official opening ceremony is on the 25th of May. The dance star night is on Saturday the 28th, and the award ceremony is on the 29th of May.
The Dance Star is celebrated as the biggest dance competition in the world. With over 55 countries represented and a total of 5 000 dancers competing for the covet title of the world’s ultimate STAR dancer. Paul Modjadji , who made history in 2011 by being the first dancer from the African continent to be crowned world solo jazz champion at The Dance Star championships has gone with 450 dancers that will represent South Africa.
Modjadji who recently returned from the USA as part of an official invitation to perform for the South African Freedom month commemorations is not a new comer to the international dance scene. “I was crowned top dancer in the globe at the Talent America Showcase in 2013 and I have had the honour of choreographing SA’s first dance film, Hear Me Move, and Suurlemoen, and worked on major national and international productions.”
Upon his return from Croatia he will embark on a journey that will see him visit over 10 countries in Africa to promote dance and civic leadership. “The tour was inspired mainly by my experience on the Mandela Washington Fellowship programme, I had the privilege of being part of in 2015 in USA, and the exposure to African great minds and network of young leaders within the continent and the inspiring work they are all doing in their countries. Each country I visit I will spend some time with my fellow cohorts dedicating efforts towards addressing some of the social challenges facing their home countries, while learning about and celebrating their culture, arts and soaking up the beauty of our continent. The tour is titled “Uniting Africa through Dance”. There will be lots of dancing! And thanks to the support of the Dance Star Organisation some surprises along the way”. Wink
And back in his hometown of Hammanskraal he launched the junior ballet programme which provides early training to young talent to allow them the best chances of excelling in the dance arena. “Our vision is to ensure that we are producing the next batch of skilled ballet dancers who can compete with the best in the world”.
