Dance Goes Athletic

• Michael Kayunde Dance was recently recognised as a sport code in Namibia. This means that dancers from registered clubs in the country are now eligible to take part in global competitions like the Youth Olympic Games and other international platforms.

sat down with Dance Sport Namibia founder Venancius Rukero to dissect the future of dance in the Land of the Brave.

Dance Sport Namibia is a federation that regulates numerous dance clubs in Namibia. It is registered with the Namibia Sports Commission, Namibian National Olympic Committee as well as the sports ministry and the education ministry.

“We are registered under all these institutions to promote dance as a sport code, because internationally it is already recognised. We are 15 years behind other countries in this regard,” said Rukero.

Dancers now have the opportunity to represent Namibia at various big competitions and it is Dance Sport Namibia’s task to create awareness in the community about these new opportunities. They also facilitate various processes in making these platforms available to dancers.

“Our dancers are now practically also athletes and we want people to stop viewing dance as only performing arts. Every athlete’s dream is to compete at the Olympics and finally our dancers can also have this dream,” said Rukero.

Dance Sport Namibia member Edmund van Neel has been a dancer for about 20 years. He believes dance finally being recognised as a sport is a big milestone for the community in Namibia. “It is very huge for us as dancers. I am particularly excited for the next generation of dancers for the opportunities at their disposal,” said Van Neel.

Advising young people who wish to take up dance as a profession, Van Neel admits that it is not easy to carve out a career in dance but says there has never been a better time to venture into this field.

“For now, if you wish to take up dance as a career, your first step should be joining a recognised dance club to hone your skills.” He says like anything in life, being a successful dancer depends on the effort you put in.

“I believe hard work will always beat talent.”

Van Neel will focus on coaching dancers next year. He says dancing has helped him stay fit, although he points out that dancing alone is not enough. “You need to go to the gym and eat healthy. You reach a point where dancing alone does not help.”

Hillary Shiimi from Equipped Dance Academy is proud to be a member of Dance Sport Namibia. “It gives us hope to have a federation which respects our art and fights for us.”

Shiimi advises those who would like to take up dancing to believe in themselves and be versatile. “It helps to master dancing skills in various genres and to also keep a record of all the dance competitions you partake in. Do not be scared to start small, and be well connected.”