Dance World Cup (SA).
Shriya Somaroo (Grade 10) from Curro Waterfall in Midrand and her dance team (Pulse Empire) participated in the Dance World Cup (SA) finals in March 2022 and were placed 1st in both their categories and qualified to represent South Africa at the World Cup Champions later this year (venue not confirmed as yet).
They subsequently participated in The Battle of the Giants at Sun City (21 – 24 April 2022) and were placed 3rd and 4th in their categories.
Shriya started dancing at an early age. Initially, it was just a hobby but, she really enjoyed it and started dancing competitively.
“What it is about dancing that I love so much is the feeling of freedom that it gives me. I am able to express myself, while being around people with a similar energy and vibe.”
“I spend about four hours a week practicing, but during competition time, the hours are much longer. Sometimes as much as 5 hours a day. My favourite style of dance is Bollywood. I actually first started doing Bollywood dancing before I did Hip hop. Apart from being a style that I enjoy, I identify with it culturally as well.”
“What I like most about dancing in a team? It’s fun to be around people who love dancing as much as I do. We’re all working towards the same goal, and we are a family.”
Shriya, how do you feel about the recent competitions, you recently competed in Dance world Cup SA and Battle of the giants? “These were very difficult as the competition we up against was very strong. There were many talented dancers there, and we had to work very hard to earn our spot. The categories I participated in, was Hip hop senior large group commercial and Hip hop large group ‘open-entry’. The challenges I came across in these competitions? As I participate in the large group category, one of our challenges is to ensure that we are all in sync. This requires a lot of practicing and perfecting. Covid-19 has also been a challenge over the last 2 years, from practicing with a mask, social distancing. A few of our competitions were postponed.”
“My next competition is the “World of Dance” competition coming up in June.”
“My advice for your peers who love dancing and wish to start competing, is go for it! It requires a lot of hard work and dedication, but it’s an incredible experience that’s worth it. I definitely want to continue dancing when I complete my schooling. I love dancing!”
“What I would like to add, is that It’s important to find something that you love doing and pursue it. It’s not about being the best, but being able to say that you’ve tried your best.”