Cassidy Bailey, 20, and Bjorn Lotterie, 21, have been scooping up awards and trophies at provincial and national competitions.
A dance pair who have made waves in South African wheelchair ballroom dance competitions are hoping to once again represent the Western Cape, but they need help.
Cassidy Bailey, 20, from Primrose Park, and Bjorn Lotterie, 21, from Brooklyn, have only been dancing together for two years. They have won both provincial and national championship titles.
They are hoping to compete at the South African Open Dance Championship in Durban from Tuesday December 10 to Monday December 16, but they each need R4 000, and Cassidy's mother, Esmeralda Bailey, who is her carer, also needs R4 000 to pay for their accommodation.
Ms Bailey said Cassidy had 64 operations after being born with spina bifida (a congenital defect of the spine, which usually causes paralysis) and hydrocephalus (a condition where there is an abnormal build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain or around it).
Apart from competing professionally, Cassidy is also a member of the Unmute Dance Company, an inclusive dance company which is open to able-bodied and disabled dancers.
Her dance partner, Bjorn, says dancing is an escape for him.
“It’s my inner peace. I rely on it to breathe and escape reality. I do dance full time, and have branched out to contemporary, and hip hop dance, among others. I am also choreographing for the Cape Town Carnival next year. Dancing is my Plan A. I don’t believe in a Plan B. The inspiration I get from Cassidy always pushes me to go the extra mile.”
Ms Bailey said she could no longer work as she had suffered six heart attacks since 2020.
If you can assist, contact Ms Bailey at 067 667 2764.
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