Devolution Dance Fam will be heading to Johannesburg to compete in this year’s World of Dance national competition.
Co-founder and head choreographer, Shamieg George, 30, from Tafelsig, said he is excited to finally see the fruits of the team’s hard work. He’s proud to be representing Mitchell’s Plain in the group dance category.
Their dance group started in 2000 on September 24 and this year they’ll be celebrating 22 years of existence.
His mother, Lemeez George, 65, decided to start her own dance crew along with his third eldest brother, Rushdene George which was where Devolution Dance Fam started. At that time he was 8 and already dancing.
Shamieg started teaching at 13, doing more creative work in the group. The group then danced in competitions and community events; any opportunity to dance they took.
In 2016 they competed in Hip Hop Unite competition and they qualified to go to Arizona, USA. They won the Western Province and World Champs sections but couldn’t afford to go due to funds as each person needed over R20 000.
In 2017 they won at the same competition and again couldn’t go due to funding. “Some of them left as they were looking forward to it,” he said.
The crew became smaller and he danced with the youth. In 2021, they became a registered non-profit organisation.
“This is a legacy. I didn’t want to forget about the reason why I started. We also lost a close friend of ours, the late Kyle McDonald in 2011. We always had the vision of taking the crew higher, and that is what I am carrying out today,” he said.
When the Thusong community centre opened they could make use of the facilities, and when Covid-19 hit they practised in the streets as they didn’t have another space.
“We’ve struggled as there were rainy days which halted our rehearsals especially due to time and those who needed to travel. We still ask my mom for guidance as it’s different today. She reminds us to have teamwork, unity and chemistry. She was a community worker who had her own netball club and pool club. She would even host modelling shows. She continues to inspire us,” said Shamieg.
He said dance brings him a sense of calmness in dealing with societal issues. “I get to express myself through dance. There are few role models. There are very few who represent Tafelsig, this is a beautiful place with so much talent. I never gave up and discontinued the movement, I’m here to inspire and motivate,” he said.
Dancer Candice Adams, 27, from Beacon Valley, said she’s extremely proud of her crew for making it to nationals.
“I’m so happy for this moment, I will remember this for the rest of my life. We get to represent Mitchell’s Plain in Joburg. We’re dancers but we’re family too, our bond together as a crew is so strong. We always strive for excellence and always have fun. We worked hard, we believe what you put into training will prove the outcome. Thank you to all who’ve supported us thus far,” she said.
Dancer Aimsley Fortuin, 20, from Tafelsig, said they are looking forward to going to nationals this year. Ever since he joined the crew he was welcomed and it felt like home. “We get to do what we love in this crew,” he said.
“We hope in future we will be able to create spaces with government for dancers like us as we’re in need of funding. This will help us grow and allow us to keep dancing. We are so grateful to Shamieg for allowing us to do what we need to do, doing dance because we love it,” he said.
They are set to represent Devolution Dance Fam at the World of Dance national competition in Johannesburg from Friday December 9 to Sunday December 11. They’ll compete in the categories of championship division. They danced in the audition series on Saturday July 16 at Hillsong Church when they competed to go to nationals.
“You can become something in life if you put your mind to it, just have a dream. Don’t forget to pray and don’t stop dreaming. It takes time, don’t give up, don’t fall into the trap of listening to others voices, just keep on pushing, stay motivated, stay driven, and stay passionate in what you believe,” said Shamieg.
If you would like to donate anything to their journey or wish to engage contact Shamieg on 064 488 7114, or follow them on their social media pages for more information.
