Johannesburg's Thabo Rapoo has won the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for dance, recognising his unique talent for dance and choreography.
A YOUNG Joburg choreographer leads the dance pack, winning the 2009 Standard Bank Young Artist Award in recognition of his creative work in contemporary dance.
Thabo Rapoo is a choreographer at Johannesburg's prestigious Moving into Dance Mopathong company, which turns 30 this year. He started out as a pantsula dancer, but it was at the Johannesburg Dance Foundation that Rapoo learned the ropes.
He won a scholarship to the foundation in 2002, and went on to complete a three-year diploma in dance, learning a wide range of styles and techniques.
The Standard Bank Young Artists awards honour young South Africans who have not yet gained widespread national exposure or acclaim, but are making a significant mark in their fields.
An elated Rapoo said he wanted to use this opportunity to create a platform for his fellow performers. "I feel truly blessed, and it means a lot to me ... I would like to thank Standard Bank for the good [it is] doing for South African audiences."
Born 29 years ago in Ga-Rankuwa, northwest of Pretoria, Rapoo's dancing career began in 1997 with a pantsula group, aMajita. But dancing is not the only talent of the young Joburger: aMajita also incorporated acting.
A year later he extended his creativity: in 1998, he met musician Tlokwe Sehume, who invited Rapoo to join his band, Medu. So the dancer learned to play drums and percussion. The band was nominated in three categories for the SAMAs in 2002, the same year Rapoo landed his Johannesburg Dance Foundation place.
In 2003, he joined Moving Into Dance Mophatong as a dancer. Over the next five years his choreography developed rapidly, reflecting a unique style. A turning point in his choreographic career was a residency at Germaine Acogny's l'Ecole des Sables in Senegal in 2006, a centre for African dance.
Two years later, for this year's FNB Dance Umbrella, he was commissioned to choreograph Se-Hume Tlokweng. At the dance festival, an annual event on Joburg's cultural calendar, he also choreographed and performed a solo dance work, Naga Ya Fsa.
With the two works under his belt, Rapoo was named the 2008 Dance Umbrella's Most Promising Male Dancer in a Contemporary Style for dance formation and cementation.
His other works include eMandulo and Xiif-Hunger.
Other Standard Bank Young Artists for 2009 include Nicholas Hlobo for visual arts; Jacques Eugene Imbrailo for music; Ntshieng Mokgoro for drama; and Kesivan Naidoo for jazz.
As part of their prize, the young artists will be featured on the main programme of the 2009 National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, running from 2 to 11 July 2009. At the festival they will be able to each perform or produce a new, innovative piece of work.
"As a bank we are committed to sponsoring the arts in South Africa and believe the awards play a pivotal role in nurturing our talent," said Standard Bank's head of arts and jazz sponsorship, Mandie van der Spuy.
"Standard Bank's sponsorship of the Young Artist Awards over 25 years has contributed to the development of our country's up-and-coming artists."
First held in 1981, to date over 95 young artists have been recognised for their work.
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