Dance crew flies SA flag: Cape hip hop troupe comes in second at Croatia event

Proud: The eight members of Inferno Dance Studio in Croatia. Picture: supplied

A troupe of Cape Town dancers who were part of about 700 dancers representing South Africa at the 2024 Dancestar World Dance Masters in Croatia last week made good on their promise to shine.

The Inferno Dance Crew competed against troupes from 17 other countries in the Urban Senior Group Section A League and came second, after they were pipped by an Austrian group.

Founder and choreographer, John Rispel, 30, from Woodstock established Inferno Dance Studio in 2019 and says this is the first time the hip hop crew competed internationally.

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Choreographer: John Rispel, 30. Picture: supplied

“I am overwhelmed with joy. We have been working hard and preparing for this competition for five months and although it was a tough journey to get the funds and get the children overseas, a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into it and to see it come to life on stage is amazing,” he says.

“The dancers put in a lot of effort into perfecting this craft and it makes me happy that the dancers are given the credit they deserve, they did exceptionally well.”

The eight dancers from Inferno are aged 14 to 22 and competed against 54 other dancers from various countries.

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Skud: Inferno busts some kwaai moves. Picture: supplied

The team is no stranger to the podium as they placed first at the South Africa Body of Dance in Sun City last year and also came out tops at DanceStar South Africa and Cape Town’s Most Wanted.

John says: “We are gearing up once again for Cape Town’s Most Wanted, which is the biggest show for hip hop dancers to be a part of, but I will also be entering them into more local competitions just to get their name out there as a crew and grow the studio.”

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Prize: The runner-up gong. Picture: supplied

Liam Snyders, 22 from Kuils River joined Inferno Dance Studio in 2022 and says: “It was such an amazing experience competing in Croatia. It was my first time going overseas but winning second place was a huge shock for us, we only realised what a massive accomplishment it was later that night.”

If you would like to join the troupe or have private dance lessons, contact 067 6878 905.

[email protected]

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