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SA's Got Talent 2 winner to perform in StargazeDIVA PR08/16/2012 12:58:05 
Singer James Bhemgee, winner of the second SA’s Got Talent contest, will perform in Dance for All’s Stargaze gala benefit on Sunday 26 August at 7:30pm at the Artscape Opera House. The event marks the organisation’s 21st anniversary and will also pay tribute to Dudley Tomlinson, hailed as having been one of the finest Master Ballet Teachers in the country. Tomlinson will attend the performance that will honour his achievements and enormous contribution to the art of ballet in South Africa. Bhemgee, a former street sweeper, won SA's Got Talent 2 in 2010, a show hosted by SABC 2. He was first discovered on the streets of Cape Town by a woman who overheard him singing whilst he was working as a street sweeper. Impressed, she paid for Bhemgee to have vocal lessons and today he performs with the group the Cape Flats Tenors. He caught the world’s attention with his incredible voice and rags to riches story and since then has had the privilege of performing at numerous sold out performances. James has also performed with international Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins and was part of Andre Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra Tour in South Africa. After winning SA’s Got Talent James said: “For 13 years I’ve been unemployed, those 13 years were the hardest part of my life. I didn’t have opportunities to sing but I never gave up on my dream. I survived. I went through very tough times but I was and I am a believer.” He released his debut album titled Vincero in October 2011. James will sing an item accompanied by dancers in a piece choreographed by DFA’s Allison Hendricks that promises to be one of the highlights of the evening. Stargaze is directed by Aviva Pelham and Teddy Davies and produced by Philip Boyd and Christopher Kindo from DFA. The performance will showcase DFA’s InSPIRAtions Youth Company, as well as students from its Cape Town Outreach Programme and Specialised Dance Programmes. They will perform pieces that reflect the variety of dance styles offered by DFA and additional guest artists include La Rosa Spanish Dance Theatre, the UCT School of Dance and the Cape Academy of Performing Arts (CAPA). Some of these participants were trained by DFA during their formative years. Dance for All, a non-profit Section 21 Company, is headed by Philip Boyd, a former CAPAB Ballet Principal dancer, who founded DFA in 1991. Classes are offered in various forms of dance to about 1,000 children from historically disadvantaged communities and take place daily at venues in Gugulethu, Nyanga, Langa, Khayelitsha, at DFA’s custom built studios in Athlone and as far afield as the rural areas of Barrydale and Montagu. During these classes, students ranging in age from three to young adults learn ballet, contemporary and African dance from a talented and dedicated team of teachers. It is estimated that over the past 21 years 15,000 to 20,000 children have been given the opportunity to dance, gain self-esteem, understand discipline and receive training. While the roots of DFA are with the township youth, the fruits of its training programmes are seen in the world class professional dancers that DFA has produced, such as Xola Putye, now a Senior Soloist with Cape Town City Ballet, and another DFA graduate, the dancer and choreographer Noluyanda Mqulwana, who has performed with Cinevox Junior Company in Switzerland and toured internationally with The Lion King in Singapore and Germany. DFA is honoured to have Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu as its Honorary Life Patron, Dame Nicola Brewer (British High Commissioner) as Honorary Patron and Dr. Mamphela Ramphele and John Persenda among its Patrons. Tickets cost R250 and include cheese and wine after the performance. There are also block bookings available for groups of 10 or more at R175 per ticket. All booking is via Computicket and additional information is through 021 697 5509 or admin@danceforall.co.za Artslink.co.za Account: Allison Foat DIVA PR diva_events@iafrica.com 021 462 7384 083 635 6312 Dance for All www.danceforall.co.za Web site: http://www.danceforall.co.za
Related Venue:
Artscape Theatre Complex, DF Malan Street Foreshore Cape Town Western Cape South Africa
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