Fame beckons for dance-off winner

Michelle Solomon

PRODUCERS of South Africa's first dance film looked for Eastern Cape talent on Saturday at the Face 2 Face extreme dance-off at the Guild Theatre in East London.

Film producer and maker Mayenzeke Baza of Port Elizabeth said the film would be South Africa's first in the dance genre. The film, titled Pop, Lock and Roll would hopefully be set in Port Elizabeth, Baza said.

The film will be directed by Johannesburg-based Ziggy Hofmeyer, who said the winner of the Face 2 Face competition would be cast as a dancer in the movie.

Saturday night's winner was Emile Jooste, or B-Boy Flame, from Port Elizabeth.

Baza told an excited youthful crowd who filled the Guild Theatre the winner of the 16 dancers facing each other at the dance-off would be featured in the film. The aerial moves of the super-fit young dancers were spectacular, and their attitude was feisty but friendly.

Hofmeyer said the film was about a man in his late 20s forced to take care of his younger brother after the death of their parents. Despite the man's talent and love for hip hop and dance, he is forced to give it up in order to make a living. His former dance crew eventually convince him to perform a show with them, and he is offered a position as a back-up dancer at a club.

Hofmeyer said shooting would be done in August and September. The film trailers are due for December, with the film's release date set for March next year.