Terri Dunbar-Curran
FROM humble beginnings dancing in his driveway as a child, hip hop dancer Lawrence Rezlaw Passens recently ranked 10th in the I Do Hip Hop world championship competition in Germany. The Mitchells Plain-based dancer is the first Capetonian performer to place so well in the competition.
He hopes that his achievement will inspire others, and not only dancers. “I want people to see the passion and drive I have for what I bring to the table. There’s a lot of bad things happening in the country and I just want to uplift someone.”
I Do Hip Hop is a three-legged competition supported by the South African Dance Teachers Association (SADTA) and it saw hopefuls from across the country participating in three sets of qualifying auditions this year, in Cape Town, Joburg and Sun City. Passens, who is studying through the association, impressed the judges at the Cape Town and Joburg legs, securing a slot to compete in Germany.
“It was actually quite tough. It was quite short notice,” he says, adding that he got a lot of support from his family and dance community. A lot of help came from the School of Arts in Paarl where he teaches dance.
Passens says that often the only way for artists to compete on a global scale is to organise big fundraisers, or take loans – which they later have to pay back. While many sports are given official funding, when it comes to the performing arts often the funding just isn’t there, he says.
“There are people who get gold medals at this kind of competition, representing South Africa, but they’re not getting the support. And if dancing isn’t even supported by our government, it’s hard to expect other people to support it.”
Passens is determined not to let the negatives get in the way. “I’m trying to show people you can make it despite the circumstances you come from.”
Having competed in Las Vegas two years ago, Passens is no stranger to the international competitive dance scene.
“Las Vegas was more of an underground competition, this one was more structured. Europe has a different feel – it’s more about being unique.”
He says that in South Africa dancers are mostly judged on their foundation and how well they know their basics, but overseas they get to express themselves a little more within their disciplines.
“They look at who you are within the style. They look at the uniqueness of your dance and what you bring to the table. You need to be yourself more than focus on the basics.”
For I Do Hip Hop he was presented with a piece of music and had to perform on the spot with no prior choreography preparation.
“I just had to get down to the track,” he grins, making it clear that he thrives on the spontaneity of that kind of challenge.
His journey started back in the 1990s when he was part of a group called Juvenetics, after which he went on to start Scene Rockford before branching out on his own as a solo artist. “I had to push forward into my dancing career, and I excelled on my own.”
While his current focus is on hip hop, he started out in contemporary.
“I’d still like to sharpen my skills. I’m very open to other styles of dance,” he says, adding that versatility is welcome in the industry and can open many doors.
“I can adapt to ballroom or even break dancing.”
He’s highly motivated to make the cut again next year and do even better.
“My goal is to be the best in the world, and I know I can do it,” he says.
But his drive doesn’t just stop with himself, Passens is dedicated to teaching other young dancers and is contemplating putting together a group to take with him next year.
In addition to teaching in Paarl, he’s looking at the possibility of opening his own studio so that he can extend his teaching and even begin to empower other teachers.
“I want to give people the opportunity to express their creativity through dance.”
Through both his teaching and his own dancing achievements, Passens hopes to pass on a very important message: “You can make it. Even though it’s a tough and lonely road, you can make it if you believe and have faith. But growth takes time, nothing happens overnight.”