Colleen Rowland
Life Registered Teacher
“…I was most fortunate to have a
most fantastic group of RAD
teachers in our area; the…energy
they had opening the magic windows
of dance to our children was
incredible.”
I started dancing at the age of 5yrs in Vanderbijlpark Gauteng with a teacher by the
name of Margaret Liep Du Toit whose studio was taken over by Hazel McGregor. I
was one of her first examination students doing my Royal Academy of Dancing (as it
was called then) Primary exam in 1955, the days of white tunics, socks and black
ballet shoes. After completing my Grade 5, I travelled to Johannesburg three times a
week with the then old Railway bus to train for my Majors with Poppy Frames and
Noreen Nelson. I loved my ballet and always wanted to teach, not dance
professionally. Miss Frames was an icon to me, never ceasing to encourage and guide
me.
On the 15 January 1966 I started my own ballet studio in the Vaal Triangle and went
on to teach for thirty six years, blessed with many students and successes. It was the
love of my life and I especially enjoyed teaching the Pre Primary and Primary. In
August 1988 I was asked to head up the Vaal Triangle Sub Committee for the
Gauteng Panel of the Royal Academy by Yvonne Keeble, the South African
Administrator at the time.
Highlights of my career have been many; the shows I was able to stage for charity
every second year, the Eisteddfods and competitions, the joy when students excelled
- but one that stands out above all else………when my students were asked to
dance in Sebokeng for Nelson Mandela, when he received the freedom of the Vaal
Triangle. He then approached me to take three of my students to the Northern
Cape to celebrate his birthday with many children drawn from the Arts and Culture
Department. We spent four days there being treated, dancing, singing and
celebrating in true African style. Meeting with Madiba was awesome. I am extremely
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grateful to the parents of Monique, Natalie and Tammy for allowing their daughters
to share this opportunity of a life time with me.
From 1990 I was most fortunate to have a most fantastic group of RAD teachers in
our area; the enthusiasm, ideas, spark and energy they had opening the magic
windows of dance to our children was incredible. There was Elaine Raff, Irma Van
der Walt, Rosemary & Baart Saayman, Sandra Borthwick, Cornelia, Serah Prinsloo,
Katie Ansell, Mariska Nelson - all retired or moved away now, and Elaine and Baart
sadly passed away. Then later on three Chechettii teachers joined us as they also
longed to participate in our projects.
In 1989 we started workshops during the July school holidays taking over the local
theatre where in every ‘nook and cranny’ you had something happening, Ballet
lessons, Spanish, Modern, Drama, Music, Make-up and the teachers that we got were
fabulous offering up their time and expertise with joy. We had teachers like
Rosemary Wilson, Celeste Fair, Noreen Nelson, Francis Sutton, Marie Sadie, Sandra
Carstens, Jose Orlandini, Lianne Lurie, Hilary Kaplan, Wilcarina Van niekerk
Kathleen Webb; These RAD teachers became part of our system and were involved
in all we did. Rhoda, Rivkind, Gillian & Michele Pohl all became part of our Spanish
team. We even had the best in African Dance teachers when we introduced African
dance - a gentleman by the name of Mzwandili Skonsana. Our resident pianist was
Moya Parsons who played for ballet studios for 48 years. Sandra Rosenberg was
another stalwart. All gave so much of their expertise and always accepted a
minimum remuneration. We had a band of mothers who saw to lunches and teas
etc. Beautifully designed T-shirts were handed out each year. At the end of all this on
the Friday we would have a show for all.
What came out of this was so professional it was unbelievable. We had the local
stage manager (Graham Brune) who went that extra mile for us and gave us sound
and light which turned our performances into ‘Show Time’. We ran these
workshops until 2000 they were always a great success and financially super for RAD
funds. Yvonne Keeble - bless her, never failed to open these workshops every year
when she was the administrator. Then there were our ‘Mother and Daughter’ Tea
Parties every year. The mothers in our studio would host the most beautiful tables
and eats. We always had ‘Mother and Daughter’ guest speakers like Leanne and
Josee; Dawn Weller would always graciously attend. We had hat Competitions,
’Mother and Daughter’ look-alike, lucky prize draws; dance items, the RAD office
always supported us and did the judging. Lorraine Redmayne, Olivia Lume and
Yvonne Keeble were always around. We were very fortunate in always receiving lots
of sponsorship.
Then there were our ‘Visit to the State Theatre Days’ in Pretoria. We were very
fortunate to have one of our teacher’s brothers have the restaurant at the State
Theatre in Pretoria and have a very good rapport with the ballet company. We
would hire a bus, the children would be given a tour backstage, shown all the
costumes and decor, see a dress rehearsal of the ballet and then be treated to a
lunch at the restaurant. These were very special times.
Royal Academy of Dance® is a Charity Registered in England and Wales No. 312826.
Life Member profiles are subject to copyright and cannot be reproduced or published without express consent from the
Royal Academy of Dance®.
One very special project was the 75th Anniversary of the RAD and if I can
remember it was also the anniversary of Margot Fonteyn’s birthday (20 May 1995)
so we arranged a day of dance at one of the shopping malls. It was something else.
Everybody was trying out ballet, we had banners and posters all around and
hundreds of balloons that we let go while singing Happy Birthday to Margot Fonteyn.
Big posters and banners were displayed all over. When I look at the photos now one
cannot believe what we actually did in the name of the RAD and ballet.
There was an occasion where we had floats and paraded through the streets of
Vereeniging ending up with a day of dance in front of the Library Gardens to
celebrate the 75th Anniversary. All the studios did up floats and turned big lorries
into a live stage, husbands worked for days and nights getting these done. Big flags
were made in blue with the letters ‘RAD’ in white and flying all over. Children were
all in costumes jingling their tins for coins
In August 1995 Rotary sponsored us to start the Rotary/RADS ballet Awards.
Rosemary Wilson came down for 5 days and choreographed and taught all the
dances for the various age groups. This project carried on until 2000. We ran PreExam Classes from 1988 until 2000 which benefited the children enormously. Many
times we booked school halls and showed dance films during school holidays.
Sadly in 2002 I had to give up teaching, I had no option as my Rheumatoid Arthritis
was taking it’s toll and restricting my movement and ability to teach. The doctors all
told me that if it had not been for the fact of me dancing all the years I would have
been in a wheelchair long ago. So again I can only say ‘thank you ballet’.
I am still very involved, I am Treasurer on the Gauteng Panel and help to organize
and run many projects and classes which I love although it really is not like the ‘old
days’. To that super band of many teachers and examiners 0f 1989-2000 we enjoyed
ourselves to the hilt, made good friends, enjoyed discussing our studios and students
realising we were all experiencing the same difficulties, laughed and cried with each
other and most of all did our bit for the RAD.
Royal Academy of Dance® is a Charity Registered in England and Wales No. 312826.
Life Member profiles are subject to copyright and cannot be reproduced or published without express consent from the
Royal Academy of Dance®.