Top top 16 contestants who will dance it out on the second season of SABC1's reality show So You Think You Can Dance? on Saturdays have been revealed - ranging in age from 18 to 27 with the majority from Gauteng and three each from KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.
The 16 getting ready for the live shows from next Saturday that will push their bodies, physical stamina and mental coping capacity to the maximum are Ashley Beyers (20) from Johannesburg; Bonwa Mbontsi (21) from Pietermaritzburg; Carl Davids (24) from Johannesburg; Cleo Notcutt (19) from Cape Town; Darren Hammond (18) from Pretoria; Gerbrandt (Gerrie) de Wet (18) from Randfontein; Jeanette Maphafo (23) from Pretoria; Jade John (JJ) Heuvel (20) from Cape Town; Kabelo (KayB) Mahlala (23) from Johannesburg; Kai Pretorius (19) from Durban; Lulu Mlangeni (23) from Soweto; Nkateko (Takkies) Maswanganye (19) from Johannesburg; Shelley Nicole Christians (21) from Cape Town; Snenhlanhla (Sne) Mbatha (18) from Durban; Tumie Letsoenyo (27) from Soweto and Xolani Mthabela (20) from Kempton Park.
The winner will be crowned in the So You Think You Can Dance? finale on Saturday, October 16 and walk away with R250 000.
Click on READ MORE below for photos and biographies of the top 16 contestants in So You Think You Can Dance?
He is a dancer, works for a marketing group, makes music and teaches kids. He has been dancing for eighteen years. He is a proper b-boy that made South African champion in popping three years in a row. He has also danced for local musicians Jamali, HHP and many more. If he wins he would buy his mother a house and go back to school. His inspiration is his mother, his granny, and his two brothers who want to be just like him, so he does his best for them.
A Bachelor of Arts Student at UKZN, majoring in Psychology and Drama. He has been dancing for four years. He has also performed and participated mostly in school dancing productions. This is his second time trying out for the show. If he wins he would bring his mother back from working overseas due to her poor health and would also help his foster family. He says his inspiration is his foster parents, as well as his biological mother.
Dancing is his first profession, but he is an aspiring photographer currently studying his first year at Damelin College. He started break dancing in 2002 at boarding school. Thereafter he joined Studio Dance Maniacs in Johannesburg South under Candice Mcintire, where he learnt freestyle and his love for hip hop was nurtured. After teaching at championship level he moved to Diona Moore Dance World where he is currently dancing. He would give R90 000 to his parents if he won, he would give R20 000 to his church and the rest he would use to further his dance career. Jesus inspires him, as well as positive people and his parents.
A Freelance dancer. She has been dancing since she was three years old, her mother is a dance teacher. She has done many different styles from modern, musical theatre and recently hip hop. She has always been accustomed to kwaito, pantsula, contemporary and gumboots dance. If she wins she would help her local church and then support her family. She lists her mother, her two dance teachers and her dance crew Beat Root as her inspiration.
Manager at a Romans Pizza. Darren has danced since the age of 5 and excels at Latin American and freestyle at Beverly Hammond Dance School. He says he's inspired by his brother, his sister and his mother as well as Bryan Watson and the late Michael Jackson.
He is starting his own web designing company. He dances at corporate functions and does stage productions. He has been dancing for nine years. He started with freestyle and then Latin. He went to the School of Arts where he studied ballet and contemporary Spanish. If he wins he would treat his mom. He's inspired by Michael Wentink and Travis Wall from the second season of So You Think You Can Dance? in America as well as his mom and dad.
She's a dancer and teaches Latin in her club. She is also studying Psychology, specialising in Psychological Counselling part time at UNISA. She started dancing in 2004 and competitively late in 2004, dancing only Latin, in a federation called FEDANSA. She was also chosen to represent South Africa in Finland and Asia. If she wins she would open her own company. Her inspiration is Karina Smirnoff from America who's also a Latin dancer and dances with Slavick.
Jade John (JJ) Heuvel (20) from Cape Town
He's a full time free-lance dancer. He teaches at various institutions and gyms such as UCT, CPUT and Virgin Active gyms. He's been dancing for 7 years and his first 3 years he was learning at various studios. He received hip hop. After gaining his experience I decided to dance independently and start my own dance school. Hard working and self-motivated people inspires him.
A second year financial management student at UNISA. He is also a professional dancer and hip hop choreographer and teacher. He started dancing at the age of nine but started having a love and passion for it in high school, when he started his first hip hop crew called 4Deep, where they would enter competitions. He branched out individually last year after a fall out between the group members, and came to Johannesburg to pursue his dream of dancing. Recently he danced at the FIFA World Cup in 2010. He would pay his mom's debt off.
She is a graphic design student at the Durban University of Technology and Part time professional dancer at the Break-Thru Dance Co. She was classically trained in ballet from the age of 3 and she completed all her RAD ballet exams and all AIDT modern exams. She has also been exposed to a variety of dance styles and participated in professional productions. She would continue her studies if she wins. She calls her mom the strongest woman she knows.
This freelance performer started dancing in Soweto where she lives in a community dance group doing modern dancing. Later she got introduced to contemporary in 2004. She has worked with the most prominent choreographers in South Africa and has toured nationally and internationally. If she wins she would buy her mom a house. Gregory Maqoma is her inspiration.
She studies part time. She also dances and teaches kids dance. She is also a judge on the SADTA dance competition. She started dancing when she was nine and joined a hip hop and modern studio. She then studied ballet, Spanish and jazz at the art school Pro-Arte For Dance. After matric, she and her friends created a hip hop dance group called Cadence. She started dancing with Lorcia Cooper recently and judging the SADTA dance competition. If she wins it would go towards studying and training in dancing further. Lorcia Cooper is her inspiration.
She is the head cheerleader for the Stormers. She's a final year Dramatic Arts student at Cape Academy of Dramatic Arts, and a glamour and lifestyle model. She also teaches dance at Virgin Active and workshops at schools. She is classically trained in ballet at Studio RAP and International Dance Academy. She also trained for show dance, cabaret, belly dancing and African Jazz at the Afrika Ablaze as well as trained for Hip Hop at CUT of Africa Academy. She has also been a professional dancer for four years. She represented the Stormers in Sports Illustrated in 2007. She has been in numerous ads and appeared in music videos. If she wins she would give money to her parents. She says she finds inspiration everywhere.
She's a student and sales assistant at Kodak Express. She grew up following Janet Jackson until krumping came along. At first her mother hated her krumping but eventually she won her over. She joined a dance school called Dance Direction International when she was 15. If she wins, some of it would go towards improving her grandparents' house. Janet Jackson, Ciara and Lorcia Cooper are her sources of inspiration.
A professional dancer and performer. She started dancing in 2009 with Somizu Mhlongo and has worked with artists such as Joyous Celebration, Will Smith, TKZee and more. If she wins the money would go towards a car and property. She's inspired by her pastor, Sbongile Ngubane, Basetsana Kumalo, Florence Makwakwa, Pat Francis and her mother.
He's a professional dancer. He obtained his dance diploma from the Johannesburg Dance Foundation. He worked for companies like Tshwane Dance Theatre, Afrika-Afrika and African Footprint. If he wins he would continue his studies. He says he's inspired by David Matamela, Harold Van Buuren, Gregory Maqoma, Debbie Rakusen, Graham Davies and Mandla Mcunu.
