BY NELIWE NGUBANE
MBABANE – Ten talented dancers from Talent n Motion Academy have officially departed for Ireland, where they will represent Eswatini at the prestigious Dance World Cup Finals, carrying the hopes and pride of the nation onto one of the world’s biggest dance stages.
Before the team departed, the academy’s founder, Velile Dube, shared an emotional message on her Facebook page, reflecting on the significance of the journey. She wrote: “What carrying your nation on your back looks like… Dublin bound! Next stop: the world stage,” capturing the pride, responsibility and excitement of leading Eswatini’s young dancers onto the international stage.
The young performers left the country this week, marking a historic milestone for the academy as they prepare to compete against some of the world’s finest young dancers. The journey follows months of rigorous training, fundraising and unwavering community support that turned an ambitious dream into reality.
According to the academy, the trip would not have been possible without the collective efforts of government institutions, corporate partners, community leaders, parents and individual supporters who rallied behind the team.
Leading the list of supporters are the Eswatini Sport and Recreation Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose official backing and belief in the dancers helped pave the way for the international trip.
The academy also paid tribute to Her Royal Highness Princess Temtsimba Dlamini, through the Kwakitsi Foundation, for her continued mentorship, guidance and long-term commitment to nurturing young talent.
Special appreciation was extended to Dr Florence, Instacash, friends and family members whose financial and moral support ensured the dancers were fully prepared for the global competition.
The academy further recognised the unwavering dedication of parents, thanking them for entrusting their daughters to the programme and for the countless sacrifices, encouragement and preparations made behind the scenes.
Music producer Umuti Ngwenya of Claiming Ground Records was also acknowledged for mixing and mastering the team’s competition music, ensuring the dancers take to the world stage with polished performances.
As excitement builds ahead of the finals, the academy shared images of four of the ten dancers at the airport, smiling, luggage in hand and eager to fly the national flag high.
With Eswatini’s colours now headed to Ireland, hopes are high that the talented young dancers will deliver memorable performances and showcase the Kingdom’s growing excellence in the performing arts on the international stage.
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