Five Six Seven Eight Dance Academy

Modern Dance

Modern dance was a direct response to Ballet as the primary form of concert dance in the 20th Century. Modern dance breaks away from codified movements and rigid structures. Because of early pioneers like Martha Graham, modern dance now encompasses a wide range of styles. There are over a thousand Types of Modern Dance of which Contemporary is probably most popular. Modern dancers express their innermost emotions through dance.

The Syllabus

A syllabus which has been created by the internationally recognised South African Dance Teachers Association (S.A.D.T.A), established in 1935 is followed.

The syllabus is efficiently structured into levels, Tiny Tots (3-year olds) up until Grade 12, for each of which a national examination is held. Exams are however, not compulsory, but they are highly recommended.

Dancers are slotted into grades according to their dance abilities and not necessarily into their ages. In other words, Grades 1 to 12 need not correspond with school grades, as more than one grade can be examined per year. If a dancer has been examined on all levels, such dancer can then complete the Pre-Associate and Associate exams if he/she wishes to pursue a career as a dance teacher.

The coach is fully bilingual and will present her classes in both English and Afrikaans.

Mision

The Mission of FiveSixSevenEight Dance Academy is to instil a passion and respect for dance in all dancers whilst providing them with the necessary skills needed for the performing arts industry by inspiring them to show discipline, etiquette and showmanship.

Vision

FiveSixSevenEight aspires to develop talent at both recreational and competitive levels. Based on knowledge and experience the academy wishes to provide dancers with a solid foundation from which they can discover their strengths and aim to reach their own personal potential.

What sets us apart?

FiveSixSevenEight caters not only for dancers who like to dance for the fun of it, but also for dancers who aim to qualify as dance coaches. Dancers are well prepared and enrolled for all the necessary exams to achieve such goal. Pleasure with a purpose!

The Founder and Coach

Lara Coetzee, originally from Pretoria, has had a passion for the performing arts since a young age. She matriculates at Hoërskool Waterkloof in Pretoria with Dance Studies, Music and Drama as major subjects. She has been dancing her entire life in the styles of Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop and Modern Dance (in which she has completed her teaching diploma in 2008, becoming an accredited S.A.D.T.A dance teacher). At the age of 15, she is chosen as part of the South African team to represent South Africa at the World Dance Championships in Los Angeles. She is also one of the dancers chosen to dance in the opening ceremony of the Rugby Tri-nations series in 2006. She is a singer, trained in the styles of Classical, Musical Theatre and Rock, and has completed courses at Unisa, as well as Trinity College of London Rock School. Drama always remains a priority. Plays and musicals in her repertoire include Cinderella, Charlie Brown, Fusions, Broadway Numbers, Die Perfekte Wêreld, Dracula, Eve-o-lution, Grease and Peter Pan. In 2011 she graduates at the University of Stellenbosch and receives a B.Drama degree, specialising in Cabaret. She completes her Post Graduate Diploma in Education via Unisa, and thereafter studies Psychology. Whilst studying Psychology, she coaches dance at her own dance academy called Five Six Seven Eight, and unwaveringly pursues her singing and acting career. In November 2014 she signs with an agency in Johannesburg and moves back to Pretoria after six years in the Western Cape. She re-establishes her dance academy in Pretoria and is excited to open its doors in 2015. She is an avid supporter of animal welfare and spent most of her free time in the Western Cape as volunteer and foster mom of orphaned animals at AWSS (Animal Welfare Society of Stellenbosch), and plans to become involved at a shelter in Gauteng as well. Her love of animals and their welfare has become such a big passion that she completes a course in Ethology (Dog behaviour and training). She is a passionate, driven and enthusiastic person who loves to be inspired and strives to inspire others.