Andile Ndlovu is one of South Africa's most promising ballet dancers. After starring in productions of the Nutcracker and Don Quixote at The South Africa National Ballet, he was awarded a place at the prestigious American dance company, The Washington Ballet.
Andile Ndlovu —
Andile Ndlovu is one of South Africa's most promising ballet dancers. After starring in productions of the Nutcracker and Don Quixote at The South Africa National Ballet, he was awarded a place at the prestigious American dance company, The Washington Ballet.
Performing on stage in South Africa. Ndlovu is one of a select few black ballet dancers to break through in to the highest echelons of the ballet world.
Breaking the mould —
Performing on stage in South Africa. Ndlovu is one of a select few black ballet dancers to break through in to the highest echelons of the ballet world.
CNN
Ndlovu says he had to overcome racial stereotypes in order to succeed in his chosen profession, as well as the disparaging jibes of his school friends who made fun of his passion for ballet.
Confronting stereotypes —
Ndlovu says he had to overcome racial stereotypes in order to succeed in his chosen profession, as well as the disparaging jibes of his school friends who made fun of his passion for ballet.
CNN
Ndlovu stretches ahead of the International Dance competition at the Artscape in Cape Town, South Africa. Since joining The Washington Ballet in 2008 he has won international awards in both the U.S. and his native South Africa.
Award winner —
Ndlovu stretches ahead of the International Dance competition at the Artscape in Cape Town, South Africa. Since joining The Washington Ballet in 2008 he has won international awards in both the U.S. and his native South Africa.
Warming up at in the training room of The Washington Ballet. Ndlovu says he works out with his dance colleagues from 9am until 6pm every day before staying on an extra hour or two to work by himself.
Working out —
Warming up at in the training room of The Washington Ballet. Ndlovu says he works out with his dance colleagues from 9am until 6pm every day before staying on an extra hour or two to work by himself.
Aged 11 with a young dancing partner. Ndlovu hopes through his continued success he can change perceptions about ballet and encourage more young children in South Africa to take up the art form.
Role model —
Aged 11 with a young dancing partner. Ndlovu hopes through his continued success he can change perceptions about ballet and encourage more young children in South Africa to take up the art form.
South African ballet dancer

Story highlights

Andile Ndlovu is a ballet dancer from the township of Soweto, South Africa

He says he has had to overcome racial stereotypes to become a ballet dancer

Ndlovu hopes he can become a role model for young dancers in Africa

CNN  — 

Andile Ndlovu is one of South Africa’s most prominent young ballet dancers, an international performer and award winner both at home and overseas.

But for Ndlovu to be accepted into the rarefied world of classical dance – which in South Africa is traditionally seen as an elitist and a predominantly white preserve – the boy from the rough Soweto townships says he had to overcome outdated stereotypes.

“I used to be picked upon for the way I walk and the way I act or carry myself,” he says of his time at school, where he became disparagingly known as “the dude who did ballet.”

He even recalls his closest friends teasing him about the tights, shoes, underwear and sparkly clothes that he would have to wear during practice and on stage.

african voices andile ndlovu ballet a_00003208
african voices andile ndlovu ballet a_00003208
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But by remaining focused, diligent and passionate about dance, the young Ndlovu never let the jibes get him down and he continued to practice obsessively.

african voices andile ndlovu off stage c_00020806
african voices andile ndlovu off stage c_00020806
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In late 2008, this perseverance was rewarded as he was offered a place at The Washington Ballet, one of the most prestigious dance companies in the United States. That year he shot to fame in a production of Don Quixote by the South Africa Ballet Theater.

Now 23, Ndlovu has gone on to win awards at the Boston and Cape Town International Ballet competitions, as well as securing prominent roles in numerous ballet productions across the world.

This success, he hopes, will eventually enable him to change conventionally held views not only of black dancers but male ballet dancers in general.

“What I wanted was to change people’s minds in South Africa about black ballet dancers. I wanted to change that view, because everybody used to put it in a category for the elite people or, you know, it’s only for a certain racial group,” he says.

“I [want to] set the bar for anybody else that’s coming, that’s growing up, that’s coming behind, and they will learn from my actions and what I do and hopefully I become a role model for them, especially South Africans,” he adds.