A young dancer from Welkom, Nigella Siebert, made history as the first learner and first female member of South African Country and Western Dancing (SACWD) to be promoted to Rising Star in line dancing. With five divisions and five gold medals at the World Country Dancing Federation’s (WCDF) world championships, she showed perseverance.
She excelled in 23 dances over the two days of the championship, including six choreographed dances of her own and a challenging three-in-one improvised dance.
Nigella is trained at Studio 1 in Welkom, and is a Gr.11 learner at Goudveld-Hoërskool.
She started dancing in 2016 at the age of eight and worked her way up from newcomer to novice to intermediate to advanced.
Each year she was invited by the WCDF to represent South Africa to take part in the world championships. She attended in 2023 in Netherland and this year in Spain.
Her results at the WCDF Worlds XV111 held from 19 to 21 June are as follows:
■ line classic dance – teen (6 dances): first place;
■ line classic dance open – teen (6 dances): first;
■ modern – teen (4 dances): first;
■ line classic showcase (6 dances, own choreography): first ; and
■ renegade (unprepared dances with three genres): first.
Nigella’s dances made a lasting impression and she was honoured and crowned with the highest promotion as Rising Star.
