Gauteng MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Mbali Hlophe has congratulated Oscar Buthelezi for his exploits at the 33rd International Competition for Choreographers in Hanover, Germany on Saturday.
Buthelezi bagged three awards including the main one for his dance piece ‘The Road’, at the international competition which featured 19 top finalists from across the world.
He arrives back in South Africa on Monday, at the OR Tambo International Airport with the following awards: Residency (scholarship) in Australia Dance Company; the Audience Choice; and the Jury Award which is the main one.
MEC Hlophe says; “South Africa will have to get used to the name Oscar Buthelezi. The talent in him is amazing and no wonder he’s taking the world by storm in performance arts. Congratulations to him and his team for putting South Africa in the map.
“A product of our dance programme Motjeko Dance, he continues to make us proud as Gauteng for having helped found his success. We are glad to have been there when his passion was ignited, which is what we want to do for every young person within the spaces we operate -the arts and sport.
“We congratulate and celebrate him and wish his star to grow bigger and brighter. His exploits are going a long way to growing and changing the face of performance arts. He’s an inspiration to many young people with talent, passion and hard work”, concludes MEC Hlophe.
Buthelezi has earned international acclaim for his bold choreography and the brilliant style and sensitivity of his dance. He is 6-time and only winner of the acclaimed Kurt Jooss Choreography Awards held in Germany every 3-years.
He is the 2019 recipient of the prestigious Naledi Theatre Award for Best Original Choreography in a musical- ‘The Colour Purple’.
(Edited by Johanna Molokomme)
