A first-place finish by a couple who had never teamed up before was just one of several outstanding performances by Fort Hare at the USSA dancesport championships in Mahikeng recently.
The team heartbreakingly finished a solitary point shy of a bronze medal but their fourth place overall broke a two-year run of sixth places at the University Sports South Africa event.
Their move up the rankings was partly due to dancers Inga Mtana and Nontando Tsheleza, who were paired only weeks before the showcase competition when their usual partners became unavailable.
It was a match made in heaven as they proceeded to surprise all and sundry by winning the pre-championship category. They also collected fourth (Latin dance), third (American show-dance), third (formation theme) and fourth (standard formation) places in other sections.
Mtana, from Dimbaza near Qonce in the Eastern Cape, admitted that their form in North West came as a surprise.
“We [Mtana and Tsheleza] were put together at our training camp and we took things from there,” the 22-year-old BSc student said.
“The training camp prepared us well. It was really tough.
“We hit the gym and things like that. But it was very fulfilling to win a category and for Fort Hare to be in the top four.”
Inga Mtana and Nontando Tsheleza formed a surprising yet formidable partnership at the USSA dancesport championships in Mahikeng recently. Photo: Full Stop Communications
The outcome was especially pleasing for final-year industrial psychology student Tsheleza, who had been a mainstay of the team since joining the club in 2021.
The soon-to-be 22-year-old from Lusikisiki, in the northern part of the province, dabbled with dancing in primary school but only came into her own upon her arrival at Fort Hare.
Like Mtana, she had been baffled by their results but credited coach Thandisizwe Matyumza for his ability to spot individuals who might dance well together.
“There were new routines to learn, we were a new partnership, but my coach knows what he’s doing,” she said.
“He has good instincts. We did everything he told us.”
The taste of success had her hoping to return to the USSAs in 2025, a quest that would be entirely possible should she pursue an honours degree at the tertiary institution in Alice.
“It would be amazing to do this again; it was a beautiful journey.”
Her journey at Fort Hare’s dancesport club had made her realise the importance of following one’s heart.
“Because one never knows where this can lead.”
Matyumza had mixed feelings after their improved performance that left them within a whisker of the podium, describing it as “tough” but “pleasing”.