- At just 20 years old, Mbalenhle Mkhatshwa founded Mballet Dance Academy in her grandmother’s backyard in Tembisa to teach ballet and English to young girls.
- The school was inspired by her own struggles accessing dance education.
- Despite financial challenges, she runs the school with minimal resources, teaching 80 children and relying on small fees from parents to sustain the studio.
At just 20 years old, Mbalenhle Mkhatshwa, a final-year psychology student with a passion for dance and a heart for change, has turned her dreams into something meaningful for young aspiring ballerinas in Tembisa.
Once a dedicated ballet dancer herself, Mkhatshwa decided to combine her love for the art form with her desire to make a difference.
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She opened a ballet school in Winnie Mandela, a township in the northern end of Tembisa, creating a space for the young girls growing up in the underprivileged community to learn dance, grace, discipline, and even English. She does all this in her grandmother’s backyard.
Having started the school in 2023 with just 16 students, the academy now serves 80 children, all under 15.
Mbalenhle Mkhatshwa with dancers in her youngest class
Class is in session at Mballet Dance Academy with Hlolohelo Langa heading the lesson
Class is in session at Mballet Dance Academy
“It all comes from the experience that I had growing up. I was raised in Winnie Mandela, and when I created Mballet, I wanted it to become an opportunity for children within the community to be able to express themselves through dance and also to find their escape because dance was my escape growing up,” she told News24.
For Mkhatshwa, gaining access to ballet dance classes meant commuting to Sandton by taxi with her mother on weekends.
However, at some point, her parents could no longer afford the classes, which shattered her dream of advancing in her craft.
Mbalenhle’s mother Lolo Gwaba introduced her daughter to ballerina at a young age but financial constraints made it difficult for Mbalenhle to continue
But with the big heart she has, the third-year psychology student at North-West University decided that, through her dance academy, she would bring dance to kids at an affordable price.
“With Mballet, I think I have managed to close that gap because if you can’t afford dance classes, you will still be able to dance at Mballet Dance Academy,” she said.
The dance classes are not free, and Mkhatshwa shared that the small contributions she receives from parents each month help run the dance studio, which currently operates without any other funding.
She charges fees based on the different age groups she teaches, with prices ranging from R200 to almost R400 per month.
For the 2- to 5-year-old dance class, fees start at R200 per month, while she charges R360 for the 7- to 9-year-old class. Her group of older kids, starting from 11 years old, pays R380.
So far, she teaches students at her studio and at local schools, including girls whose parents cannot afford the fees.
Mbalenhle Mkhatshwa teaches one of her classes
Ballet dancer and teacher Mbalenhle Mkhatshwa teaches her students ballet at her studio in Winnie Mandela, Tembisa
Ballet dancer and teacher Mbalenhle Mkhatshwa teaches her students ballet at her studio in Winnie Mandela, Tembisa
Ballet dancer and teacher Mbalenhle Mkhatshwa teaches her students ballet at her studio in Winnie Mandela, Tembisa
“We do go to preschools as well, and in some schools, we have about 12 learners that we teach,” she said, adding that classes happen during the week. Her assistant, Hlolohelo Langa, takes over while she is at school, and on weekends when Mkhatshwa travels back home from varsity.
Trading her car for the dance academy
Having come from an underprivileged background herself, Mkhatshwa shared just how challenging it was to open the studio, especially with no funding and only a dream as her motivation.
It all began during her gap year. She decided she wanted to do something meaningful with her time, and so she took on the task of training young girls in ballet in her grandmother’s backyard.
“At that point, I had a car, and that car needed to be sold for me to have the proper space to start the studio. I really wanted the kids to walk into a space that felt like a real dance studio, not just a random room we dance in,” she said.
“So, one of the biggest things was the sacrifices I needed to make financially. And also, it was a little difficult to get people to know about the services, especially as a business. I need to sustain the space and also pay these children back later in life because they work so hard, too.”
So far, the lack of resources and finances has been the school’s biggest challenge. Mkhatshwa explained that, for instance, getting someone in the township to make something as basic as a ballet bar was a challenge because, due to a lack of exposure, carpenters did not even understand what it was.
As she onboarded more children into the school, Mkhatshwa shared that finding a larger space had been a challenge, but she credits her grandmother for helping her build a studio to get started.
Mbalenhle Khatshwa’s grandmother who allowed her granddaughter to build her ballet studio in her yard
“If it hadn’t been for my grandmother being so kind to say I can easily use our yard for a studio, Mballet would not be where it is now. I don’t think it would even exist.
“She sacrificed her space, saying I can use whatever space I need, even the toilet outside. We had to work with what we had. My grandmother lives full-time on one side, and on weekends and weekdays, we’re on the other side, full-on blasting music and dancing.”
More than just dance
Dance may be the main art form that unifies Mkhatshwa and the kids she teaches, but she has identified that she needs to impart more than that.
She recalled a situation in which the children participated in a dance competition. When asked questions in English, there was a clear communication barrier, as some of the young ones did not know how to respond.
This made the 20-year-old realise that it was also time to help them learn English and eliminate the communication barrier.
“We were in a dance competition, and the children were placed on the stage and asked some questions which they had to answer in English. The kids are not taught in English at school. They speak their mother tongue, and that really broke my heart,” she said.
“We were at this competition because of me. I was not necessarily focusing on anything other than dance, and the children had gotten used to communicating through their bodies. One child said to me she understood what was being asked, but she just didn’t know how to respond.”
To remedy the issue, Mkhatshwa now teaches ballet in English to ensure that the girls understand and learn how to speak the language. This has paid off, as they have learned a lot and grown more confident over the past few months.
A plea to the public
With the school charging monthly fees that only a few parents can afford, Mkhatshwa revealed that the school needs donations of resources and capital.
“I hate to come forward as someone who wants money, but one of the things that could help us get through some of our hurdles is someone who’s willing to invest in us,” she said.
“Even if it’s through something as simple as pointe shoes for the little girls, because they need that now, but due to financial constraints, we need to do fundraisers to first purchase one thing, and so forth.”
She urged the public to rally around the school and help in any way they can, including providing a water dispenser, given the water issues in the area.
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