UJ Crowns The Best Dancer, Singer And Slam Poet

By Sanele Nkosi

A panel of judges at the UJ Arts Centre selected the winners of the annual UJ Can You Sing, Dance and Slam competitions during the competitions’ finale last night.

Here are the names of the talents and winners the audience and judges loved . . .

Can You Sing?

The UJ Can You Sing? winner, Dalene Swartz, danced her way onto the stage as her name was called. The singer received a standing ovation from the audience after her performance of Beyoncé’s Love on Top.

Swartz got a record deal with Sly Music, a gym membership and an iPad. She joins the likes of Tumelo Ngomane, who won UJ Can You Sing? last year.

Can You Slam?

A first-year BCom Information Management student, Sithembiso Mokuwa, stole the show with his smile and clever use of words. The audience kept snapping their fingers in appreciation.

When the judges announced that he had won, the crowd could not stop cheering for him. The poet will go on tour with Izimbongi zeSizwe.

Can You Dance?

Kekeletso Motloheloa did not let her injured knee stop her from delivering an amazing performance. From her first performance to the last, she kept amazing the crowd through a combination of dance styles.

The first-year Retail and Business Management student told The Open Journal that dance is in her DNA. Motloheloa’s showmanship was rewarded with a year-long management deal with artist agency, 4th Wall management.

The winners walked away with Branded Gear and Cultural Bursaries. No one went home empty-handed as the other contestants were given food goody bags, courtesy of Arts Centre’s café.   Unlike last year, when each competition was held on separate days, these three competitions were held on the same night.

UJ’s Production Co-ordinator and Publicist, Lakin Morgan-Baarjies, described the competition as the most diverse they have ever had. Participants were from all four campuses and the University collaborated with a film school, AFDA, in making the event possible. TOJ