Online Reporter
Mthabisi Tshuma, [email protected]
Every creative has a unique reason for pursuing their passion, and for dancer Zanele “Zaza” Maseko, her dream is to use her talent to get children off the streets.
A proud member of the Hloseni Arts Ensemble, the Mpopoma-based artist has had a career spanning over two decades.
Chronicle Showbiz caught up with Zaza, who shared her journey and how dance is deeply embedded in her blood.
“I started pursuing arts in primary school, in Grade 4 at Mpumelelo Primary and Msiteli High School. My inspiration comes from our culture, especially in preserving ‘isintu sethu’ and passing this knowledge on to the next generation.
“My journey wasn’t easy when I decided to pursue art professionally in 2000. Growing up, our parents weren’t as open-minded as today’s generation. I faced mockery at home, with people telling me to find a job that would guarantee me a paycheck at the end of the month. But I didn’t listen to that. I pushed through until my art started to bring in some income, which was when I started getting full support,” she said.
Zaza believes that performance has the power to heal.
“There are many challenges people face, but when someone watches a performance, they can relax their mind and focus on what’s in front of them. If the performance is captivating, they’ll always talk about it afterward.”
She shared plans by Hloseni Arts to revive the group.
“Although I haven’t worked on my own projects exclusively, I’m part of a dance ensemble. We have plans to revive the group and recruit more teenagers. Moving forward, I would love to mentor more kids, keeping them off the streets and away from drug and substance abuse,” she said.
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