"In a dance studio in suburban east Johannesburg, the choreographer Lee-che Janecke put a group of student cheerleaders through their steps. After five hours of everything from body rolls to voguing with pompoms and a classic cheerleading lift, the excited group gathered round Janecke to make a TikTok of one of the latest South African amapiano dance challenges. They were done in just two takes."
"Janecke has been at the forefront of the growing global popularity of South African dance and music in the past few years. Having worked with Tyla since she was 17, he was responsible for the viral dance that accompanied Water, the breakout hit that propelled the now 23-year-old South African singer and songwriter to worldwide fame. Janecke choreographed the video for Tyla's song Push2Start, which won Best Afrobeats at the 2025 MTV Video Music awards."
Lee-che Janecke runs rehearsals in a dance studio in suburban east Johannesburg and taught student cheerleaders body rolls, voguing with pompoms and a classic cheerleading lift before filming a TikTok in two takes. Janecke has driven the global popularity of South African dance and music through viral choreography. He worked with Tyla from age 17, created the viral dance for Water and choreographed Push2Start, which won Best Afrobeats at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards. Janecke seeks to expand his reputation into a global brand while retaining cultural roots. He grew up in Bonteheuwel and Eldorado Park, heard his grandfather play Madonna and Michael Jackson, planned to study accounting but pursued self-taught dance, explored femininity, accepted himself as gay by 2011, and co-founded V.I.N.T.A.G.E, a dance crew focused on vogueing and whacking that later expanded to include women.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]