Shenell Petterson
Owner and Artistic Director
Vole Ballet School
RAD CBTS
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Shenell brings a plethora of experience in dance as well as body conditioning and is a passionate dance teacher that loves working with all aspiring dancers.
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Shenell started doing ballet at the age of 3 years old. She matriculated at Pro Arté Alphen Park and furthered her studies at the Tshwane University of Technology attaining a Bachelor’s Degree with Cum Laude in Dance Pedagogy in 2011.
Shenell is a qualified Pilates Instructor as well as Registered Royal Academy of Dance Ballet teacher. Shenell has always had an incredible passion and love for Dance. She loves sharing her knowledge and passion with young dancers. Shenell aims to instill confidence, discipline, and knowledge in an environment where dancers can learn, create, and evolve into the future dancers they wish to be.
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Ipeleng Merafe
Ballet, Contemporary and Body Conditioning Instructor
Ipeleng Merafe is a 33 year old professional dancer and theatre performer from Johannesburg. Ipeleng began her ballet training at the tender age of 5 with Alice Anne Cassel. She then started training with Joanne Dieckmann at age 8. Ipeleng completed her Royal Academy of Dance vocational and major exams to the level of Advanced 2. Ipeleng trained and performed with The South African Ballet Academy (ballet school directly linked to the South African Ballet Theatre, now known as Joburg Ballet). She attended the National School of the Arts in 2001 and 2002. Ipeleng was selected as an exchange student to attend a 6 week summer school at The National Ballet School in Toronto, Canada in 2003. She then participated in summer and winter programs at The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre.
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In 2006 Ipeleng Merafe was accepted into the Cape Academy of Performing Arts. During her 4 years of studies at the Academy she obtained a diploma in Contemporary Dance and Theatre Related Studies. Whilst at CAPA, Ipeleng was accepted into the Cape Youth Dance Company and then into the Cape Dance Company working with choreographers such as Kitty Phetla (SA), Michael Thomas (USA), Adele Blank (SA), Christopher Huggins (USA), Sbonakaliso Ndaba (SA) and Esther Nasser (SA). During her time at CDC she performed as a soloist locally, Grahamstown National Arts Festival, and internationally; Salisbury Festival and Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
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Ipeleng performed in Dada Masilo’s ‘Death and the Maidens’ 2012 production and performed as a soloist at Tshwane Dance Theatre, a Johannesburg based contemporary dance company (under direction of Esther Nasser). She performed in 'Private Presley' and 'Queen at the Ballet’ by Bovim Ballet. She joined Dada Masilo’s international touring cast of Swan Lake from 2012 to February 2018 (understudying the lead of role ‘Odette’) as well as Dada Masilo's touring cast of Carmen.
In 2017 Ipeleng was cast as Teresita in The Fugard Theatre’s ‘West Side Story’.
Ipeleng was part of Dada Masilo’s International Touring cast of Giselle performing in theatres such as The Joyce Theatre (NYC).
Recently, Ipeleng was Assistant Dance Captain and offstage swing in ‘Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical International Tour’ (2018 to 2020) produced by GWB Productions.
At present Ipeleng is teaching ballet and contemporary dance and has begun with the Royal Academy of Dance Certificate of Ballet Teachers Studies.
She is also choreographing and freelancing in Johannesburg, performing with Tailormade Group on various big productions.
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