Aletta Shikololo
WINDHOEK – They say ‘gold medals are not made of gold, they are made of sweat, determination and a hard-to-find alloy called guts’ and this defines eight-year-old Kari Rabie, who won a gold medal last week in the Rumba in the Jungle competition in South Africa.
Rumba in the Jungle is the biggest dance festival in Africa ever staged at the Sun City Resort in the Bokone Bophirima Province in South Africa.
In the three-day competition held last week, Kari participated in lyrical hip-hop, ballroom dance and Latin dance, with her ballroom showcase danced together with participants from over 14 different countries.
last year Nadine Birch of Namibia won the sections that Kari won this year. A section consists of 3 different dances directly after each other. And then they are judged on all 3 together. It is unprepared and they hear the music on which they must dance for the first time.
In the competition, which she described as challenging, she came first in lyrical hip-hop, second 2nd places in the ballroom section, first 2nd place in single dance; third 1st places in the Latin dance routine, first 2nd place, and second 1st places for single dances and came first in the overall competition.
Born on Namibgrens farm and raised in Windhoek, Kari’s love for dancing began at the age of four when she started dancing Latin and ballroom routines, which also won her first competition before she turned five years later that year.
“I have two older sisters and all three of us started dancing together, but I like competitions and the adrenaline,” she says.
Talking to Entertainment Now!, Kari’s mother, Jeanie Rabie, said the achievement means a lot to the family and she has outdone herself and made them proud.
“She (Kari) is very impressed and proud. She doesn’t comprehend the bigness of her achievements. I can see the confidence boost she gets from this amazing competition. She is already planning for next year’s competition,” she said excitedly.
Rabie was overwhelmed with excitement, saying the win was good for her daughter’s self- confidence and in a house with two national hockey-playing sisters, she is following her own path and she is blooming.
“I am so proud and I am walking around like a show hen I want to stand on top of a mountain and tell the world, but nothing of this is possible without the grace of God. If she is happy then I am happy too,” Rabie giggled.
She said her daughter’s achievement is a result of family support.
“She is still young and anything can change. We, as a family, will support her as long as she enjoys what she is doing. She overheard a conversation about an international competition in the United Kingdom next year and now she is dreaming big,” she further explained.
From Namibia, she must be the youngest. She also participated last year under Tiny Tots, but was not as successful as this year. There was a boy from the UK this year that was six and he won his section under Tiny Tots.
Rumba in the Jungle was classified as the third most popular leisure and lifestyle activity after soccer and rugby and the preferred tourists` destination in the 90s. However, the historic dance competition made a remarkable comeback in 2017 after an 18-year hiatus.