Continuing our series of highlighting organisations and people who we think are doing great work for wildlife we would like to introduce you to Sheila Upton Bath and Dance To Be Wild. Sheila is the owner of a dance studio in Chartwell, Johannesburg and Founder and Director of Dance To Be Wild. We interviewed Sheila on how Dance To Be Wild came about and why and how her work is helping the wildlife of South Africa. Sheila, you are a ballroom dancer, please tell us how Dance To Be Wild came about.
Sheila (in the middle of Bonné de Bod and Susan Scott, filmakers of the multi-award winning feature doccumentary on the war against rhino poaching - STROOP)
“As an absolute wildlife / animal fanatic, I was feeling quite helpless in trying to play a part in protecting the future of our wildlife. Then, as a dance trainer, I realized that dance is an international language which crosses all barriers and maybe we could use dance to educate and create awareness throughout the international dance community.”
You work with children from poorer communities. Why is it important to teach them about wildlife? In South Africa, historically, poorer communities have been excluded from enjoying and witnessing the absolute majesty of Africa’s wildlife in its natural habitat. There are so many reasons why these communities need to be aware of the importance wildlife conservation plays in the future of Africa including tourism and the employment this creates but, in addition, wildlife is the rightful heritage of every single African.
Tell us about the Youth Day visits to Rietvlei Nature Reserve. “We need to get young children into natural game parks. What we don’t want is the mindset that animals belong in zoos, which, sadly, is the only place they may have seen wild animals. Our ultimate goal is to get as many children up to game parks like Kruger Park but, at the moment, the costs involved is prohibitive for so many children. On an annual basis we therefore try and treat up to 200 children to a one-day visit to Rietvlei Game Reserve. We also invite experts in various areas of nature conservation to address the children so that they can return to their own communities more inspired and knowledgeable about the vital role conservation plays in their future.”
Do you think there is a connection between respecting wildlife and respecting one another? “Most definitely! Communities are facing so many challenges and, with teaching these children to dance, it immediately gives them a feeling of self-worth. Once self-worth has been instilled in the way they think and act, we have seen a definite increase in respect for each other and others in the community. Once we have achieved this, and together with our conservation initiatives, they start to recognize that all forms of life are interconnected and vital to a healthy lifestyle and wellbeing.”
Your work has been mainly focused on rhinos but you are teaching the children about all the animals. What are your thoughts about what is happening to the lions in captive breeding facilities and would you ever take the children there? “We called our initiative “Dance to be Wild” so that we could represent every wild species and assist wherever we could which would obviously include lions. We are absolutely horrified at the captive breeding industry which is not only exceptionally cruel but is also doing a huge amount of harm to South Africa’s status as a country committed to ethical and professional wildlife conservation. As we’ve already mentioned, we do not want children to accept that wild animals are kept caged in zoos or any other restricted, unnatural environments. We would never consider hosting our children at facilities that encourage human / animal interaction.”
What are your plans for Dance To Be Wild in 2019? “In 2019 we are hoping to take children who have really captured the true vision of Dance to be Wild and the welfare of our animals to Kruger Park. As we know, there is nothing more beautiful than the African bush and we want this to become a reality for these children in 2019! Once again, finances permitting, we will also hold our annual day trip for 200 children to Rietvlei Game Reserve. We also plan to hold our Dance to be Wild Spectacular which includes dancers from South Africa and internationally. This is our major fundraising opportunity which allows us to continue with our work amongst the youth of South Africa.”
We are grateful for Sheila taking the time to talk to us and hope you agree that her wonderful work with Dance To Be Wild is an inspiration with a huge benefit for both the children involved and wildlife. We wish the whole Dance To Be Wild team the best for 2019. To stay in touch with their work please visit their website or Facebook page. http://www.dancetobewild.co.za/ https://www.facebook.com/DanceToBeWild/
This great video interview will also show you how and why Dance To Be Wild makes such a difference. “People come to see the Big 5, are we going to allow other people to take that away from us? No, we are not!� Sheila Upton Bath https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGMsxAPFhGQ&feature=youtu.be
Fancy getting on your dancing shoes and helping? Well, if you happen to live in Johannesburg and fancy taking up dance lessons and helping with Dance To Be Wild please get in touch with Sheila – details below.