Manana to compete in TV show

[caption id="attachment_236628" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Thando Manana is set to show off his moves in the first season of ‘Dancing with the Stars SA’, which premieres on M-Net channel 101 on February 4[/caption]

Bay rugby commentator looks for support as he dons dancing shoes, writes Tracey Chè King

Growing up in New Brighton, Thando Manana would occasionally watch dancers perform at church events, but he never imagined he would one day find himself dancing on national television.

The 39-year-old, best known for being the third black South African Springbok player, an author, rugby commentator and member of the infamous Room Dividers team on Metro FM, now joins the contestants in the first season of Dancing with the Stars SA.

“I’ve seen some of the [international] Dancing with the Stars episodes, but I never thought [there would be] an opportunity for me to showcase my unknown talent on national television,” he said yesterday.

The series, produced by multi-award-winning Rapid Blue and sponsored by Lottostar, will see 12 celebrity contestants vying for the coveted Mirrorball Trophy.

The cast of celebrity contestants, which includes former Bafana Bafana soccer star Delron Buckley and award-winning actress Zola Nombona, were subjected to a gruelling selection process. Manana said the rigorous audition had taken into account the stars’ social media following, natural dancing ability, as well as their camera presence and charisma.

Manana is no stranger to taking on new challenges – during his illustrious career he has effortlessly transitioned from rugby player to commentator and author.

Leading up to the live show he is using his multi-faceted skill set to assist him, saying: “T h e re are elements of rugby training that are involved, in that you have to concentrate and go through rigorous training.

“The patience required for writing a book has also helped me to jot down what I’m going through, so that I am able to track my progress and be aware of what I have to work on in rehearsals.” When asked if he had had any hesitation about being on the show, he said initially he had to overcome his fears.

“Fear is just a feeling; you’ve got to crush it because the end results are always incredible,” he recalls telling himself. Since being selected for the show, Manana has temporarily relocated to Johannesburg and is training in preparation for a physically demanding performance with his dance partner.

Contestants’ dance partners will be announced by M-Net next week, but of his Port Elizabeth- born dance partner Manana shared that she was ver y bubbly, and challenged and motivated him to be the best dancer he could be.

As the only Port Elizabeth celebrity contestant, Manana hopes that he will have the Bay’s full support in the form of votes, emphasising that “charity begins at home”.

To kids who wish to follow their dreams, Manana said: “I hope that many youngsters can follow their dreams . . . even if their dream is to be a professional dancer.”

Dancing with the Stars SA will premiere on M-Net channel 101 on Sunday February 4 at 5pm.