Socking it to the world with dance

African Footprint has returned to South Africa after a successful international tour.

After making its debut performance in 2000 in front of Nelson Mandela and other global leaders on Robben Island, the musical has graced stages in the US, China, Australia and Monte Carl, to name a few.

Dancer Thabo Komape has been with the production in all its 3800 shows, and is still loving every minute of it.

Komape's career began on the soccer field. Like many of his friends, he dreamed of being a soccer player: "I wanted to be like Marks Maponyane and other great soccer players. I used to play soccer on a dusty field until late at night. We used rolled up plastic bags as a soccer ball."

The excitement began to wear off, though, and Komape soon discovered that dancing was a great reason to go to town without adult supervision.

His decision to focus on dance meant he was plagued by the stereotype of the male dancer: Komape was told he was gay.

"I didn't even know what the word homosexual or gay meant. Many people - especially people who live in the townships - think that male dancers are gay. It is a stereotype I still get confronted with even now ."

But, on the positive side, his decision to be a dancer has given him the opportunity to travel the world.

"Sometimes we have to be in three countries in one day - you wake up in France, have lunch in Denmark and sleep in Italy - it can get crazy on tour," he says.

"Travelling has also been quite an eye opener because you learn about other cultures. I have had some amusing experiences. For instance, in China I thought I was eating a chicken dish, and after I had eaten the whole thing, I was told it was made with cat meat!"

Komape went to Raucall high school in Johannesburg. The school was a college for advancement in learning and leadership that selected top pupil s from township schools .

After high school he went to Wits university, and later Unisa, where he got his BCom Accounting.

Being a dancer with a degree in accounting meant he was able to move beyond the stage into a management position within the production team.

It has provided him with a great deal of fulfilment, and after more than a decade with the production, Komape has still not had the urge to do something else.

"Because we spend so much time away from home, the cast has become a bit like family. We manage to create a home away from home ."

He admits that 10 years is a long time to spend with one production. However, the show's live element keeps it from going stale.

"I get a standing ovation almost every day I'm at work - how many people can say that?"

Like a lot of dancers, Komape spends a lot of time thinking about socks. He jokes: "When soccer players retire they hang up their boots, and when dancers retire, they hang up their socks."

He tries on several pairs of socks in search of the perfect fit.

The first is a pair from Mr Price: "These are quite comfortable. They're thick and warm, which makes them good for winter. I also like that they stretch."

The next pair he tries is from Woolworths: "These are more for summer. They're quite light and have a soothing feeling. This pair also stretches, and that's good."

Next he tries a pair from Puma: "This is what I would normally wear. They leave you feeling like you're barefoot. I don't like socks that fill up the shoe."

The last pair he tries is from Jeep: "These are very light, which would be perfect with boots and takkies. I would also use these to just walk around - I like walking around in my socks," he says.

"Of all these, I would use the Puma socks on stage. Socks are a dancer's favourite things and these could definitely become my favourites," Komape says.

African Footprint is on at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg till June 20.