Picture the scene last Saturday. The town of Essen, Germany, is alive with the pressure of a global dance award. The best of the best in the world are there. Two South African dancers timorously enter the performance space, going head-to-head with 70 of the world's finest. Everyone else has expensive looking props, costumes and sets. Dressed just in brown shorts, Oscar Buthelezi, 25, and Muzi Shili, 38, perform Road. And the crowd goes wild.So wild that in the 16 years of the Kurt Jooss Prize's existence never has the jury and the audience been so nearly unanimous about who should get first prize. Buthelezi received not only the official € 10000 (R175000) prize, but also the audience's award. The money is a lot for him to absorb."It's hard to say [the amount] out loud," he laughed. "It's a lot. I hope to take some of it and create new work. And invest in my craft."I was holding thumbs, but never expected to take it," he says of his win."Road was inspired by my background. I wasn't raised by my mother. I was born in the East Rand township of Natalspruit and grew up in Vosloorus. I was raised by my father. Each thing he told me, like 'go to school', 'go to church', 'wash your school uniform', defined me."The work is about honesty and values. I try to show all the roads, obstacles and happiness my father brought me. It's a very healing piece."Buthelezi's father now lives in Newcastle, in rural KwaZulu-Natal, and has not seen the piece, which Buthelezi has been developing since 2013.But plans are afoot to bring him to Grahamstown for the National Arts Festival, in July, at which the piece will be showcased.It is Buthelezi's first professional choreographed work and, although he never dared dream of winning a major dance award, "Mark Hawkins, the artistic director of Moving into Dance, encouraged me.""I think I was born a dancer. "One day, I was recognised by Via Vosloorus Mapantsula Youth Club - I think I was six at the time - and this was where my training began. We were in the community, I never was exposed to the possibilities of professional dance."I finished school in 2009 and I got an opportunity to join Moving Into Dance in 2010 as a trainee."My first work was choreographed by Robyn Orlin and I was given the chance to use my Zulu dance skills."Today, Buthelezi is a member of Moving into Dance's professional company.He loves it but conceded that it is not always sunshine and roses.He said: "Dance has many challenges. It is competitive. Difficult. Emotional."Seeing others getting awards is daunting. Sometimes it feels unfair. As a young dancer, I realised I cannot give up and must always work hard at what I do."Choreography is not easy but, with the help of the company, and Muzi, Mark, Gogo Sylvia Glasser (Moving into Dance's founder) and Orlin this work grew. I love critics who are brave enough to say what they think more than those who congratulate emptily. This industry needs them."'Road' will be performed at the Wits 969 festival in Johannesburg as part of Moving into Dance's show 'Feathers' on July 15..