How dance helped this young man overcome depression
His love for dance helped this young man beat depression.
Depression is common, and without getting treatment, some people might end up taking their own lives.
One young man, David Maluleka, opened up to Beautiful News about how his love for dancing helped him survive his darkest days.
David says his late teacher Agatha Manuel, who taught dance at Oaklands High School, is the reason that he got into dancing.
“My first performance, I remember being so nervous that I’d forget the choreography or make a fool of myself,” he told the publication.
However, he says as soon as he started performing, he felt like he belonged on stage. “It felt like I was about to talk and people would listen.”
The young man whose life was badly affected by his father's unemployment and abuse says dance became his escape.
“In the beginning, I had a very loving and nurturing childhood, but within my teens, it became abusive – physically and emotionally. When my dad got drunk, he would use our home as a boxing bag.”
To avoid the abuse, he would spend much of his time at the Dance For All studio.
“In class, I’d dance without having to think about what's happening at home,” David told the publication.
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However, when things got worse at home, they affected his performance at school. This led to him feeling suicidal.
“At 17, I did attempt to commit suicide,” he told the publication.
He explained that the first thing that came to mind when he found himself in hospital was his dance teacher.
“Had it not been for dance, I don’t think I would have survived that,” he told the publication.
“Those were the things that kept me resilient. Things are still happening, but if you can at least make it to the next class, it will be okay,” he said.
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Later in high school, David received a scholarship at the Cape Academy of Performing Arts, which helped him regain confidence in himself and know that he could survive whatever was thrown his way.
“It was scary in the beginning because I was pushing towards something that I wasn’t sure would work out,” he told Beautiful News.
“But because I knew what I’d overcome in my personal life, I have come to know what David can do. Why can't I dream as big as I dream and actually achieve them?” he said. “I believe it’s possible.”
Today, David is a successful dancer who is grateful that his gift of dancing helped him save his life.
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Image courtesy of Beautiful News.
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