Executive Mayor Alderman Dan Plato joined hundreds of children on Tuesday 2 March 2010 to break the record of the largest number of people simultaneously performing the Diski Dance, South Africa’s official 2010 FIFA World Cup™ dance.
The event was organised by Cape Town Tourism to coincide with countrywide celebrations marking the 100-day countdown to the kickoff of the World Cup, and took place on the Cape Town Stadium concourse.
[ad#Google Adsense 125×125 Blog Post]A total of 570 schoolchildren from local communities and another 80 guests – 650 in all – performed the dance – a sequence of moves based on soccer tricks – under the instructions of Amanda Maartens from Cape Town fusion band CODA, to cheers, laughter and music, as part of Cape Town Tourism’s Live It! Love it! LOUDER! campaign. “Diski” is the slang word for soccer in Xhosa.
Cape Town Tourism believes it broke the previous record of 600 by SA Tourism in London.
“It was a big commitment to organise everything, but it was worth it, and we’re very happy we pulled it off. It was a very real experience, seeing it from the kids’ perspective – their energy and excitement and honour to come together and display it,” said Leanne Pohlmann, Cape Town Tourism 2010 Marketing Manager.
The children were originally trained to dance for the opening ceremony of the Peace Cup, which was cancelled, and were taught the Diski dance in an attempt to create a pool of resources that could hopefully assist with welcomes and Public Viewing Area entertainment during the World Cup™, said Pohlmann.
The participants came from areas such as Atlantis, Athlone, Langa, Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, Stellenbosch and Kayamandi.
Plato called on the children to be ambassadors for the FIFA World Cup™ and also to support Bafana Bafana, whether the national side wins or loses. He reminded them that the FIFA World Cup™ belongs to them as much as anyone else, and then delighted the crowd with his own Diski Dance moves.
“Cape Town is one of the world’s premier tourism destinations, and in preparation for the FIFA 2010 World Cup™, we have spent massive amounts of money on making Cape Town an even more accessible and enjoyable destination. These improvements are taking shape as the World Cup™ approaches, and we look forward to them benefiting residents and visitors for decades to come,” he said.
Cape Town Tourism spokesperson Lianne Burton said: “In just over three months, Cape Town will be on the centre stage of the sporting world. Our young people are leading the way to Live it! Love it! LOUDER! as we near the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. Hosting a successful, friendly FIFA World Cup™ has a direct impact on our children’s legacy. Now, more than ever we need to join in on their enthusiasm in welcoming our visitors.”
She added that despite initial concerns, ticket sales and hotel bookings are now on the rise, and Cape Town is more or less ready for the World Cup™.
Managing international perceptions will be a challenge, and the months ahead will be focused on countering negative and skewed perceptions. But despite this, the worldwide television coverage will give an opportunity to show that Cape Town is not only a proven lifestyle and events capital, but it is also capable of hosting a mega-event, Burton said.
