In a dance studio in suburban east Johannesburg, the choreographer Lee-ché Janecke put a group of student cheerleaders through their steps. After five hours of everything from body rolls to voguing with pompoms and a classic cheerleading lift, the excited group gathered round Janecke to make a TikTok of one of the latest South African amapiano dance challenges. They were done in just two takes.
Janecke has been at the forefront of the growing global popularity of South African dance and music in the past few years. Having worked with Tyla since she was 17, he was responsible for the viral dance that accompanied Water, the breakout hit that propelled the now 23-year-old South African singer and songwriter to worldwide fame.
