The Sunday News
Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
THE arts community in Bulawayo has been plunged into mourning after the death of dancer Lavona Maria Staal, who passed on Tuesday at the age of 32.
Staal was one of the nominees at last year’s Roil Bulawayo Arts Awards in the best female dancer category alongside Lorin Sibanda of Umkhathi and Lethokuhle Ncube of IYASA.
Lavona’s brother Andrew Staal confirmed her passing to the Sunday News, although he said the family wanted to keep her cause of death private.
Andrew narrated Lavonia’s history in the arts, saying she had started dancing at an early age. In the later stages of her career worked with the likes IYASA and Yvette Ndaba before she founded her own LTC Legacy brand.
“She is done a lot of work in theatre and she was a singer too. She was a singer too and she used to perform with Destiny band. She was a good singer,” Staal said.
Speaking to Sunday News, fellow dancer Alexander Mhlanga described Staal as a star on the city’s dance scene.
“Lavona Maria Staal was an amazing shining star. We met at Studio 13 in Bradfield where I used to teach contemporary dance to my students . She was and an amazing dancer who could push herself to perfection and not complain, performing in different genres like Hip-hop , ballet ,contemporary, African dances and more.”
“She brought together people from different races and united the perceived minorities and more privileged artists and their community with the masses I will celebrate her life forever,” Mhlanga said.
