Daniel de Lange completed a B-tech degree in Drama at Pretoria Technikon in 1996. He then worked professionally, specialising in educational, industrial, corporate and children's/youth theatre. Daniel not only worked as an actor but also as creative director and writer in many of these productions.
He became the resident director of an industrial & corporate theatre company and from 2007-2009 he directed and acted for 46664 - the Nelson Mandela foundation. This gave him the opportunity to work and travel throughout South Africa and also to London and New York. While Daniel has directed extensively for cabaret, musical and straight theatre, he has also enjoyed teaching drama since 2013. In teaching he found a synthesis where he could incorporate his directing and acting background and has been able to teach a wide range of young students from ages 5 to 18.
Daniel has found teaching to be the most rewarding experience and likes to build confidence and positive self-esteem in his drama students. He focuses on improving their improvisation, acting and teamwork skills whilst allowing the students to work creatively which encourages plenty of self-expression and also importantly, fun!
Pulane Rampoana is an acclaimed actor, singer, vocal coach, drama teacher and language supervisor. As a multi-threat performer with over 18 years of experience, she has been in international musicals including: Dream Girls, Cats, The Rocky Horror Show, Footloose and African Footprint. Local theatre productions include The Hill, Jock Of The Bushveld, Gibson Kente Tribute and recently The Cry of Winnie Mandela where her heart-wrenching performance enchanted the audiences.
She has acted in the award-winning TV dramas Lioness (Seasons 1 and 2), Intersexions, Sokhulu & Partners, and Saints and Sinners. Pulane has shared the stage with acclaimed musicians; Thandiswa Mazwai, Dr. Victor, Vicky Sampson, Benjamin Dube, Loyiso Bala and Ernie Smith to name just a few. She has sung and recorded with jazz maestro, Kirk Whalum and performed at The National Black Festival in the USA. Pulane has also performed at the prestigious JM Busha 54 Races event which is attended by heads of states, ambassadors, political leaders and icons like the former President Kgalema Motlanthe and Mrs Motlanthe, Ntate Caiphus Semenya and Mama Letta Mbuli
When she’s not performing, Pulane spends her time researching and writing impactful stories. She wrote a social cohesion play in partnership with the IOM UN Migration which was performed in more than 48 schools and community centres across three provinces in South Africa. She also co-wrote Talk To Me, a two-hander musical which first debuted at The Space at Joburg Theatre - and later booked a season at the legendary John Kani Theatre at the Market Theatre, and she’s currently finishing off two theatre scripts and a film script.
Pulane is an accomplished corporate event performer as emcee and solo act as well as an integral part of the beautiful and talented singers from the Belting Betties. She is eager to impart her knowledge and wealth of skills to the young performers at JATA as both acting and vocal coach.
Zante Marais has danced through her entire life which has fuelled her passion for the arts. She is not only certified as an Acrobatics teacher by Acrobatic Solo Sport South Association, but has also achieved her certification in adjudication for ASSA competitions.
Since acquiring her three-year diploma from Oakfields College, majoring in Musical Theatre and Dance, Zante has been performing professionally in the entertainment industry as well as teaching at various institutions including The Flow Studio and Studio Spotlight, and continuously gives specialised workshops in acro & floor movement.
Her goal is to assist her students to explore the connection between movement and emotion within their bodies, to access their creativity and to flourish by being able to express themselves in the most positive way.
We are excited to have her share her passion and expertise with our JATA students.
With a burning passion for storytelling, Ntshikeng Matooane is a triple threat performer from Pretoria.
After earning a qualification in Dance and Musical Theatre at Oakfields College, she has been cast in various stage productions such as Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, NCT’s A Year with Frog and Toad, MAMMA MIA! (SA) and Dear Evan Hansen.
Ntshikeng is also a puppeteer with the Bizzy Hands Puppet Company, performing at schools in and around the Gauteng province. When she’s not on stage or creating, Ntshikeng enjoys reading, learning foreign languages and playing video games with friends.
She is very excited to be joining the JATA faculty and passing on her skills and knowledge as well as sharing her passion with the next generation of storytellers.
Renos Nicos Spanoudes holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education, a BA(Hons) and an MA from Wits. He is an award winning actor, writer and director. His theatre credits include portrayals which range from Advocate George Bizos in Aubrey Sekhabi’s The Rivonia Trial to Verwoerd’s Assassin Dimitri Tsafendas in Anton Krueger’s Strange Land, Buttons Papadopoulos from Pampoenfontein in Janice Honeyman’s panto Cinderella and Gepetto in Pinocchio at The People’s Theatre to Mr. Kraler in The Diary of Anne Frank, Pozzo in Waiting For Godot and Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof.
His plays, The Apple Tree, Soil and Broken Plates, all dealing with identity, loss and the Greek-Cypriot Diaspora, have been critically acclaimed both locally and internationally. Renos is Head of Arts & Culture / Dramatic Arts at King David High School Victory Park where he has directed the school’s annual musicals which include Grease, A Chorus Line, Objects In The Rear-View Mirror, Footloose, Ploutos (Naledi award nomination - Best Director) and Hairspray. He is also a Part Time Lecturer in Directing at the University of Pretoria (UP) and is the Arts & Culture / Creative Arts Facilitator for the WitsPlus Teacher Training Part-Time Course.
As a passionate advocate for theatre and the arts, Renos brings his significant expertise to bear as initiator and lead facilitator of JATA’s Acting for Adults Programme.
Kiruna Lind Dewar matriculated from The National School of the Arts as Top Dance Learner, but she is a shining example of the true triple threat talent - singing, dancing and acting her way to acclaim on local and international stages.
Her theatre credits include Saturday Night Fever (2016) which earned her a Naledi Nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical as well as the national and international touring productions of Joseph and the Amazing Tecnicolor Dreamcoat (2017), Evita (2017/18) and The Phantom of the Opera, where she played Meg Giry (2019/20). Kiruna has been a featured performer in The Big Production’s Simply Broadway (2017/2021), My Favourite Things (2018/19), The Man and the Mouse (2019) and Disney in the Park (20/21). Kiruna played Bird in Tom Coash’s Thin Air (2018/2020) and has featured in the Janice Honeyman pantomimes: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White which earned her a second Naledi Nomination for Best Actress in a Musical – for the role of Snow White, as well as the title role in Cinderella (2021). She has most recently been seen across stages in South Africa and abroad as Roxy in an international touring production of Chicago to great acclaim!
Apart from being a qualified Usui Reiki Master and opening her own practice Ki – Reiki and Readings at The Pink Room, Kiruna-Lind is also a very accomplished singer/songwriter and loves to share her passion for song and singing with the students at JATA.
Tdrinda Woods started her music studies at the age of four and is now an accomplished marimba, piano and violin soloist. As part of larger ensembles, she has worked with esteemed musicians including Pienaar Fourie – as soloist on marimba with the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra, Richard Cock, Rexleigh Bunyard – as percussionist in her Opera Lost in Bluebell Wood, a Christmas production with Pretoria Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gerben Grooten, Sergio Zampolli, Ammarillie Ackermann and Carel Henn – as percussionist and occasional violinist with the Rand Symphony Orchestra. Tdrinda has performed as Symphonic Percussionist in the JSO, PSO, RSO, OFS and the JPO, where some of these performances were recorded and broadcast or streamed live for television and continues to enjoy performing with her mentor and music teacher Magdalena de Vries in their combined project, !Marimba Magic!
Tdrinda completed her piano studies and holds a Performance Diploma in Symphonic Percussion (ABRSM-UK). She possesses Violin qualifications from Trinity College London and in 2020, Tdrinda received a 100% pass for her LLCM (TD) qualification from the University of West London (LCM). Also in 2020 Tdrinda won two Akademia Music Awards for Best Classical Live Performance Video and Best Ambient / Instrumental Song. In 2021, she received the Akademia Music nomination as Artist Of The Year for Instrumentalists and won the Rising Star Award category.
Trinda is passionate about teaching and has attained several internationally accredited teaching courses. She understands that staying relevant in terms of teaching developments and methodologies is important and regularly attends teaching workshops and conferences. She holds a Child Psychology CEU certificate (USA), completed the Advanced Child Psychology course in Education (RSA) and has a specific interest in working with students with special educational needs. To this end she completed a certificate course with the University of Derby; Understanding Autism, Asperger’s & ADHD, in order to assist and provide support to such students. She gained certificate courses in Child Development (birth to six years) with the SEED Institute PTY LTD and uses this understanding of pre- and preparatory school students, alongside her knowledge of music therapy (certified CPD Music Therapy course), to assist students and parents.
In addition to all of the above, Tdrinda successfully completed an Events Management Course (RSA) and attained the Travel and Tourism Management and Travel & Tourism Practice Diploma from UNISA (RSA). Tdrinda is currently the Events Manager and Coordinator of the West Rand Music Foundation, she was also a fellow founder and Musical Director of the Western Ensemble®.
JATA welcomes Tdrinda as Piano and Violin teacher.
Gift Nwokorie is a Johannesburg-born vocalist with a background in performing arts, theatre, performance and music education.
Currently furthering her music qualifications and credentials, she brings both technical expertise and artistic sensitivity to her vocal coaching.
As a passionate vocal coach and teacher, Gift is committed to helping singers develop healthy technique, confidence and authentic expression.
Her structured, yet creative, approach empowers her students to reach their vocal goals while also honouring their unique sound.
