Daniel Keyser is a 14-year-old Cape Town dancing star who received a scholarship to attend the American Academy of Ballet’s Summer School in New York.
Supplied/Lise-Marie Keyser
- Daniel Keyser, a 14-year-old dancer from Cape Town, has earned a 65% scholarship to attend the prestigious American Academy of Ballet’s summer school in New York.
- Despite facing bullying in primary school for being a male dancer, Daniel has achieved remarkable success in 2025, earning multiple golds in various competitions.
- His adoptive mother, Lisa-Marie Keyser, wants to give him his dream to travel to the US in July, and has raised 80% of her goal to pay for the travel expenses.
A passion for ballet, which 14-year-old Daniel Keyser has had since childhood, has earned the Cape Town dancing star the opportunity to attend the American Academy of Ballet’s summer school in New York.
Daniel, who attends Parel Vallei High School in Somerset West, began dancing at the age of five. He also secured many dancing roles from a young age.
“I first started with gymnastics but didn’t really like it. Then my sister started doing ballet, and I watched one of her classes – and I knew this was where I wanted to be.”
After many years of dreaming of dancing on Broadway, Daniel has now been awarded a 65% scholarship to attend the American Academy of Ballet’s (AAB) summer school in New York.
The programme is internationally recognised and offers rigorous, highly respected ballet training and is seen as a stepping stone for young dancers who want a professional career.
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Daniel said he was “super excited” when he got the news that he received the scholarship to attend the academy, adding that what he did was more than just dancing to him.
“I’ve just always wanted to ‘move’ – and I’ve always loved watching musicals on stage and on TV.”
He said one of his favourite memories was being cast as Fritz in The Nutcracker at the State Theatre when he was six years old.
The internationally recognised summer school in New York offers rigorous ballet training and is widely regarded as a stepping stone for young dancers pursuing professional careers.
Supplied/Lise-Marie Keyser
Daniel added that one of his favourite recent memories was taking part in the Elements of Dance competition in Camps Bay last year, which was his first official dance competition.
He has been a member of the Rhapsody Centre of Performing Arts since 2024 under the guidance of his teacher, Antoinette de Villiers-Bierman. He started to compete in Western Cape dance competitions in 2025, where he earned several awards, including:
- Gold for his lyrical solo at the Move! dance competition.
- Pro-gold for his musical theatre solo at the Elements of Dance competition.
- Platinum for his lyrical solo at the Association of International Dance Teachers’ dancer of the year event.
Daniel qualified for every competition he entered at the national level but could not travel across the country due to financial constraints.
He has also achieved brilliant results in his dance exams, including a 95% distinction in classical ballet Grade 5 with the Dance Academy of South Africa and a 97% top achievement in his grade with the Association of International Dance Teachers exam.
This year, he achieved a 95% lyrical solo score and the best male performer award at the Elements of Dance competition.
Daniel has performed in theatre productions, including The Nutcracker at the State Theatre in Pretoria, where he played the role of Fritz at the age of six.
Even though he has had growing success in ballet, Daniel said there were moments earlier in his journey as a dancer that tested his confidence and resilience.
He said:
Sometimes it’s been hard because South African culture doesn’t really support boys dancing, so I’ve had my fair share of bullying in primary school.
“Now that I’m in high school and really strong and fit, that doesn’t happen anymore.”
He added that his dreams for the future were to be both on stage and behind the scenes.
“My dream is to start as a stage performer, grow into a choreographer and eventually become a director/producer on international shows.”
At every competition, Daniel has qualified to compete at the national level.
Supplied/Lise-Marie Keyser
Daniel’s adoptive mother, Lise-Marie Keyser, said his dedication and hard work were what stood out to her.
“His absolute commitment, since that first day he walked into his first ballet class. Even now, he is constantly practising difficult moves at home for hours on end until he gets them right.
“When Daniel was invited to the AAB audition last year, we thought it was a compliment and an opportunity to gain some experience, but we never thought he would actually be accepted into the programme [because he is so young], much less be awarded a scholarship.”
Keyser described how Daniel got awarded the scholarship: “The audition entailed a two-hour ballet class presented by Iain MacDonald [from Joburg Ballet].
“The scholarship was decided by Laurence Kaplan [the executive director of the AAB], who watched the audition live via streaming from NYC (New York City).”
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She said she started a BackaBuddy campaign to help cover the travel and visa costs, which the scholarship did not cover, adding that the trip was expensive as it coincided with the FIFA World Cup, which is happening at the same time as the summer school.
Keyser said: “If possible, we would also love to give him the opportunity to see the Tony award-winning rap musical Hamilton live.”
Supporters of the campaign shared their heartfelt messages on the BackaBuddy website.
The Kohly family said: “Well done, Daniel! We are so excited for you!”
Supporter Janelie Kruger added: “The world is your oyster, Daniel!”
The BackaBuddy campaign has raised R47 432, which is 79% of the R60 000 goal.
Before heading out to New York in July, David will be taking part in the World Lyrical Dance Federation competition in Durbanville, Cape Town, in June.
Supporters are encouraged to continue contributing by donating to this BackaBuddy campaign.
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