Mballet is a small dance academy in the Winnie Mandela section of Thembisa township in South Africa. It was created not just to teach ballet but to open doors in a community where resources are few and dreams often feel out of reach

Phill Magakoe/AFP/Getty Images

Main image: Philasande Ngcobo, five, left, and Yamihle Gwababa, five, hold hands outside the academy. Photograph: Phill Magakoe/AFP/Getty Images

Thu 31 Jul 2025 16.48 CEST

Last modified on Thu 31 Jul 2025 16.57 CEST