Meet Danny M. Jones: Power, grace and gumption in motion
Back in the day I used to watch this big-haired beauty flow around the school halls with so much laughter and tenacity. Her energy was unmatched. And when she hit the stage, whether it be a dance showcase or the much-anticipated dance segment of those high school fashion shows we all know too well, she was fire. With every clap, stomp, lock and roll, she hypnotised any audience. It was her passionate spirit that really got people up from their chairs and ready to bust a move too.
Who was she? Our very own January cover star, Danny M. Jones – the fiercest, feistiest mover and shaker I’ve ever met and had the privilege of tearing up a few house party dance floors with. Seeing Danny in studio for the first time in years (without her signature curly fro, mind you!) brought the biggest smile to my face. She’s always just been ‘that girl’ who instantly brings sass and positive vibes into any space…
Walking the line
“Look, knowing how to go about life with confidence in the body I was born with has been a very challenging journey. I came to know dance as an art form when I was four. The first dance genre I was introduced to was ballet. I continued learning and training in this genre until I was 20 years old. My journey as a ‘kind-of-a’ ballet dancer is complex and uncomfortable for the most part,” she admits.
“Despite most of my training at formal institutions being ballet, I never truly felt that I progressed in this genre. Oftentimes I felt inadequate and out of place, both within the classroom and the art form. These thoughts mainly occurred when I was a teenager and struggling to find my identity. However, my mother created a space that would change my beliefs about how I saw myself and ballet.”
A former anti-apartheid activist, Danny’s mother created the Afrika Ablaze Transformation Through Dance Company (Ablaze) in 1999, as a space for the marginalised and underprivileged youth to develop artistry, confidence and life skills through dance that empowered them to become leaders.
“I was five years old when I began training at Ablaze, which was on weekends. It felt like a time and a space for me to let go and explore different dance styles. Given that my mother taught herself how to dance, she began encouraging me to start experimenting with movement.”
Danny and her mom, the local legend that is Glenda Jones, are like the Diana and Tracee Ellis Ross of the South African dance world. Honestly. Together, along with Danny’s older sister Cindy and brothers Rikki and Gino, they’ve created a legacy of talent, hard work and being unapologetically fabulous! To date, Danny and her mom have put on some of the best dance shows in Cape Town, while doing community work with various schools.
“When I was 14 years old, my mom asked me to start teaching them Ablaze dancers ballet because she had no ballet training and couldn’t do it herself. I said that I felt that I am not the best person to teach ballet because I didn’t feel that I could demonstrate the ballet technique very well, but my mother continued to encourage me,” Danny says.
She started with teaching basic ballet techniques, such as the first to fifth positions, posture and simplistic exercises, and the movements she could not achieve to extreme degrees, such as the developés and wide turn-outs during pliés. “I started to change and create abstract ways of performing these movements. I called my type of ballet classes at Ablaze ‘Broken Ballet’. Like with the game, Broken Telephone, where the message is ‘broken’ and completely changed in the end, I too felt like I was ‘breaking’ the technique of ballet. And it is through this process that I began discovering my love for creating my own style, and thus started my choreographic journey.”
Becoming a choreographer has prompted Danny to understand herself on a deeper level. Exploring her creativity, she learned how to tell stories through movement, articulating her self-expression.
Danny has trained in many other styles, such as modern dance, jazz, hip-hop, African dance, African contemporary, contemporary flamenco, tap, cabaret, kwaito and pop – all of which she now fuses and draws inspiration from when creating her style and way of moving.
“I have grown to love my body and now know dance not only as an art form, but as a way of life,” she asserts.
Go-getter unleashed
Danny’s resumé is quite accomplished. She has a Bachelor of Music in Dance (for teaching), a Bachelor of Music Honours specialising in Dance and a Master of Arts specialising in Theatre and Performance, all of which she obtained at the University of Cape Town. She is also a certified group exercise instructor specialising in aerobics, stretch and tone through ETA College, and is currently pursuing her PhD in Dance at the University of the Western Cape. Now that’s a mouthful!
With every success, she continues to pay it forward, working with underprivileged communities by hosting fundraisers and free dance workshops, and recently assisting with the Education Africa International Marimba & Steelpan Festival. ‘Transformation Through Dance’, the slogan and ethos of Ablaze, has made a huge impact in her life.
“Following in the footsteps of my mother, I have always wanted to help transform the lives of others – not only through dance, but also in the energy I carry and transfer to others. That is, and will always be, my goal: to uplift, to inspire, and to help those I have the privilege and honour of teaching to feel confident and empowered,” she says.
“This is all part of the crucial work still needed to be done to undo the ramifications of apartheid, as its legacy still lingers in many spaces, and to assist in creating a world that is able to acknowledge the past and ensure that history never repeats itself by educating the youth, and then empowering them to know that their lives matter. This is the side of history that I want to be part of.”
One of the biggest moments in her career was when Danny posted a video on World Dance Day in 2023, with the Wynberg High School students, that went viral. Moonchild Sanelly, DJ Lag, Lupita Nyong’o and Parris Goebel all gave the video the recognition it deserved. More standouts include working with Miley Cyrus (2019) and Sauti Sol (2020).
Fit ’n fierce
When your career involves so much movement and being active, staying physically fit and healthy is much like keeping your tools sharpened at the end of the day. This is why Danny prioritises her health holistically. “It is an ongoing journey, and I am a work in a progress. I have always been fit but not always healthy. When it comes to having true health, you have to ensure that you are not only physically fit and healthy, but mentally, emotionally and spiritually healthy too. And the latter is hard work,” she says.
“To maintain a healthy lifestyle, I focus on a few things. I pray throughout the day, giving thanks and asking for guidance where needed. I ensure that I get some form of movement meditation in daily, so that I am fully present and aware of myself and others. I try to surround myself with people who I love and those who love me back. I am firmer with my boundaries and am conscious about who I let into my life and personal space.
“I make a conscious effort to eat foods that do not cause any discomfort in my body, and try to fuel it with as much nutrient-dense foods as possible. And I try to include at least one hour of exercise a day so that my body can remain agile – it also helps with balancing my emotions, because I’m quite the emotional girl,” she laughs.
When she’s not reading, writing and busy trying to complete her PhD, Danny loves getting a little yoga in or going for a long walk in nature.
“I have come to love and appreciate this practice so much in the past year as it has helped bring balance and peace into my oftentimes stressful work schedule. And nature is my happy place! My mother and I always aim to go every day if possible – we love a long walk, but we also love a long chat! So, it is the best of both worlds,” she smiles.
She also teaches dance fitness classes twice a week at a gym, where she does a variety of genres in one session – from hip-hop to kwaito to salsa, some partner work, and even improvisational sessions.
“Fitness through dance is an absolute joy and is great fun because it does not feel like you are working out… it feels like a party for the most part! I have recently started playing tennis once a week, with the guidance of my brother, which I am really loving at the moment. And I’d like to add weight and resistance training back into my weekly schedule.”
Getting real about self-acceptance, loving her body, and reaching the once-dreaded 30, Danny shows an acute awareness of the fact that who she is is not just a ‘body’ but a human being, constantly evolving.
“What I have learned is that I am not only my body, which is something that is not always easy to realise – given that a huge part of my career, and the industry I am in, has mainly focused on the body and its physical appearance and capabilities. On the days where I feel low within myself and my body, I let those feelings in and embrace them,” she admits.
“I am flawed and that is okay. And I am never perfect, nor will I ever be. I do not always feel pretty and beautiful and confident, and sometimes I love those days even more because then I focus on the internal work. Some of my most creative days have happened when I felt my absolute worst, because I was not focused on my external appearance or my body. As long as I remain kind to myself, and respect my body, as well as my heart, my mind and my soul, then I think I will be okay.”
Uplifting people is a huge part of who Danny is as a woman and human being. Her advice to others is to accept and embrace: “Know and acknowledge both your good and bad qualities. Nurture your good traits, and focus on healing and undoing the qualities that prevent and block you from being a decent and kind human being… Focus on your healing journey and never stop, because once you begin to heal, you will be free.”
Fast facts
- Real Name: Danielle-Marie Jones
- Birthday: 18 October 1994
- Star Sign: Libra
- Home Town: Cape Town
Rapid Q&A
- Dance Icon: Michael Jackson.
- Go-To Fashion Staple: Sculpted black tights and black tank top – emphasis on sculpted!
- A Song That Always Gets You Going: ‘Young Hearts Run Free by Candi Staton. The version by Kym Mazelle (from 1996 film Romeo + Juliet) is incredible as well.
- A Quote You Live By: “The doors to the world of the wild Self are few but precious. If you have a deep scar, that is a door; if you have an old, old story, that is a door. If you love the sky and the water so much you almost cannot bear it, that is a door. If you yearn for a deeper life, a full life, a sane life, that is a door.” – Clarissa Pinkola Estés in Women Who Run With the Wolves.
Keep up with Danny
Facebook: Ayana / Afrika Ablaze
Instagram: @danny_mjones
TikTok: @dannymjones
Words by Chandre Emma Kippie
Photography: Zhann Solomons
Photograph assistants: Austin Taylor & Yaseer Abdul
Styling: Mia-Tess Smith
Styling assistants: Calista Da Luz & Sibulele Tshangela
Hair & Makeup: SJ Tatute/Supernova
