Lorna Maseko Slow Down For What?

Ballet dancer. TV star. Celebrity chef. Entrepreneur. Will not be stopped.

- Wanita Nicol

Lorna Maseko pushes my attempted handshake out of the way and swoops in. “I’m a hugger,” she declares. “Nice to meet you.” It’s the day of Lorna’s cover shoot and she proceeds to hug her way around the room, before settling into the make-up chair, one foot propped up on the counter.

The 35-year-old is casually dressed in tracksuit pants, a baggy T-shirt, camo jacket and plakkies – an almost jarring departure from the glam onscreen persona we’re used to. If on camera Lorna is the face of success, this make-up-free, behind-the-scenes version is the woman who built it.

SETTING THE STAGE FOR SUCCESS

Lorna grew up in the Joburg township of Alexandra, the daughter of a receptionist mom and a taxi owner dad. She has two older sisters and a younger brother and none of her family are involved in the arts. “I remember my mom put my pointe shoes in the washing machine ’cause she thought they were dirty,” Lorna recalls. “You don’t put pointe shoes in the washing machine!”

Lorna didn’t dream of being a ballerina as a little girl – it was just a default primary-school extramural. “They gave us the choice between karate and ballet and I wasn't a fighter, so I looked at karate and thought, ‘I’m not doing that; I don’t want to get hit’ and I chose ballet.” Turns out, she was good at it. Really good. The little girl who didn’t want to do karate went on to become SA’s first black principal ballet dancer.