Christelle Dreyer caused a sensation when she appeared on the cover of CPUT’s Grad Mag in 2015.
Since then, she’s been inspiring and educating audiences across the country with her strength, focus and resilience.
Born with a condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Christelles’ bones are very brittle and she uses a wheelchair to support her petite frame. Though small in stature, Dreyers’ achievements are huge.
Having completed her BTech in Graphic Design in 2008, she now works freelance as a graphic designer, but her true passion is dance. Amongst her many titles, Dreyer won the World Championships in Holland in Ballroom and Latin American dance in 2007.
More recently, Dreyer has been performing No Fun Ction All anguage, produced by the Chaeli Campaign and funded by the National Lottery Commission. She says the Chaeli Campaign stresses the importance of diversity and inclusion and how society can benefit from the lessons that can be taught by differently-abled people.
“The production features a diverse group of collaborators who challenge mainstream narratives around communication, ability, access and inclusivity. It takes a microscopic look at the in-between spaces where words fail us – where we desperately search for meaning – between vowels, consonants and silences.”
The work has been performed at the Masque Theatre, Family OBS Festival and the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown and parts of it can be seen here:
Dreyer also works with a non-profit called WOW, who use arts and culture to teach impoverished children about their creativity. Her old wheelchair is reaching the end of its functionality and she is raising funds for the design and manufacture of a new specially-adapted wheelchair. Please click on this link if you would like to help this incredible alumnus: http://www.fundfind.co.za/projects/666-christelle-s-wheelchair-project
Written by Janyce Weintrob
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