Lientjie Sothmann

Director of Choirs and A Capella groups
Director of Visual Arts & Design
Assistant Director of Vocals

Lientjie Sothmann started her career as a Language and Music teacher, but soon enough, her talent for creating music and art took her into new directions. She studied at the University of the Free State in a BA stream, majoring in Afrikaans-Dutch and Psychology, and took up her first position as a teacher in Riebeeckstad, Free State. She moved to Pretoria in 1997 and began Freestyle Dance exams at the Beverley Hammond Dance School. She spent 17 years in the coaching school, revue groups and smaller vocal groups.
She excelled from the classroom to Head of Culture at Hoërskool Eldoraigne, Centurion, where she was responsible for managing the cultural committee and organising concerts, musicals and cultural competitions such as Eldo Zing Vocal Competition, Eldo Kunstefees, the cultural concert with Helpmekaar College, Mnr & Mej Eldoraigne and Mamma Mia the Musical, to name a few.

She entered the first ATKV Crescendo Song writing Competition in 2006, where she was discovered as a newcomer songwriter by the South-African singer, Karin Hougaard, who recorded a single of her song, Jou Verhaal. Since then, Lientjie started writing songs for vocal duets and bands, such as Skarlaken Country Duo, who received a nomination for the best new Country Duo Album at the Ghoema Awards in 2017.
More vocal groups, such as Gravity 5, Nonstop and One Voice, produced albums written by her, and she was also the vocal coach and music director of these groups. Two of the original written songs of these groups ranked first on Whoza Radio Station in the Netherlands. She also wrote an anthem, Die Blinkste Ster, for Hoërskool Eldoraigne, which was received very well in the community. She recently wrote a new song, Sonder Vrees, recorded and sung by Dodo, who received the award for Best Newcomer Single at the African Indie Awards in 2022.
As a former judge of the UP STUKO A Cappella Competition, she was approached to coach two UP-houses in 2022 and 2023 who went through to the finals of the UP STUKO A Cappella Competition.
Writing songs recently grew into a serious profession for Lientjie, and with vocal training received from Ina Wiegand, Ona Ackermann and Christopher Vale, she recently started writing for herself under the stage name, Alene. Some of her songs, I’ll Be True, a duet with MJ Kellerman and Miracle, were broadcast on Bosveld Stereo and her music video, Alien Birth, can be seen on YouTube.

Lientjie joined the creative production team of Ruth the Musical under the direction of Ferdinand W. Gernandt in May 2025. In the role of Music Director, she took on the responsibility of vocal arrangements and coaching.

In August 2025, she entered the ATKV Andante Music Competition with a newly written song, Sterrenagkombers, in the categories, Vocal Duet and Original Songs, where she walked away with the title of Overall Winner of the competition with this song.
She also performed as a solo vocalist with her own original songs at KKNK in Oudtshoorn, Western Cape at the end of March, 2026.

Visual Arts and Design
Her career in the visual arts began in high school, where she matriculated with Visual Arts as a subject. She took up her first position as a teacher in Riebeeckstad, Free State. There, she also started an extracurricular art studio for learners from the school and the surrounding area.
She moved to Centurion in 1997 and completed a course in Visual Arts at The Open Window Art Academy. She presented various workshops in illustration, oil and acrylic painting, as well as linocut printing for both young and old. Her love for art also expanded to creating marionettes, with which she and a colleague—who shared the same passion for the arts and theatre—entertained preschools in the area.
She taught Creative Arts as a subject at Laerskool Bakenkop, and in 2013, she was appointed as a teacher at Hoërskool Zwartkop, Centurion, where she taught Visual Arts and Design for grades 10 and 11. She resigned from education in 2015 to begin her own studio.
Lientjie has adjudicated at various arts festivals, including Hoëveld Eisteddfod in Secunda, Artistatue and SA Legends of the Arts in Pretoria. She also offered after-hours classes for homeschool learners, as well as matric students taking Visual Arts who required practical classes. Her students consistently achieved distinctions across the board.
She is currently the owner of ArtsAlive Studios and offers artist development and vocal training from beginners to experienced soloists and groups, as well as visual art classes on demand. She is also the conductor of a primary school choir and the founder and director of the Afrikaans vocal competition, SingSterre, which launched in 2025.

Wanya Downing

Director of Dance and Drama

Wanya Downing has been teaching dance for 20years. She completed her degree in Human Movement Science in 2006 & Postgraduate degree in intermediate & senior phase.

She choreographed numerous productions/shows, participated with her dancers overseas and in numerous dance competitions, is a well-known judge in the industry, and is the Director of A-Arts Dance Organization. She has a passion for dance, and through dedication and hardwork she is proud to be part of the A-Arts Syllabus for the Modern Style.

Life’s motto: The sky is the limit!

Denise van Dyk

Director of Music & Vocal Syllabus

I was born in Pretoria and raised in a home where music was a very important part of my development.
This is where my passion for music was cultured and I ended up teaching music for the rest of my life.
I started music late, when I was already 12 years old.

I was born in Pretoria and raised in a home where music was a very important part of my development.
This is where my passion for music was cultured and I ended up teaching music for the rest of my life.
I started music late, when I was already 12 years old.
I won a Junior Professional course that allowed me 3 lessons per week at the Conservatorium for music while I was still in high school.
I auditioned for B.mus degreee at Tuks and was accepted. Studying for 4 years.
Here, I completed my HED diploma in one year.
With a passion for music, I taught even before I graduated from the School for Art, Ballet and Music, which later became Pro Arte Alphen Park, as well as at several other schools.
The main instruments which I teach are the flute and piano.
My specialities lie in composition and ensemble work.

Extra achievements and organisational skills.
Several special teacher awards for outstanding tuition for piano, flute and theory by Unisa.
Founder and organizer of A- Arts National Festival for Music, Dance and Drama since 2000 www.artisticulta.co.za
Founder and organizer of Rising to Fame Final Festival for Music, Dance and Drama since 2017. At the Wild Coast Casino www.artisticulta.co.za
http://rtfm.artisticulta.co.za, http://rtfmd.artisticulta.co.za
Organizer of the Arnold Classic Africa International Music Festival.

Experience
40 years of practical individual lessons in piano and flute from beginner to advanced level (grade 8). Unisa, ABRSM, Trinity College for Music
Recorder tuition up to grade 1 level.
Theory lessons individually or in groups up to grade 6 level, Unisa, ABRSM, Trinity College of Music Examinations
30 Years of entering pupils for the above-mentioned exams, resulting in multiple distinctions and special awards.
30 years plus experience of entering pupils for Music competitions and Eisteddfods. (Pretoria, Centurion and Beeld Eisteddfods as well as Artisticulta and a-Arts festivals).