( CNN ) -- Andile Ndlovu is one of South Africa 's most prominent young ballet dancers , an international performer and award winner both at home and overseas . But for Ndlovu to be accepted into the rarefied world of classical dance -- which in South Africa is traditionally seen as an elitist and a predominantly white preserve -- the boy from the rough Soweto townships says he had to overcome outdated stereotypes . `` I used to be picked upon for the way I walk and the way I act or carry myself , '' he says of his time at school , where he became disparagingly known as `` the dude who did ballet . '' He even recalls his closest friends teasing him about the tights , shoes , underwear and sparkly clothes that he would have to wear during practice and on stage . But by remaining focused , diligent and passionate about dance , the young Ndlovu never let the jibes get him down and he continued to practice obsessively . In late 2008 , this perseverance was rewarded as he was offered a place at The Washington Ballet , one of the most prestigious dance companies in the United States . That year he shot to fame in a production of Don Quixote by the South Africa Ballet Theater . Now 23 , Ndlovu has gone on to win awards at the Boston and Cape Town International Ballet competitions , as well as securing prominent roles in numerous ballet productions across the world . This success , he hopes , will eventually enable him to change conventionally held views not only of black dancers but male ballet dancers in general . `` What I wanted was to change people 's minds in South Africa about black ballet dancers . I wanted to change that view , because everybody used to put it in a category for the elite people or , you know , it 's only for a certain racial group , '' he says . `` I [ want to ] set the bar for anybody else that 's coming , that 's growing up , that 's coming behind , and they will learn from my actions and what I do and hopefully I become a role model for them , especially South Africans , '' he adds .
Andile Ndlovu is a ballet dancer from the township of Soweto , South Africa . He says he has had to overcome racial stereotypes to become a ballet dancer . Ndlovu hopes he can become a role model for young dancers in Africa .