Since the age of three, Hannah Rudnicki has had a love of dance. This year, at 25, she opened her own dance studio in King David Linksfield’s new sports complex. Rudnicki did ballet, modern, tap, and hip-hop all through her childhood. She was 11 when she met singer, dancer, and actress Talia Kodesh, also a King David alumnus, and it cemented Rudnicki’s desire to perform. Kodesh “took her under her wing” and taught her everything she needed to know about dance, performing, running a business, and a work ethic. After completing school, Rudnicki enrolled at Oakfields College in Pretoria, where she obtained her diploma in musical theatre and dance in 2019, and moved on to performing in various productions. However, like so many performers, Rudnicki’s career come to a halt because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I needed to do something as the theatre industry was struggling and no shows were being put on at that time,” she said. “I decided to post dance classes on Facebook so children could have classes at home.” From there, she realised she had a real aptitude as a teacher, and was approached by Cabaret Kids to teach musical theatre. She taught there for two years while still performing. Rudnicki was teaching dance at Roedean High School for two years, when she was approached by her alma mater, King David Linksfield, to open a dance school in its new sports complex. H21 Dance Studio opened in January this year, and already has more than 100 students coming to classes in many styles including jazz, contemporary, musical theatre, hip-hop, modern, stretch, strength, technique, and lyrical. Said Rudnicki, “H21 Dance isn’t just a dance studio, it’s a safe space and a dance family for all levels. I teach from the heart and ensure that every dancer reaches their full potential. “In a performer’s life you go through many disappointments, as there are many ‘no’s’ that you will receive at auditions and throughout your career. I teach my students that when they don’t come first place or can’t master a step yet, this is when the hard work starts, this is when you work even harder and then you can turn around and say, ‘Well done for giving it my best shot.’” Rudnicki will always remember the first time she set foot in her studio and the pride she felt when she knew that she could cultivate an environment fuelled by the love of dance. Rachel Smith Rachel Smith, 18, has loved water from the time she was a baby, and swimming is an activity that brings tranquillity and comfort. This King David Linksfield matric student has used her love of the water to soar in competitive swimming on a provincial and national level, achieving things she didn’t believe she could do through hard work and dedication. Smith surprised onlookers as this year’s Midmar Mile when she swam in the top 10 alongside women who competed in the Olympics. She has been selected for Central Gauteng Aquatics, and will be representing the province in the SA National Open Water Championships in Jeffreys Bay in March. She was also selected for the South African National Junior Championships. Smith lives by the saying, “Day by day, we get better and better, until we can’t be beat, we won’t be beat.” “Swimming at provincial and national level is extremely difficult and competitive,” she said. “The number of hours, years of training, dedication, and commitment it takes compared to other sports is unique. I have morning training at 05:00 followed by afternoon or evening training six days a week. “My biggest challenge has been managing my swimming training, my school day, and the academic goals I have set for myself. Training six days a week, sometimes twice a day, and still studying, was achieved by becoming expert at time management and prioritising what’s important.” Smith said davening daily helps keep her grounded. “I always thank Hashem,” she said. “I like to lead by example as I’m a quiet person. I talk through my actions. My results are more than 90% hard work, belief, and sacrifice. I hope other people see that in their chosen fields: put in the work silently, hour after hour, day after day, and the results are initially slow and gradual until you shine.” Smith takes each achievement as it comes, as she knows the hard work it warrants, but she has also encountered more disappointments than anyone knows. Nevertheless, she keeps pushing to do better than the last time. “Each achievement was preceded by countless hours of work and lots of disappointments,” she said. Smith recalls the immense pride she felt on standing on the podium after winning gold at the Maccabi Games in the junior women’s 1 500m open water swim in 2022. She’s a firm believer that anything is possible, and in not allowing obstacles to get in her way. She believes swimming will always be a fundamental part of who she is, but is seeking a career in medicine so that she can help those who haven’t had the same opportunities as herself. Ben Stein When Ben Stein started Ben’s Bubble Tea as a pop-up shop in Melrose Arch in March 2021, he never dreamed that in less than four years, he would be overseeing 17 stores across South Africa and Bahrain. Stein entered the niche market of bubble tea or boba with very little business knowledge and no experience in the food and beverage industry. He saw a gap in the South African market for bubble tea, which he described as a booming industry overseas. He was faced with his first major hurdle when winter and the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic hit him hard in July 2021, just months after he launched. “I vividly recall sitting with my staff member under the gazebo in the cold at 21:30, having worked since 10:00. The prospect of spending my weekend working in the cold, not making but rather losing money, was a truly humbling and challenging experience,” he said. This experience lit a fire under Stein, and pushed him to grow his business. In the three years since, he has expanded his business to becoming the largest bubble tea brand in South Africa, with 17 locations nationwide and two in Bahrain. Through a franchise model, he has enabled 12 entrepreneurs to open their own business, employing 58 people. As the managing director of the Ben’s Bubble Tea Group, he ensures that all employees have important skills, development, and training. “I’m deeply involved in all aspects of the business,” Stein said. “This includes overseeing franchisees, enhancing and developing our menu, securing new store locations, refining operations and systems, directing marketing efforts, ensuring store design consistency, and much more.” Although being a leader may seem glamorous, “it’s demanding and comes with high expectations and can be stressful”, he said. He learned this lesson when in late 2023, Ben’s Bubble Tea was expanding rapidly and opening new stores and he realised that he “lacked quality control measures and checklists to ensure that each store operated at its full potential. We had to revamp a few underperforming stores and even let go of some managers due to these oversights.” Stein was able to turn this around quickly, and got the business back on track. He believes his biggest challenge has been “managing relationships with franchisees, managers, and staff members. I navigate conflicts and disagreements daily.” However, he knows that “thoughtful disagreement is preferable to a culture of blind agreement”. Stein said that though he has made many mistakes over the years, he knows they are an important way to move forward so that he never settles for mediocrity. He hopes to continue to expand Ben’s Bubble Tea to more locations across South Africa, which will open the door to a store in America, his dream since day one. Hannah Rudnicki Ichikowitz Family Foundation Rising Star Award Nominees
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