Charlize Theron announces exciting reason for absence from public eye — 'I'm thrilled'

Charlize Theron had a surprise up her sleeve on Monday and she couldn't wait to share the long-awaited news with fans. 

Taking to Instagram, the Hollywood star addressed the fact she's been noticeably absent from social media in recent weeks.

Confessing she has "a good excuse," Charlize revealed some major career news. 

Alongside some promotional photos, she wrote a lengthy caption that read: "I’ve been a bit MIA lately, but I have a good excuse I swear."

The actress then announced: "It’s because… I started a dance studio!"

You may also like

View post on Instagram 

Charlize explained: "Alongside my co-creators and incomparable icons Latrina Bolger-Washington & Tyrell Washington, we created The Six Compound!

"A place with a fresh perspective to the evolution and future of dance AND performance. A place where dancers/performers can express themselves in an inclusive and innovative space alongside the best teachers and choreographers in the business right now.

© Daniele Venturelli

"I’m thrilled to announce our first intensives, coming up this week on July 11 and 12 in Burbank! For dancers ages 8-18, this will be an epic two days of training, insight into the entertainment world and Q&As with top leading professionals."

She concluded: "Email to secure a spot, and follow us at @thesixcompound for more updates."

© Intagram

Fans flooded her with congratulatory messages and said they had no idea she was working on a project like this one. 

But given her background, the career path isn't an unlikely one. 

"I was a ballerina from the time I was four years old and I thought that's what I'd always do," she told magazine of her hopes of becoming a dancer. "I left South Africa at 16 and studied abroad and supported myself by modeling."

© Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images

She enrolled in the renowned Joffrey Ballet School in New York City but her dreams of becoming a prima ballerina were cut short by a knee injury.

"I soon realized that my career was over and my knees had said goodbye to me and I'd never thought of a plan B."

© Getty Images

Thankfully, her mother, Gerda, recognized another talent in her daughter. 

"She flew out to see me in December. It was freezing, and I was living in a basement with no windows eating Häagen-Dazs. I said to her 'I don't know what to do.' She said, 'You were never the best ballerina. Technically there were a lot of other girls way better than you, but when you were the dying swan, you were the [expletive]dying swan—that's your strong point'.

© Getty Images

"And it sounds so ridiculous, but she then said, 'You know, I hear they make those movies in Los Angeles, you should go. You don't want to be 80 and on your deathbed and wonder what could have been.' And boy, was she right. So I owe her a lot."

Sign up to HELLO Daily! for the best royal, celebrity and lifestyle coverage