Leap of faith: Nigerian boy captivates the world with his ballet

LAGOS Gracefully spinning among a group of dancers clad in pink, 11-year-old Anthony Mmesoma Madu stands out in black leggings, a white turtleneck and poise beyond his years.

His parents in Lagos, Nigeria’s teeming lagoon city, wanted him to become a priest. Instead, he has captivated millions with his ballet.

“When I am dancing, I feel as if I am on top of the world,” he told Reuters.

A video of him dancing barefoot in the rain on concrete outside the studio where he trains, the Leap of Dance Academy, went viral last month.

More than 15 million people have watched his joyful leaps and pirouettes, undeterred by the rain and coarse surface.

The video caught the eye of the elite American Ballet Theatre, which gave him a scholarship and arranged internet access for virtual training this summer.

Next year, he will train in the United States on a scholarship from Ballet Beyond Borders.

“When my friends see me dancing, they feel like, what is this boy doing, is he doing a foreign dance?” he said. “Now I have won a grand prize to go to the U.S. … I will be in the plane and this is what I am waiting for, and ballet has done it for me.”

The video also sparked a flood of donations to the academy, which teaches its students for free. Founder Daniel Ajala Owoseni said he will use the money, and fame, to promote ballet in Nigeria, a country where it is not yet widely practised.

“I saw the need to bring a form of art that shows discipline, dedication and commitment,” he said. “Students who are able to learn all of these can … transfer (them) into other spheres of their lives.”

Also Watch

CNN News18 Accesses Rhea’s Brother Showik Chakraborty’s Bank Statement | CNN News18

(Additional reporting by Angela Ukomadu in Lagos; Writing By Libby George; Editing by Alexis Akwagyiram and Mike Collett-White)

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor


Array
(
[videos] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[id] => 5f2d6221cc17de12942f65e6
[youtube_id] => 9HWDv8kX-Ek
Leap of faith: Nigerian boy captivates the world with his ballet => CNN News18 Accesses Rhea’s Brother Showik Chakraborty’s Bank Statement | CNN News18
)

[1] => Array
(
[id] => 5f2d6221cc17de12942f65e5
[youtube_id] => XDuZgZazJyg
Leap of faith: Nigerian boy captivates the world with his ballet => Rhea Chakraborty Refuses To Give Property Documents To Enforcement Directorate | CNN News18
)

)

[query] => https://pubstack.nw18.com/pubsync/v1/api/videos/recommended?source=n18english&channels=5d95e6c378c2f2492e2148a2,5d95e6c278c2f2492e214884,5d96f74de3f5f312274ca307&categories=5d95e6d7340a9e4981b2e10a&publish_min=2020-08-04T14:18:02.000Z&publish_max=2020-08-07T14:18:02.000Z&sort_by=date-relevance&order_by=0&limit=2
)

Speak Your Mind

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Get in Touch

350FansLike
100FollowersFollow
281FollowersFollow
150FollowersFollow

Recommend for You

Oh hi there 👋
It’s nice to meet you.

Subscribe and receive our weekly newsletter packed with awesome articles that really matters to you!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

You might also like

Roland Emmerich’s ‘Moonfall’ Adds Stanley Tucci And John Bradley

Los Angeles: Actors Stanley Tucci and John Bradley are the latest additions to the...

How to Watch RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 Online...

Start your engines! RuPaul’s Drag Race is back for Season 15, And it’s...

Happy Birthday Kay Kay Menon: Gritty Roles of the...

Krishnakumar Menon, popularly known as Kay Kay Menon, celebrates his birthday on October 2....

Jude Law, Naomie Harris Confront Creepy Rituals in ‘The...

Jude Law and Naomie Harris play travelers who end up sucked into the mysterious...