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

Published 07/08/2020, 09:00
Updated 07/08/2020, 09:06

By Seun Sanni
LAGOS, Aug 7 (Reuters) - 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."

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