Nigerian ballet dancer Anthony Madu has called for a change in perceptions around ballet in Nigeria, saying it is “a shame” that the art form is not widely accepted as something boys or men can pursue.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE News on Friday, the dancer—whose viral video in 2020 catapulted him onto the international stage—reflected on how cultural attitudes almost stifled his dream.
He stated, “Here in Nigeria it’s not really seen as something that guys can do. And it’s just kind of a bit of a shame, really, because you shouldn’t stop someone from doing something that they want to do because you don’t think it’s right.”
Madu’s rise to prominence began when a video of him dancing barefoot in the streets of Lagos captured global attention. That moment led to a scholarship at the Elmhurst Ballet School in the United Kingdom and opened doors to collaborations with Disney and recognition on international stages.
Madu’s journey has been immortalised in the Emmy-winning documentary “Madu” directed by Joel “Kachi” Benson and Matt Ogens, underscoring the very barriers he seeks to challenge. The film, which captured his rise from the streets of Lagos to the world stage, highlights how his passion for ballet has defied stereotypes and brought global attention to a discipline still seen in Nigeria as “unfit” for men.
Reflecting on his journey, he said, “When I started doing ballet, I never really expected much because obviously, being in Nigeria, I was just solely based on doing what I love to do. And then making the video and then posting it and having it go viral was my first ever, like, wow moment. It was really, really surprising.
“And after the video, I just sort of thought that would have probably been kind of it. And after that, I received a call from Elmhurst asking me to visit the school, which I did, and then went over for about a month and got a scholarship to go to Elmhurst Ballet School, which is absolutely amazing. And also, Disney reached out. Actually, Mr. Kachi Benson came over to my dance studio, speaking about wanting to make a movie about me, which I was like, I was 11 then. So I kind of didn’t really know exactly what it really meant then. I was just like, oh, okay, why not? But it’s been a great journey since 2020 up until now. I’ve had a lot of fun. I’ve learned a lot of things.”
Madu hopes to challenge outdated beliefs and inspire more Nigerian boys to embrace ballet without fear of judgement. “And to be fair, I do guess it’s time to open a new dance studio to say that people can do ballet or men can do ballet,” he said.
Melissa Enoch
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