Nigerian dancer Benjamin Daniel, wey pipo sabi as Ben Dancer, dey try dance non-stop for seven days to set new world record. Di dancer dey aim for 168 hours, 41 hours longer than di current record for longest individual dance marathon. Guinness World Records never confirm whether di attempt qualify as official record. BBC don contact di organisation for comment.
Young pipo don dey gather for recent days to cheer am for Freedom Park in Lagos. Dem dey film every move and dance along from behind di barriers. ‘It’s a beautiful moment. Seeing how far he has come and witnessing him achieve this feat made me incredibly proud and grateful to God,’ Uche Anumudu, one of those watching, tell BBC.
Di current record na 127 hours, set by Indian dancer Srushti Sudhir Jagtap in 2023, when she be 16. Her performance focus mainly on kathak, one of India major classical dance forms.
Ben Dancer, 33, don dey dance professionally for 18 years. His attempt begin on Tuesday 22 September and, if he complete di planned 168 hours, he due reach his target early on Tuesday morning.
For much of di marathon, Ben Dancer don draw on Nigeria rich dance traditions as well as its fast-changing internet culture. Afrobeats don be constant presence, alongside genres including fuji, jazz and zouk. At times, he don swap his dance clothes for traditional Nigerian outfits, including di flowing agbada and dashiki.
Nigeria get more than 250 ethnic groups, with wide range of cultural traditions. Ben Dancer team talk say di performance intended to reflect that diversity, rather than simply test his physical endurance.
His team talk say he undergo intensive fitness training before di attempt, change him diet and focus on carbohydrates and cardiovascular conditioning. During di marathon, he dey eat lightly and drink fluids while taking di permitted five minutes of rest for every continuous hour of activity. Ben Dancer don choose to dance for several hours at a time before taking his accumulated rest. A medical team also dey present at Freedom Park to provide assistance when needed.
Di scene around am don become something like street party. Crowds of young pipo gather to cheer am. Videos from di attempt don go viral across social media platforms, drawing more pipo to di venue.
Moronumubo Akodu, wey don repeatedly visit to support Ben Dancer, talk say she impress by his determination but worry about di physical toll. ‘It is actually insane but I am so proud of him,’ she tell BBC.
Emmanuel Ulelu, wey visit di performance twice, talk say he notice striking change in di dancer energy. ‘On day two, you could see the stress,’ he talk. ‘Even after just three hours of dancing at the location myself, I wondered how he would keep going.’ But when he return 16 hours into day five, he talk say Ben Dancer appear more energetic than before. ‘It reminded me that we’re capable of doing unbelievable things when how badly we want something matches and surpasses the difficulty of achieving it,’ he talk.
Nigeria don also develop strong relationship with Guinness World Records, particularly for entertainment. In 2023, Nigerian chef Hilda Baci cook continuously for 93 hours and 11 minutes in Lagos, which Guinness officially recognise as new record. Her achievement spark surge of interest in record attempts in Nigeria, even though others don since surpass her. Guinness talk say e receive more than 1,500 new applications from di country within two months of her cook-a-thon, including events such as reading, singing, and crocheting.
Al Jazeera report am as 168 hours on di dance floor: Nigerian dancer chases Guinness World Record. Di dancer Benjamin Daniel Gabriel dey try dance for 168 hours straight. He dey take on di seven-day challenge for Lagos in bid to set Guinness World Record and put African dance on global stage.
ThisDay report by Vanessa Obioha talk say Benjamin Gabriel, wey pipo sabi as Bendancer, announce di 168-hour attempt to set Guinness World Records for longest dance marathon by individual. Di seven-day challenge scheduled to take place from September 21 to 27 at Freedom Park, Lagos, where Bendancer go attempt to dance continuously for 168 hours under Guinness World Records guidelines. Inspiro Productions dey support di attempt.
Bendancer talk say di attempt go beyond setting record, describing am as opportunity to inspire young creatives to pursue their ambitions with discipline and resilience. ‘Dance has shaped every part of who I am. This attempt isn’t just about breaking a record; it’s about showing young people that with discipline, resilience, and belief, what seems impossible can become reality,’ he talk. With more than 18 years of professional experience, Bendancer don work across choreography, creative direction, dance consultancy, modelling and fitness instruction. He also be founder of Bendancer Academy International, which dey train and mentor emerging dancers. He previously work with Made Kuti and The Movement and don perform at events including Felabration, Big Brother Naija finale and Trophy Stout International Festival.
