Meet 11-Year Old Nigerian Ballet Dancer Who Captured The Hearts Of Many - Trending W/Ojy Okpe

In Nigeria, The Leap of Dance Academy is changing that stereotype with an African flair! The academy has come into "limelight" all thanks to a viral video of one of its students, 11 year-old Anthony Mesoma Madu.
The uplifting video of Anthony dancing against all the "odds" in the rain attracted global fame for the young talent. He has now been featured in major news outlets and offered ballet scholarships, including one at the prestigious American Ballet Theater in New York.
ARISE News' @OjyOkpe met up with founder of The Leap of Dance Academy, Daniel Ajala, and spent a few hours with some of the students who shared their story.
#ARISENews #OjyOkpe #Ballet #TheLeapofDanceAcademy #AmericanBalletTheater #viralvideo #trending #AnthonyMesomaMadu #AnthonyMadu #DanielAjala #AfricanArt #AfricanBallet #BlackBallet #SwanLake #BlackBallerina #ballerinas #MistyCopeland #TundeEdnut #Instablog #Instablog9ja #breaking #violadavis #nigerianballerina #Balletbeautiful #MaryHelenBowers #nigerianballet #nigeria #nigerians #blackboyjoy #blackaf #blackgirlmagic #lagos #abuja #kano
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[@TheChristopherBlake1]

This story touched me deeply! I'm a 54 year old male & I have tears rolling down my face because I'm so Proud of theses kids . Thank you for covering this story. I'm sure this is only the beginning. Sincerely, Blake Mays

[@eka-eteololade710]

Kudos to the amazing ballet teacher. He has a wonderful dream. The use of African fabric!!! Great idea.

[@conniekreese7165]

The teacher is SELF TAUGHT wow

[@osasosasco2615]

This is the kind of things I want our tv channel not all this useless politicians who have cost us so much pain

[@johncoheno4934]

Congratulations from Kyrgyzstan. I'm so happy for him

[@katemoskovkina2257]

О, привет)

[@johncoheno4934]

@@katemoskovkina2257 хай)

[@bigmouthtv9893]

Tears 😢 on my eyes ...crying with joy for Anthony's success and career. I have always love sports but Nigeria slumped my sports career . I still feel the pain 😞. Tears of joy for the opportunities provided for the younger talent.

[@aribabe01]

Let’s start saving up so that we can go & watch Anthony at his 1st performance?

[@bayofat]

This is wonderful! What a proud mother of a great child, Anthony Madu. Proud parents of great Nigerians, Olawales, Ajalas, we are proud of you! God will keep and nurture you all to greatness. Mr Ajala, the future is bright. Ms Ojy Okpe and Arise News, thank you. This is media practice at it's best, investigative journalism, catching them young.

[@soodfamily3459]

Thus Girl is also Dancing so Beautiful

[@simisolaadetayo8937]

Having a supportive mother is the best thing that can happen to any child. As for the dance instructor Daniel ,May yhr good Lord bless his beautiful heart. God will grant you all your heart desires in Jesus name.

[@francodallasjones2214]

Let create an account for found raising for Ajala

[@alanaronald244]

This man is an angel.

[@paolabueso]

This story is incredibly inspiring! Each person interviewed is exemplary in their own right. Thank you so much for sharing this! 🙌🙌🙌

[@meleciagibson4773]

Amazing ,May God bless the teacher also..

[@bisib1789]

THIS IS GREAT MAGNIFIQUE THANK YOU BROTHER

[@chineduezimorah2858]

Very nice soon my daughter will show on social media on her training day.

[@hotstitch1]

Absolutely beautiful and fantastic. Brought tears to my eyes.

[@touchnot7334]

The guy should open a go fund me so people can donate for him to get a proper setting, we want them to put Nigeria on the world map, not only Bokoharam, bandits and Herdsmen story should only be Nigeria forefront story. I thank this media house for putting this story out there.

[@neocollective]

I did look it up and it says that their GoFundMe account organizer has disabled new donations (?)

[@smithcollins1626]

Sir.. this is first time I love ur courage..

[@frankehlig1856]

Bravo to them all

[@festustarzs5619]

Kudos to Ojy Okpe and d team

[@balogundamilola3476]

This dude seems to have done his research so well!!😳 The ladies couldn’t even say much😂

[@bayofat]

Impressive journalism! Investigative! I love Dr. Reuben Abati's review of literature and evidence to inform Nigerians. Grooming younger generation of journalists is enterprisingly rewarding. God bless Nigeria. We can ignore stories of our politicians and escapades.

[@neocollective]

Sir, I have to respectfully disagree with you, now everybody jumps onto a feel good story but no one here has the courage to get close to the root of why this teacher, boy and mother's feat is so remarkable and a great part of it is defying the deeply rooted homophobia of Nigerian society. A good journalist/analyst would not possibly miss that aspect unless he/she lacks the courage to confront the issues that really matter.

[@bayofat]

@@neocollective Thank you for sharing this high level of expectation. Let's encourage the team to do more.

[@neocollective]

@@bayofat Thank you sir, this story is so inspiring that it hurts me to see it limited to dance and ballet although at the same time it is the most moving ballet performance most of us have ever seen. That child's determination to pursue his dreams and self expression is so powerfully clear in his dancing oblivious to the rain and environment that becomes a testament of the best of the human spirit and the resilience of the Nigerian people in particular. I suspect that a boy his age has to deal with a lot of peer pressure and bullying for turning into ballet and I wish they used it as a platform for discussing acceptance of those who are different and how diversity enrich us all. Blessings from the USA !

[@ogolilly5558]

Beautiful

[@francodallasjones2214]

We all need to support Ajala please he is doing a great job pls

[@akeemolalekanmustapha1941]

Dr Abati, it is always wonderful listening to you. You seem to cover all spheres of knowledge.

[@neocollective]

Sir, I have to respectfully disagree with you, now everybody jumps onto a feel good story but no one here has the courage to get close to the root of why this teacher, boy and mother's feat is so remarkable and a great part of it is defying the deeply rooted homophobia of Nigerian society. A good journalist/analyst would not possibly miss that aspect unless he/she lacks the courage to confront the issues that really matter.

[@bisib1789]

yes we can yes we will make the great world

[@fesocanman]

Those are two people that will make their individual countries proud in the nearest future. The guy will do Oduduwa Republic proud, while the Boy will make Biafra country proud as well, because by the time this guys blows, Nigeria would have been a thing of the past. Let Aboki go look for their own dancers

[@tayeoluwabunmi8297]

Good morning guy.....happy weeked

[@temiladealamudun5063]

👏👏👏👏👏❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@ArsahTMoney]

The problems we have in Nigerian is our leaders....if our leaders can encourage us it will be good for us,we Nigerians got a lot of talent,for them to cared for us they won't it,I can't blame them it bcs of their children is not among the famous that's why they are not read to cared for us,wat I believe is that wat each one of us will be in life shall come true, may Allah bless ur wit our talent,foolish our leaders they killed many of Nigerians youths carrier

[@osasosasco2615]

They all will be better than the American dancers even at the ruff ground we have

[@mercyeziuka9473]

Please can one get the teacher 's number?

[@victorkings3321]

It’s like Rufai is being forced to wear tie.

[@kalxite]

Many wasted talents languishing in churches and mosques, there are millions who could be the aerospace scientist , nuclear physicist, visual artists astronomers, genetic engineers, yes and even ballet dancers. But Nigeria is the dream killer. Our leaders are the dream killers, our pastors are the dream killers, our imams are the dream killers, we're the dream killers as we refuse to take our destiny as a nation as people into our own hands waiting for God to proper us

[@Lo-jy4re]

Unfortunately not just Nigeria-any extremist organization/environment (religious or otherwise) can truly hold hostage untapped and underutilized talent. Sad that fear mongering and manipulation in many extremist entities forces many to forget anything else in life that makes them feel alive by no fault of their own😔

[@osasosasco2615]

They all will be better than the American dancers even at the ruff ground we have