Nigerian boy whose video went viral while dancing in the rain gets ballet scholarship
His talent is undeniable, and now he’s getting a rare opportunity to train at the highest level.
Anthony is an 11-year-old boy from Lagos, Nigeria, whose dancing has gone viral thanks to a video of him performing ballet in the rain. It looks like an unlikely stage: an uneven cement patio, with trash and crates of empty bottles piled against an unpainted wall, and what looks like a woman washing clothes in a bucket in the background. Yet Anthony seems to be in a different world as he gracefully pirouettes, leaps, and poses elegantly.
The video caught the attention of celebrities such as actress Viola Davis, who won an Oscar for her role in the 2016 film Fences. She retweeted the video and commented, “Reminds me of the beauty of my people. We create, soar, can imagine, have unleashed passion, and love … despite the brutal obstacles that have been put in front of us! Our people can fly!!!”
Anthony got more than just 15 minutes of fame from the video’s success: A Reuters article in the Washington Post reports that the American Ballet Theatre has given him a scholarship to train virtually this summer, using internet access they’ve arranged for him. Next year he will travel to the United States to continue his ballet studies there, thanks to a scholarship from Ballet Beyond Borders. The Post reports that the video has also inspired many people to make donations to the Leap of Dance academy in Lagos, where Anthony has been studying until now.
Ballet: For both boys and girls
“When people see ballet they think it is only for girls,” Anthony told the BBC. “It’s for both boys and girls,” he says, quoted by the Leap of Dance Academy. His coach at the academy is a role model for him.“When he’s dancing I feel very happy, as if it is me that is dancing,” Anthony says during the BBC interview. Indeed, the Academy reminds its Instagram followers that “When ballet was created 400 years ago, it was created for men. Men were the first dancers.”
Anthony’s mother is very supportive, although at first his interest in ballet took her by surprise. According to the Reuters article in the Washington Post, his parents were hoping he’d become a priest, but rather than impose a path on him, they’re supporting his passion. “My advice to parents is when they discover any talent in their children, they should follow it up and give their full support so that the child will go far with the talent,” his mother told the BBC.
The Leap of Dance Academy makes a point of acknowledging that kind of parental support, saying, “Special shout-out to all parents who have allowed their boys to dance.”