The holy book pointed out by saying, ‘the gift of a man maketh a way for him.’ This scripture has indeed played out in the life of this young Nigerian boy, Anthony Mmesoma Madu. The 11-year-old Anthony has won a lifetime opportunity because of his dance.
The impressive ballet skills of the youngster went viral after a video of his dance was shared on Instagram. It touched the hearts of the Netizens as they watched him display his skills in the rain. The video was watched more than 330,000 times and shared globally on all social media platforms.
As it was shared globally, it caught the attention of Cynthia Harvey, the artistic director of the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of Dance in New York, who was quite impressed.
According to Harvey: “A friend who lives in the UK sent me the video. Within a day, I was trying to find him.” Harvey arranged for full scholarships so Anthony could attend the three-week intensive program, ABT virtual Young Dancer Summer Workshop (ABT). They also included Ajala, Anthony’s teacher, in the National Training Curriculum, a two-week course intended to help teachers polish their skills.
Harvey added: “Here, we’re complaining about not being able to open our buildings. But in that video, I saw a boy who was a perfect example of the tenacity someone can have when they have love and a dream. It was immediately obvious how much determination he had.”
According to The Washington Post which explained that the youngster is set to train in the United States on a scholarship from Ballet Beyond Borders next year. The youngster said: “When my friends see me dancing, they feel like, ‘What is this boy doing, is he doing a foreign dance? Now I have won a grand prize to go to the U.S. I will be [on] the plane and this is what I am waiting for, and ballet has done it for me. I saw the need to bring a form of art that shows discipline, dedication, and commitment.
Students who are able to learn all of these can… transfer (them) into other spheres of their lives.“ Anthony’s teacher, Ajala, told Vogue: “People say that you can never do ballet the way it is done abroad because ballet is not an African dance, but for me, it’s about making the art form our own. Can you see what’s going on behind me? There’s a torrential downpour outside and they’re getting ready for class. Who wouldn’t be proud of these children? A child who shows this much dedication, you just have to help.” Ajala went further to share how the dance school academy started.
