The year 2020 was one to forget for everybody. For Anthony Madu, it was the total opposite as it was the year in which he became a viral sensation after a video of him dancing ballet hit the internet.
Dubbed “Nigeria’s ballet boy”, Madu’s story is an inspiring one. Born in Lagos, Madu grew up in a neighbourhood where there was no dance school, let alone ballet. Today, he is studying at the renowned Elmhurst Ballet School in England.
So, how did the 14-year-old make the journey from Nigeria to England? Read this article for more interesting details.
Who is Anthony Madu?
Anthony Madu is a 14-year-old ballet dancer from Nigeria. He was born in Lagos State into a middle-income family. As a little boy, Madu loved dancing. According to his mother, Ifeoma Madu, she first caught him dancing ballet when he was five years old.
“When he was five years old, I saw him dancing. I thought: ‘What is wrong with you?'” she tells the BBC.
“People were telling me that this type of dance is not for boys. But it’s what he loves doing, so I let him go for it,” she says.
Unfortunately, there was no dance school in the neighbourhood where the family lived. So, Madu had to teach himself through watching videos and copying moves that fascinated him, a hubby that surprised his family.
What happened to Anthony Madu?
Madu’s family moved to another neighbourhood in the state so he could attend the Lagos Leap Dance Academy. It was in that school that the then-12-year-old dancer found his breakthrough.
Recounting how it happened, Madu told BBC that his dance teacher filmed him as he practised pirouettes barefoot in the rain.
“The day the video went viral, I wasn’t meant to go to class that day. I was just doing the dance and then my dance teacher decided to film it,” he recounted.
“When I came for a practice the next day, he told me that it’s got over thousands of views.”
The video also caught the eye of Hollywood actress, Viola Davis, who shared it with her followers on Twitter, now known as X, where it amassed 16 million views.
As a result, Madu was offered a scholarship at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at the American Ballet Theatre. However, COVID-19 restrictions prevented him from enrolling in the school. However, another scholarship came with an offer from Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham. This time, he took the chance and never looked back.
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Anthony Madu now
Madu is currently at Elmhurst, where he has settled well. In his chat with BBC, he shyly admitted that settling down in a new environment was not easy for him at first.
“For the first year, it felt really, really hard trying to adjust to like the weather compared to Nigeria and also missing home as well,” he says.
With time, he was able to adjust to his new environment and enjoy the strictures of his new dance regime.
“I video call my mum every day and hang out with my friends. Here, we do more classical ballet. It has to be precise, like having the arms right.”
Unfortunately, his determination to become a ballet dancer was faced with a serious challenge when it was discovered that he had vision issues. In an interview with Today, he revealed that he had told an instructor that he had trouble seeing. It turned out that he was largely blind in the right eye.
“I didn’t tell anyone at that point because it didn’t feel like I should tell anyone,” he said. He eventually told his mother and had his eyes checked.
“There wasn’t really anything to do about it” at the time until he went to the U.K.
Madu’s eye problem has no cure. But it cannot get any worse. However, he does get additional assistance from dance instructors to work through his vision impairment.
“I didn’t give up then, so I don’t see why I should give up now,” he said in the film documentary, Madu.
In the film, Madu disclosed that his family supports his ambition and his mother told him that his whole community was rooting for him.
“Remember, this is a kid who has been bullied and teased all of his life. He could have easily given up and said, ‘You know what, I’m going to play (soccer) with the boys. I’m going to do whatever everyone else wants me to do,’” Kachi Benson, the documentary director, explained.
“But he chose to stick to this thing that he loved.”
Madu film documentary
Madu is a Disney+ film documentary directed by Oscar-nominated directors of Audible, Matt Ogens and Kachi Benson. The documentary follows the inspiring story of the Nigerian teenager as he made a remarkable transition from Lagos to England, capturing the challenges, he faced on the way to fulfilling his dreams.
Filming was already underway before Madu was offered a scholarship at Onassis. Included in the documentary is the video that catapulted Madu to stardom when he was 12 years old. Also, the documentary highlighted Madu’s vision problem, which was a shock to the directors during filming.
“It was a shock to everyone, the filmmakers, the school, Anthony, his mom. No one saw that coming,” Benson said.
Ogens added, “We found out when you find out as an audience member in the film … We’re outside, we’re looking at the monitor in that ballet class where you see something going on with his eyes.”
Despite feeling that his eye problem may end his career, Madu still goes on to inspire his viewers.
“What I want people to take away is that no matter what they want to do in life, they shouldn’t let any negative comments and stuff get in the way,” he says.
“Because at the end of the day, it’s their choice, it’s what they want to do, and they should just really go for it. Never give up.”
The documentary premiered at Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 7, 2024. It was released on Disney+ on March 24, 2024.
Conclusion
Anthony Madu’s story is one of courage and determination in the face of challenges. His story has inspired others to believe that they can be anything they want to be, despite what society may think.
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