In Lagos, ballet is danced without music, but with great joy and ambition - France 24

Lagos (AFP)

This morning, in a working-class neighborhood in the heart of the sprawling Lagos, a group of a dozen boys and girls put on their tights and leotards to practice spikes, pirouettes and arabesques.

But they will have to do it without music. There is no electricity in the neighborhood and not enough money to start the diesel generator.

The Leap of Dance Academy opened in 2017 in the working-class neighborhood of Ajangbadi, in the heart of Lagos, the economic capital of Nigeria with 20 million inhabitants.

It welcomes a dozen children aged 6 to 15 free of charge. Children, who had very often never heard of classical dance before arriving at this academy.

Daniel Ajala, its founder, learned dance on internet tutorials and through internships. But the techniques are worthy of those of the professionals.

"Usually ballet is associated with people who have money, in the very privileged classes," said Daniel Ajala to AFP. He funded his passion and school with his savings alone.

"We cannot afford luxury equipment, but at least we can introduce the new generation to this art," he smiles.

At first, the neighbors were rather skeptical of seeing ballet in the streets of .... "It is an indecent dance! It is not a dance for good Christians!"

"But we want to show them that classical dance is forged on the disciple, and this is important for the development of the child," says the professor.

After several years, even if the looks are still curious and surprised when the students practice the throw-ups or the half-folds in the streets, the practice now has its admirers.

And it's a great opportunity and window to the world. Young Olamide Olawole, 15, wants to make it her job and become an instructor in turn.

"I would like children all over the world to be able to experience this experience", confides the young teenager, putting on her slippers damaged by the effort and the ambient humidity.

"I want them too to be able to express what they feel through dance."

Ifoma Madu, Anthony's mom, the only boy in the troupe, watches her son lead the dance with immense pride. "It's great, it's extraordinary. When I see him dance it brings me a lot of joy."

© 2020 AFP