Dancing in the Rain: Viral Video Ballet Dancer Receives Scholarships
Anthony Mmmesoma Madu will pursue his dream at the American Ballet Theatre.
Eleven Year-old Anthony Mmmesoma Madu probably had no idea that dancing in the rain would change his life so quickly.
In June of 2020, his dance school in Lagos, Nigeria, Leap of Dance Academy, posted a video of Anthony dancing in the rain. In the caption, they wrote:
With very little or no resources our kids are training to be the best they can. This is not to bring down anyone but to show their high level of dedication and committments to our program. Who wouldn’t be proud of them? What teacher wouldn’t pray for students who shows/comes to class with so much desire to learn?
The video was picked up and re-posted on different platforms. People from all over the world fell in love with his dancing.
Ogunro, a former ballet dance and CEO of Bookings Africa wrote, “As a former ballerina I’m jealous of his beautiful lines, his toe points and his effortless gracefulness. @leapofdanceacademy I want to pay for his entire formal education anywhere in the world until he graduates from Uni.”
As a former ballerina I’m jealous of his beautiful lines, his toe points and his effortless gracefulness. @leapofdanceacademy I want to pay for his entire formal education anywhere in the world until he graduates from Uni. https://t.co/lqK76UFrAt
— Fadé Ogunro (@FadeOgunro) July 7, 2020
Academy Award winner, Viola Davis 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!!!”
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!!! ❤ pic.twitter.com/LNyWD2ZoU0
— Viola Davis (@violadavis) June 24, 2020
Anthony and other dancers were soon featured in publications including The New York Times.
Clips of young dancers from the @LeapOfDanceAca1 in Lagos went viral earlier this year. Some are in @nytimes today — captured again in these gorgeous photos and story: https://t.co/qfdvcwvwdq pic.twitter.com/isiVgFTFjg
— Elizabeth Paton (@LizziePaton) August 20, 2020
Gracefully spinning among a group of dancers clad in pink, 11-year-old Anthony Mmesoma Madu stands out in black leggings, a white turtleneck and poise beyond his years. #Ballet @LeapOfDanceAca1 #balletboy @htTweets https://t.co/J0pVdhabLa
— HT Life&Style (@htlifeandstyle) August 13, 2020
Anthony received many scholarship offers and has chosen to attend the prestigious Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre in the US in 2021 on a scholarship from Ballet Beyond Borders. He tells the BBC that he is going to miss his parents and his siblings and his academy in Lagos.
His teacher, Daniel Owoseni Ajala, says Anthony and the other students in the school are taking summer programs, virtually, from “top notch” ballet programs around the world.
