Nigerian dancer attempts seven-day dance marathon

A 33-year-old Nigerian dancer is attempting to dance continuously for seven days in a bid to set a new world record for the longest individual dance marathon.

Benjamin Daniel, popularly known as Ben Dancer, is targeting 168 hours of non-stop dancing at Freedom Park in Lagos, which would surpass the current record of 127 hours by 41 hours, BBC reports.

The current record is held by Indian dancer Srushti Sudhir Jagtap, who danced for 127 hours in 2023 at the age of 16, performing mainly kathak, one of India’s major classical dance forms.

Ben Dancer began his attempt on Tuesday, September 22, and is expected to complete the planned 168 hours on Tuesday, September 29.

However, Guinness World Records has not yet confirmed whether the attempt qualifies as an official record.

The challenge has attracted crowds of young people to Freedom Park, with supporters gathering to watch, film and dance along from behind barriers.

One spectator, Uche Anumudu, described the event as an inspiring moment.

“It’s a beautiful moment. Seeing how far he has come and witnessing him achieve this feat made me incredibly proud and grateful to God,” she said.

Throughout the marathon, Ben Dancer has incorporated Nigeria’s diverse musical and cultural traditions into his performance.

Afrobeats has featured prominently, alongside genres such as fuji, jazz and zouk. At various points, he has also changed into traditional Nigerian attire, including the flowing agbada and dashiki.

His team says the performance is intended to showcase Nigeria’s cultural diversity rather than focus solely on physical endurance.

Nigeria is home to more than 250 ethnic groups, each with distinct cultural traditions, providing the dancer with a broad range of influences for the marathon.

Ben Dancer has been dancing professionally for 18 years and reportedly underwent intensive preparation for the attempt, including changes to his diet, increased carbohydrate intake and cardiovascular conditioning.

The challenge has also drawn attention online, with supporters documenting his progress as he approaches the 168-hour target.

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