In Lagos, where dreams often have to fight for room to grow, a free ballet academy is giving children from low-income families a stage on which talent can flourish — and a chance to turn passion into possibility.
At the Leap of Dance Academy, young dancers are learning the discipline, precision and artistry of classical ballet, with some going on to represent Nigeria on international stages.
Founded in 2017 by Ajala Owoseni, the academy was established to make dance education accessible to children who might otherwise never have the opportunity.
But the academy is doing more than opening the doors to ballet. It is also helping to give the art form an African identity through Afro ballet, blending classical techniques with African-inspired music and stories.
‘Dance Is Universal’
For Owoseni, dance is not simply about performance. It is a universal language — one that can carry stories across cultures and inspire children to see possibilities beyond their immediate circumstances.
“The Leap of Dance Academy was founded because we wanted to create an opportunity for children from, of course, low-income families to have dance education, not just as a recreational activity, but a career path for them,” he said. “We’ve been able to see the transformational power of dance in our children here, seeing how they can all do one thing and being able to do more things.
“Dance is universal, and then there’s something you can do about dance.”
Owoseni explained that though people might not understand different languages, they can understand the language of dance.
“And then we use dance to portray or to carry our stories. So I don’t believe that ballet is very western. I believe that it is what you can own it to be.
“And that’s why we have what we call the Afro ballet, using African-inspired music to do the classical ballet, thereby retaining the originality of the ballet but with an African flair,” he said.
For the academy, the ambition goes beyond producing professional dancers. Owoseni says the children are also being prepared to become lifelong supporters and custodians of the arts.
“We’re not training our students to become just professional dancers. We’re also training them to become the audience of tomorrow’s theater,” the founder said.
“They might not become professional dancers tomorrow, but they might be supporters of the ballet club. They can be the supporters of the ballet or the arts in general because it’s not just about dancing. The discipline, it keeps them focused. It keeps them engaged,” he added.
The academy’s impact has already travelled far beyond its Lagos home. In 2020, a video of student Anthony Madu dancing barefoot in the rain went viral, introducing his remarkable talent to audiences around the world.
His journey later inspired the Disney documentary Madu, shining an international spotlight on both the young dancer and the academy.
An Expression
For the children who remain at Leap of Dance, however, the transformation is personal.
One of the dancers, Joshua Okon, said ballet has enabled her to express herself.
“When I started out earlier, I was very timid, and I didn’t want to associate with anyone.
“And ballet is a different style of dance. It’s not something everyone does around my area. And it’s something you would not expect. Like, who does ballet here? No one,” said Okon.
For another student, ballet began with inspiration from home. Watching his brother stretch, dance and practise splits sparked his curiosity and eventually led him to the academy.
“So whenever he comes back home, we’ll be stretching, we’ll be dancing, splitting,” he said. “So I said, can you show me the place you dance? Then he brought me here, and then I chose to dance ballet because it was interesting.
At Leap of Dance, every movement carries a bigger message: that talent does not have to be limited by circumstance. With access, guidance, and an opportunity to take the first step, a child dancing in Lagos can dream of stages anywhere in the world.
