When Daniel Owoseni Ajala discovered his love for ballet at nine years old, he faced a hard truth – enrolling in one of the few performing arts schools in Lagos, Nigeria was a luxury he couldn’t afford. But Ajala fervently kept his dream alive, learning the fundamentals of ballet by watching YouTube videos and attending short courses. Years later, with only five students, minimal resources and plenty of passion, Ajala founded the Leap of Dance Academy. “Ballerinas don’t just come from the west,” he says. “In fact, they come from all over the world.”
With a ballet barre and sheet placed on the cement floor of Ajala’s home, the stage is set for his students. Ajala’s programme is free to ensure ballet is accessible to his community. “I started Leap of Dance Academy because I wanted to help every child with an opportunity I never had,” he says. “Without ballet, my students would probably just be roaming the streets.” While the COVID-19 pandemic brought with it health restrictions, Ajala continued classes in his backyard where social distancing could be practised.
Support for the school began streaming in when a video of one of his students dancing in the rain went viral. The 11-year-old jetés over puddles and pirouettes barefoot on the ground. It caught the attention of international ballet instructors who now provide online lessons to Ajala’s students once a week. The academy has since received donations from around the globe and scholarships for his students to visit schools overseas.
Ajala’s academy is providing youth with a safe space to dance and escape hardship. He does more than develop his dancers’ talents, but empowers them to take ownership of their lives. “Ballet has been able to help shape them and present them for the future,” Ajala says. With a determined mindset, he is fuelling the confidence of Nigeria’s youth to pursue their dreams and reach their fullest potential.
