Nigerian dancer eyes world record after seven-day marathon
Gabriel, a dancer with the musician Made Kuti, grandson of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, had danced non-stop for 176 hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds.
On the seventh day of his solo dance marathon, Benjamin Daniel Gabriel continued his pursuit of a new world record in Nigeria. The 32-year-old dancer, known as Ben Dancer, aimed to set the record for the longest individual dance marathon. Gabriel, who is the grandson of famed Afrobeat musician Fela Kuti, danced for 176 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds. This surpassed the previous record of 127 hours, set by Indian dancer Srushti Sudhir Jagtap in 2023.
Gabriel's attempt to break the record drew a crowd of about 51,000 people to Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, Nigeria. The venue, significant for its role in Nigeria's independence ceremony, saw Gabriel perform energetic Makossa songs, blending with the crowd as they danced alongside him. Gabriel himself attributed his motivation to dance's spiritual nature, and acknowledged the challenge of sleep deprivation during the marathon.
Prior to his attempt, Gabriel trained rigorously for three years, focusing on building muscle, pain and endurance, and sleep deprivation strategies. Despite developing knee issues three weeks into his attempt, Gabriel remained undeterred, with no major health concerns reported. Local residents from his hometown in northern Bauchi state showed their support, cheering Gabriel on with jollof rice and coleslaw.
Gabriel's quest for a world record is reflective of a growing fascination with record-breaking attempts in Nigeria. Following Hilda Baci's record-setting cooking marathon, about 1,500 Nigerians applied for world records in the months that followed. Gabriel's ambition aligns with a broader trend of Nigerians eager to test their limits, as they seek to establish greatness on a global scale.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
