Madu has started streaming on Disney+ and while the story is about the dancing sensation Anthony Madu, a lot of contribution to his growth in life must also go to the man who discovered him. Daniel Alaja. The man who discovered him and put out the video that went viral and took him to the greatest heights. Here is a bit about Daniel and where he is now.
Daniel Alaja: Where is He Now?
Daniel Alaja is a self-trained Ballet dancer who worked hard and taught himself the skill of doing Ballet by watching videos and learning from the internet. He then opened an academy in Lagos, Nigeria, where he started teaching Ballet to young kids. He did not charge fees from the kids and only asked for a promise that they would never give up on their dreams.
His student Anthony Madu rose to fame when a video of him dancing in the rain was uploaded, and it went viral. While Anthony Madu rose to absolute fame, Daniel too was given his share of the flowers wherever the video was shared. Anthony Madu got his scholarship and went to England for further training. Meanwhile, Daniel continued to teach students and grow his Leap of Dance academy.
The academy grew on Instagram too and currently has over 188k followers on Instagram. They regularly post about their students and their expertise in Ballet. Check this post out for instance. They post about a girl performing ballet and about how beautiful the performance was. This performance stopped the entire traffic on the road as can be observed from the picture. One of the common taglines that they use is turning dreams into reality and that perhaps is what they are doing through their academy.
They appear to be like an extended family where they all stand up for each other firmly. The film Madu on Disney+ mostly covers his journey from Nigeria to England and shows the world that he has left behind for the world he is now getting into. Leaving Nigeria also means that Madu has to go away from the man who trained him first. The film might have not delved deep enough into Daniel’s contribution, but like Madu’s talent found its way, Daniel will eventually find his way with more students representing his academy and him at the same time.
Let’s hope he keeps rising and shining through his students in the years too.
Also Read: Madu On Disney+ Review: Just Give this Film an Oscar Already