Oyindamola Ogunbowale
Nigerian dancer and choreographer Benjamin Daniel Gabriel, popularly known as Ben Dancer, has raised the bar in the world of dance after completing a gruelling marathon that lasted more than 176 hours.
The 33-year-old dancer began the challenge in Lagos with the goal of dancing continuously for seven days in a bid to break the Guinness World Records title for the longest dance marathon by an individual.
He reached his initial 168-hour target at about 3am on Tuesday but pushed beyond the mark, eventually bringing the challenge to an end at Freedom Park after seven days, eight hours, 32 minutes and 59 seconds.
His final time put him well above the existing record of 127 hours, set by Indian dancer Srushti Sudhir Jagtap in 2023.
Beyond the numbers, the marathon also became a showcase of Nigerian and African dance culture, with Ben Dancer performing to different genres, including Afrobeats, fuji, jazz and zouk.
He also incorporated traditional Nigerian outfits, such as agbada and dashiki, into the performance.
The dancer, who has spent about 18 years as a professional, prepared extensively for the physically demanding challenge, with medical personnel monitoring him throughout the attempt.
He was also taken for medical checks after completing the marathon.
While the performance has placed Ben Dancer above the current record mark, Guinness World Records is yet to officially certify him as the new record holder.
His evidence will undergo the organisation’s verification process before the final outcome is announced.
For now, Ben Dancer’s 176-hour-plus performance stands as a major milestone in his attempt to take Nigerian dance to the global record books.
