We’ve had everything from Galalala to Shoki.
But ballet is gradually gaining a foothold in this city. At the heart of Lagos, off Marina, is where the Society of Performing Arts of Nigeria (SPAN) has found a home.
At the helm of affairs is Sarah Boulos, a Lebanese-Nigerian who moved to Nigeria about a decade ago.
Boulos noticed the active involvement of Nigerian youth in art and dance and how there really was not much going on formally. So she decided to put some organisation into it.
And so, the Society of Performing Arts of Nigeria was born. As a ballet dancer herself, Boulos began teaching, and today, even hip-hop dancers are learning ballet.
Many people grew up thinking ballet was girly.
But that perception is changing quickly.
A good number of Boulos’ students started just for fun, but they are going global already. They joined people all over the world to participate in the World Dance Day.
About how far she’s come, Mrs Boulos said its been a long and hard journey, but the efforts have started to pay off. Schools want their children to learn ballet.
What this means is that, the bunch of amateurs who worked into that room off Marina a few years ago are going to become teachers to a next generation of dancers.
How’s that for success?
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