Ben Dancer Takes On 168-Hour Dance Challenge
Nigerian dancer Benjamin Daniel, popularly known as Ben Dancer, is chasing a new world record in Lagos.
The 33-year-old professional dancer plans to dance non-stop for 168 hours. His target would put him 41 hours ahead of the current individual dance marathon record.
According to the BBC, Ben Dancer started the challenge on Tuesday, September 22. If he completes the full seven days, he should reach his target early Tuesday morning.
Guinness World Records has not yet confirmed whether the attempt qualifies as an official record. The BBC said it contacted the organisation for a response.
Lagos Crowd Turns Record Attempt Into A Party
As Ben Dancer pushes through the challenge, Freedom Park has become a major attraction. Young Nigerians have gathered around the venue to cheer him on, record videos and dance along from behind the barriers.
The growing crowd has also helped turn the challenge into a lively street party. Videos from the event have spread across social media, bringing even more attention to his attempt.
“It’s a beautiful moment. Seeing how far he has come and witnessing him achieve this feat made me incredibly proud and grateful to God,” Uche Anumudu told the BBC.
Ben Dancer has also used the marathon to showcase Nigeria’s rich cultural identity. His routine features Afrobeats, fuji, jazz and zouk, while traditional outfits such as agbada and dashiki have added more colour to the performance.
Dancer Battles Exhaustion With Preparation
The challenge demands serious physical and mental strength. Ben Dancer has danced professionally for 18 years, but this marathon requires an entirely different level of endurance.
His team says he completed intensive fitness training before the attempt. He also changed his diet, increased his carbohydrate intake and focused heavily on cardiovascular conditioning.
During the challenge, he eats lightly and drinks fluids to maintain his energy. He can also take five minutes of rest for every continuous hour of activity.
Ben Dancer chooses when to use those accumulated rest periods. A medical team remains at Freedom Park to provide assistance when necessary.
Some supporters have praised his determination while expressing concern about the physical toll.
“It is actually insane but I am so proud of him,” Moronumubo Akodu told the BBC.
Nigeria Watches Another Record Attempt
Emmanuel Ulelu, who visited the performance twice, said Ben Dancer looked exhausted early in the challenge.
“On day two, you could see the stress,” he said.
However, Ulelu noticed a change when he returned on the fifth day.
His experience reminded him that people can achieve extraordinary things when determination matches the difficulty of the task.
The current individual dance marathon record belongs to Indian dancer Srushti Sudhir Jagtap. She danced for 127 hours in 2023, when she was 16, and focused mainly on kathak.
Nigeria has also developed a strong appetite for Guinness World Records challenges. In 2023, chef Hilda Baci cooked continuously for 93 hours and 11 minutes in Lagos.
Guinness officially recognised Baci’s achievement at the time. Her feat sparked a surge of record attempts across Nigeria.
The organisation later said it received more than 1,500 applications from Nigerians within two months. Those applications included attempts involving reading, singing and crocheting.
Now, all eyes are on Ben Dancer as he approaches the final hours of his ambitious seven-day dance marathon.
