From the vibrant streets of Ikorodu, Lagos, to the world-class stages of the United Kingdom, Anthony Madu‘s journey is a powerful narrative of defying expectations.
At just 16, this Nigerian-born ballet dancer has captivated the world, with a documentary about his life earning an Emmy Award for ‘Outstanding Documentary’.
Anthony’s passion for ballet was sparked at the age of five by a cartoon. In a country where ballet is an unusual pursuit, especially for boys, his path was not easy. “When I started, I got a lot of bullying from school, which was really hard to get through,” Anthony told TheCable Lifestyle.
He added: “Choosing ballet was quite hard, and having people judge you for it because it’s not a usual thing that people go for in Nigeria. It makes it especially hard for guys as well.”
His anchor through the storm was the unwavering support of his mother Ifeoma Madu.
“I had my mom, who supported me through it and didn’t really let me quit. She knew how much I loved it,” he said.
“There was a time I came back from dance lessons saying I was going to quit, but she did not let me quit.
“The major role that my mum played in my life during that process of getting bullied was that she was always there. I do not know exactly what she said, but she encouraged me to carry on doing it, which was really great because if she had not, then I would not be here right now.”
Ifeoma recalled enrolling Anthony in a Lagos ballet school, even though “I had to struggle to pay the money”.
Image: Anthony Madu’s recent (l) and old (r) photos
Anthony’s mum said she always advised her son never to pay attention to people who claim “ballet is only for girls”, adding that “I encouraged him not to stop, even when he was threatened, so far it gives him joy”.
“When we relocated to the area, I saw where they were training children for ballet. I went to him that ‘I want you to join them’. Despite that, things were so difficult at that time; I had to struggle to pay the money to put him there,” Ijeoma said.
At 11, Anthony moved to the UK to study at a ballet school in Birmingham. He faced new hurdles abroad.
“The main challenges I faced were the food and the weather. I was not really a big fan of the food, and the weather was tough at first,” he said. Yet, his determination to succeed and “represent Nigeria on the global stage kept him going”.
“But you know, you have to eat, and you are just gonna do what you are gonna do. And then, I mean, right now, I am more used to the weather, so it does not really affect me that much and stuff, but yeah, it is cool,” Anthony says.
His story gained a global audience after a video of his performance went viral, thanks in part to Arise TV presenter Ojy Okpe. This led to a documentary, co-directed by Joel ‘Kachi Benson, which detailed his journey, the bullying he overcame, and his unwavering dedication. The film was eventually picked up by Disney and went on to win an Emmy.
Kachi Benson reflected on meeting Anthony: “He was 11, really young, but with so much passion, vision, and focus. He talked about how he was bullied but insisted on doing ballet.
“I am drawn to real-life stories and real people because they are real heroes in my opinion. That is how we fell in love with him, fell in love with the story, and started to pull it together. We presented it to different organisations, production companies, and streamers until we finally landed with Disney.
“We believed in the story, and Disney fell in love with it too.”
ANTHONY’S STORY IS ONE OF ‘RESILIENCE, POSSIBILITY, INSPIRATION’
Kachi said Anthony’s story shows that nothing is impossible, inasmuch as someone can dream it.
“I think that Anthony’s story should inspire every young kid out there. Go out there, dare to dream, and dare to pursue your dream,” he said.
Corroborating the filmmaker, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, described Anthony as “an inspiration” whose “Nigerianess and resilience got him to that place”.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa promised to engage with Anthony “to inspire other Nigerian youths” and to support the Madu family.
“I will be glad to work with him. The family needs all the support they can get. The support may not be monetary, but encouragement showing how proud we are of him,” she said.
Renowned dancer Kaffy also praised the documentary for capturing “the essence of a dreamer” and representing the story of an average African child.
“That story encapsulates the story of an average African child. We are using dance to tell stories. More stories are coming. We are going to win Oscars,” Kaffy said.
Yet, a new and profound challenge has emerged. Anthony was diagnosed with blindness in his right eye due to a scar, a condition that threatens his professional dance career.
“This could mean I would stop dancing as professionally as I would have loved to,” he said, facing this setback with the same hope that has defined his journey.
The documentary aired on Arise TV in October 2025.