Benjamin Daniel has been dancing non-stop at Lagos’ Freedom Park since Tuesday, 22 September, chasing a world record that demands more than a week on his feet. The 33-year-old dancer, known as Ben Dancer, aims to dance for 168 hours, which is seven days straight and 41 hours longer than the current record.
The existing record stands at 127 hours. It was set last year by 16-year-old Indian dancer Srushti Sudhir Jagtap, whose performance focused mainly on kathak, a classical Indian dance form.
Ben Dancer’s marathon is not just about endurance but also about celebrating Nigeria’s cultural variety. Over the days, he has woven the country’s dance traditions with modern sounds, including Afrobeats, fuji, jazz, and zouk. At times, he changes into traditional Nigerian attire such as agbada and dashiki. His team says the effort reflects Nigeria’s more than 250 ethnic groups, aiming to capture that diversity through performance.
The marathon has drawn crowds of young people who gather daily behind barriers to watch, film, and dance along. Uche Anumudu, who has been watching, told the BBC, “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.”
Ben Dancer has danced professionally for 18 years. To prepare, he underwent intensive fitness training, adjusted his diet towards carbohydrates, and focused on cardiovascular conditioning. During the attempt, he eats lightly and drinks fluids, resting only during the five minutes allowed for every continuous hour of dancing. His team says he accumulates these breaks into longer rest periods.
A medical team is on site at Freedom Park to deal with any health issues. Despite the strain, Ben Dancer’s energy has fluctuated in ways that surprise onlookers. Emmanuel Ulelu, who visited twice, noticed a change. “On day two, you could see the stress,” he said. “Even after just three hours of dancing at the location myself, I wondered how he would keep going.” But by day five, 16 hours into the attempt, Ulelu said Ben Dancer looked more energetic than before.
The event has become something of a street party. Videos from the marathon have gone viral on social media, drawing more visitors. Moronumubo Akodu, a regular supporter, said, “It is actually insane but I am so proud of him.” She added that she worries about the physical toll the marathon could take.
Guinness World Records has yet to confirm whether Ben Dancer’s attempt will count as an official record. The BBC reached out to Guinness for comment, but they have not responded.
Nigeria has built a strong connection with Guinness in recent years, particularly in entertainment. In 2023, chef Hilda Baci set a record by cooking continuously for 93 hours and 11 minutes in Lagos. Guinness officially recognised that attempt, which sparked a surge in similar record applications from Nigeria. The organisation received more than 1,500 new applications within two months, covering activities from reading and singing to crocheting.
If Ben Dancer completes his 168-hour target, he will extend the existing longest individual dance marathon record by more than a day. He is scheduled to finish early on Tuesday morning.
His effort stands out not only for its length but for the blend of tradition and modernity, the stamina demanded, and the crowd it has drawn to Freedom Park. The attempt offers a rare, live window into the endurance and passion behind record-setting in Nigeria’s growing entertainment scene.
According to Joy Online.
