Dance is a language of expression, and for one group of girls in Nigeria, it's a power move. Dressed in bold and flamboyant costumes, they weave through dusty streets to the beat of drums. Around 10.5 million of Nigeria's children aged five to 14 are not in school. But in 2014, Seyi Oluyole founded Dream Catchers Academy to transform the slums of Lagos into a globally recognised space for underprivileged girls to cultivate their talents. “I want to give girls the opportunity I never had growing up as a young woman in Nigeria,” she says.
As a child, Oluyole was denied the opportunity to follow her passion of acting and dancing due to poverty. Today, she lives out her dream by teaching dance to vulnerable girls, providing housing, and connecting them to formal education. “A lot of kids here don’t go to school because of gender bias and because their parents can’t afford to keep them in school,” Oluyole says. To enrich their learning and artistic skills, she infuses contemporary and traditional styles in the academy’s dance routines. Whether its stanky legged South African Gwara Gwara, ground stomping Zanku, or twisting Yoruba Bata, these dancers are well-versed in an array of genres. During their highly disciplined and rigorous classes, they not only learn teamwork, but can improve their concentration and memory.
While some of these children come from painful pasts, this art form is providing them with a rehabilitative outlet. “I have learned to never underestimate the power of song and dance to heal,” Oluyole says. She continues to create a stage where girls can learn, build confidence, and choreograph their lives. “They deserve an opportunity for a better future,” she says.
Footage and photos by the Dream Catchers Academy were used in the creation of this film.
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