Ballet school student stars in Disney original feature-length documentary film
A new documentary film charts the journey of an Elmhurst Ballet School student’s journey from humble beginnings in Nigeria to becoming a viral sensation.
Following a successful world premiere, opening the Santa Barbara International Film Festival , the Disney Original Documentary film MADU will be released on Disney+ on Friday 29 March.
From Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Matt Ogens (Audible) and award-winning filmmaker Kachi Benson (Daughters of Chibok), the film spotlights 14-year-old Nigerian ballet dancer Anthony Madu (pictured).
The documentary is the story of Anthony’s journey as he leaves his community on the outskirts of Lagos to pursue a ballet career, training at Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham.
MADU captures Anthony’s story after being discovered through a viral 44-second video that was posted online in 2020 and garnered over 16 million views.
Having grown up in an isolated community outside of Lagos and with almost no formal training, viewers will get a close look at Anthony’s journey after being awarded a scholarship to Elmhurst Ballet School, one of the most prestigious ballet schools in the UK.
Anthony comes from a community with limited opportunities, making this a chance of a lifetime to pursue his dream.
Anthony first attended Elmhurst Ballet School in May 2021 after the school reached out to him following the viral 44-second video of him dancing barefoot in the rain outside his Lagos home.
The video resulted in vast amounts of publicity for Anthony, including major broadcasters and newspapers all over the world.
In May 2021, Anthony visited and lived at Elmhurst for three days, to experience life as a full-time boarding student at the school.
Anthony experienced dance and academic classes and was observed in ballet classes by the artistic team.
At the end of his three-day stay, Anthony was offered a full-time place at the school. Anthony joined the school on a full bursary scholarship in September 2021 and boards full-time.
Filming of MADU at Elmhurst Ballet School began in September 2021 as Anthony settled into boarding, dance training, and academic classes.
Over the course of the year, filming covered all aspects of Anthony’s life at Elmhurst, from artistic to academic classes, from boarding to the Health and Wellbeing offers.
Robert Parker, artistic director of Elmhurst Ballet School said: “I first encountered Anthony during his visit to the school in May 2021.
“The school invited him to join the year 7 boys in their ballet class and I was eager to observe him dancing in person, following the popular footage of him in Nigeria, dancing in the rain. Upon introducing myself, he immediately conveyed his gratitude and rushed towards me, enveloping me in a heartfelt hug!
“As I watched him dance, it was immediately apparent that he possessed a great sense of presentation and artistic expression, which he used effectively to convey his passion for dance.”
Jessica Ward, Principal of Elmhurst Ballet School, added: “Anthony's love for dance and music is unmistakable; it's practically woven into his essence. His innate love for dance is lovely to witness.”
MADU is brought to Disney+ by Academy award®-nominated director Matt Ogens and award-winning filmmaker Kachi Benson. Matt Ogens is known for capturing authentic human stories through an evocative visual and narrative aesthetic. Kachi Benson is an award-winning filmmaker whose work primarily focuses on social impact storytelling.
