Unravelling the origins of dances we consume daily on social media, a new documentary uncovers the contributions of Nigeria’s Afro Dance scene to mainstream pop culture.
Featuring backstories and performances from established and upcoming artists, Uncredited: The Story of Afro Dance is available now, only on Red Bull TV.
A new documentary reveals the Nigerian dance scene – and the often-unrecognised talent behind it – which has made a profound impact on the global performing industry. Superstars of music and pop culture appear in the production, which follows astonishing Nigerian dancers as yet unknown to the mainstream public as they chase their dreams for a chance to change their lives and their communities. Uncredited: The Story of Afro Dance is available beginning December 6, 2022, only on Red Bull TV.
Uncredited deep-dives into the intricacies of Afro dance, its heritage and how it has affected African culture and the performing arts globally – from street dance to pop charts. As artists from Beyonce to Justin Bieber incorporate African-inspired dance movement into their videos, dancer Iziegebe Odigie describes Lagos, Nigeria as the hub of Afro Beat. “This is like New York City or L.A.,” she says, “especially with the new wave of Afro Dance that’s starting to catch wildfire on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube.”
The acknowledged ‘queen’ of Nigerian dance, dancer and choreographer Kafayat ‘Kaffy’ Shafau, agrees and comments, “If you look at African culture… that is so powerful. Some of the moves that are going viral now, if you break them down to the core, it’s coming from our traditional movement.”
Yet experts interviewed in the documentary point out that while the work of Afro Dance innovators has greatly contributed to the success of music hits on the African continent and beyond, the dance originators have often gone unknown. These insiders see social media as an opportunity for dancers to secure that recognition; and for many of the artists in Uncredited, the stakes are high.
Dancer Seyi Oluyole has founded a residential academy for orphaned and indigent girls, and as the video shows, social media posts of her students’ dancing drew a visit from supermodel Naomi Campbell. The struggle to keep the facility running continues, but Seyi is undaunted, saying, “I don’t need you to open the door for me. I’m just going to break the wall and make my own door and let other people in.”
Looking to the future, the documentary follows dancers to the national finals of the Red Bull Dance Your Style contest, which spotlights the next generation of street dancers. Among them, there’s Chibueze Blayke, who had nearly given up on a dance career, as well as his brilliant student BJ Miah and dancer Eromose-Ordia Tom-Tom – part of Nigeria’s viral Westsyde Lifestyle dance crew. When Blayke and BJ make the deciding round, they must battle each other in the performance of their lives. Blayke’s eventual win sees him preparing to take the global stage at the competition’s World Final in South Africa, which will take place [just days after/in conjunction with] the release of the documentary.
“I’ve been part of Red Bull Dance Your Style since the first one and it’s been the most challenging competition I’ve ever done. My goal has always been to compete the world finals, so to be given this opportunity by Red Bull is absolutely amazing and an honor. Not only am I representing myself but also my home city Durban and also South Africa. We don’t ever get opportunities like this, so I hope this inspires others to go for gold no matter how difficult or impossible it may look,” said the 2022 South African Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final Wildcard, Verb.
“I’m so happy when opportunities like this arrive,” says Kaffy. “These young people are underserved with platforms, and that’s what it is – it’s just the beginning of unraveling greatness.”
Uncredited: The Story of Afro Dance is available to watch on demand, only on Red Bull TV: (Un)credited: The origins of Nigeria's Afro Dance scene (redbull.com)