Ben Dancer of Nigeria Finishes Seven-Day Dance Marathon, Waits on Guinness Confirmation
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Nigerian dancer Benjamin Daniel, widely known as Ben Dancer, has completed a 168-hour dance marathon in Lagos as part of his bid to set a new Guinness World Records title.
The 33-year-old began the challenge last Tuesday at Freedom Park in Lagos, with the aim of surpassing the existing record of 127 hours for the longest dance marathon by an individual.
According to his team, Daniel reached the seven-day mark at about 3am on Tuesday but kept dancing for a further nine hours, finally concluding the challenge at midday.
Guinness World Records has confirmed receipt of Daniel's application but stated that the record has not yet been officially confirmed.
"Benjamin's application is active and we now eagerly await submission of his evidence, which will then go through our official review and verification process before any record can be confirmed," a Guinness World Records spokesperson told the BBC.
Following the challenge, Daniel was taken to hospital for a medical check-up.
The marathon drew crowds to Freedom Park, where supporters gathered to watch and cheer him on throughout the seven-day performance.
A professional dancer for 18 years, Daniel wove a variety of Nigerian dance styles and musical genres into his routine.
Afrobeats featured prominently throughout, alongside fuji, jazz and zouk. He also wore traditional Nigerian attire, including agbada and dashiki, at various points in the performance.
His team said the performance was designed to celebrate Nigeria's cultural diversity, noting that the country's more than 250 ethnic groups offer a wide range of traditions and dance forms.
Daniel underwent fitness training ahead of the attempt and adjusted his diet to sustain the physically demanding challenge.
During the marathon, he was permitted five minutes of rest for every continuous hour of activity. He also ate lightly, stayed hydrated and had medical personnel on hand throughout the attempt.
The current Guinness World Records title for the longest dance marathon by an individual was set in 2023 by Indian dancer Srushti Sudhir Jagtap, who danced for 127 hours.
Daniel's application will now go through Guinness World Records' review and verification process before any new record can be officially recognised.
