Dancedeal Foundation graduates 32 from academy

It was a tear-evoking experience for the 32 dancers and management of the Dancedeal Training Foundation (DTF), last weekend, as the graduation ceremony for the 2018-2022 set of the DTF was held at Terra Kulture, Lagos. 

The graduation ceremony was an official launch pad for the dancers who honed their craft in the DTF academy over the years to become the new wave of entertainers uplifting the Nigerian entertainment industry. 

Founder and Managing Director, Terra Kulture, Bolanle Austen-Peters advised the dancers to always think outside the box and do things differently, in order to remain relevant in the entertainment industry. 

The DTF academy was founded, in 2009, to create a platform for young people interested in developing a career in dancing.     

Austen-Peters who is also one of the board of trustee directors at the centre, said, “It is a big deal to graduate from anything; so don’t take it for granted because it’s a privilege. In Nigeria today where there is no certainty about anything, it is a big deal. I say well done to the academy and the Artistic Director. In business, what makes you stand out is when you are different from the norms; you must always ask yourself what is missing and what you can bring to the table to be different. And anytime you do that, you will notice that your business will grow. 

“When we started Terra 18 years ago, we chose to be different and we were different. We made art a business and we decided that we will do it just like the way corporate institutions run their businesses.”
   
On his part, the Artistic Director, Dancedeal Training Foundation, Obafunwa Abimbola, said the 32 graduates have undergone rigorous training in dance, personal development class and artistic classes across the period of 24 months and they are already doing well for themselves.
  
One of the graduates, Benedict Emmanuel enthused, “Coming to DTF was never part of my plan, but I had to quit my job to pursue my career in dance and it has been amazing. The instructors became family members and I will love to tell my kids about this. Coming to Dancedeal is one of the best decisions I ever made.
  
Another graduate, Efreeda Anioha, corroborated: “Dancedeal taught me compassion. I am a reserved person, it’s scary meeting new people but Dancedeal taught me how to step out of my box and I realised that everybody around me affects me. This foundation also taught me to be compassionate and caring even if the person is not my friend.”