*Nigerian dancer and choreographer Benjamin Daniel Gabriel, popularly known as Ben Dancer, spent more than seven days dancing in Lagos, logging 176 hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds in a bid to claim the Guinness World Records title for the longest individual dance marathon.
The 32-year-old performer, who dances with musician Made Kuti, grandson of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, completed the marathon at Freedom Park after pushing well beyond the current 127-hour record set by Indian dancer Srushti Sudhir Jagtap in 2023.
But Gabriel isn’t officially the new record holder just yet. Guinness must review evidence from the attempt before certifying a new record, according to reporting from AFP.
Guinness has separately confirmed that Gabriel’s application is active and that his evidence will undergo its verification process.
The feat puts Gabriel within reach of a world record, but the final word now belongs to Guinness adjudicators reviewing whether his seven-day performance meets every requirement.
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More Than a Guinness Record
Gabriel says the marathon was about something bigger than seeing his name in the record book.
“The idea of the Guinness World Record was never for the record itself,” he told AFP. “It was to get the global attention for people to look more towards African indigenous dances.”
That mission played out on the dance floor. Gabriel moved through music connected to Fela Kuti, Afrobeats and the energetic Makossa sound of Congolese performer Awilo Longomba as supporters danced and sang alongside him.
The Kuti connection also carries some history. EURweb has previously chronicled the family’s continuing Afrobeat legacy, including Made Kuti’s place alongside his father Femi Kuti and uncle, Seun Kuti in the musical lineage established by Fela.
Years of Training Behind Seven Days of Dance
Gabriel told AFP that preparations began in 2022 and included gym work, endurance and pain training, and exercises designed to prepare him for sleep deprivation. A knee problem emerged about three weeks before the attempt, raising concerns among organizers.
Under marathon rules, he could earn five minutes of rest for each continuous hour of activity and accumulate that time for longer breaks.
His assistant, Mercy Idisi, said the biggest battle was psychological.
“The only challenge we have is mentally, especially with sleep deprivation,” she told AFP.
Nigeria’s Guinness Fever Keeps Growing
Gabriel joins a wave of Nigerians pursuing unconventional world records. Interest surged after chef Hilda Baci’s headline-making cooking marathon in 2023; Guinness subsequently reported receiving roughly 1,500 applications from Nigeria in the following months.
Chess marathon record holder Tunde Onakoya was among those who came out to support Gabriel.
“Nigerians don’t come last in anything,” Onakoya told AFP, describing Nigerians as “very daring and competitive.”
For Gabriel, however, the finish line points back to the culture that carried him through more than 176 hours.
“This means I can achieve great things from small places,” he said, “and that I can change the world with dance.”
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