Nigerian Dancer who has done justice to lot of records in the dance arena, Kafayat Shafau-Ameh, with dance name, Kaffy has expressed deep grief over the health state of her colleagues.
Mother of two said, “More than 98 per cent of dancers don’t have health insurance and self-awareness. The majority lead a lifestyle of drugs, peer pressure, poor mental wellbeing, and personal irresponsibility. This is the bane of the industry. Until every corporate dance leader is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that every staff (dancer) has a valid health insurance cover.”
Speaking further, Kaffy maintained that the dance industry was unstructured for a variety of reasons.
She added, “The dance industry is largely unstructured for many reasons. Firstly, the low level of entry into the industry is a problem. The art of dance in Africa is appreciated even when one is not a professional. Because of this, many young people don’t go through the proper channels of training.
Many dancers operate from the place of talent alone and do not harness the skills or improve in areas they should by going to dance schools. We may not have enough dance academies in the country, but there are (some out there). A lot of young people form groups based on the common interest of dancing.
She said, “Yes, my kids are taking interest in dance. I don’t force them to but it’s what they see around. They love dance because it is what they met in the family. As to whether they would be dancers in future, I don’t have an idea. They may grow out of it but it is one skill they would possess for the rest of their lives.”
