I was disowned for choosing to dance — Kaffy

Nigeria’s most celebrated dancer Kaffy reveals that her family was not on board with her pursuing dance as a career and went as far as disowning her.

Dr Kafayat Shafau-Ameh known by her stage name Kaffy has been in the industry for two decades. She has received acclaim for her versatility, creative direction, and for inspiring a whole generation of dancers. She is the founder of Imagneto Dance company, a Guinness World Record holder, an author; as well as a multi-award winner who has worked with top brands and artistes in the region.

However, things were not always so rosy for the award-winning choreographer. Kaffy said that when she initially declared her intention to be a dancer, she was disowned by her family and lost a lot of friends. Not only was dance not economically viable, it was also seen as immoral.

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Kaffy said she went into the dance space at a time when dancing was unacceptable as a career in Nigeria; so she faced extreme opposition from family and friends. She said, “It all got to that part where I was dis-daughtered, I lost friends. I had friends who said ‘my mother said we should not play with you again because you are a dancer’….. I chose dance when it was socially, culturally, religiously not acceptable to be a dancer. Dance had almost zero economic value.”

But after Kaffy went on to break the Guinness World Record in 2006, the mother of two entered a remarkable highlight in her early career where her family started to brag about her.

And because of how seriously she took dance as a profession; Kaffy inspired a lot of young people to follow their passion. She said, “After breaking a Guinness World record, seeing the way I was able to carry the art form, the business of it, and seeing the reaction of people towards it and the opportunities it was opening, a lot of young people started keying in.”