Nigerian dancer Benjamin Daniel Gabriel, aged 32, performed on stage in Lagos aiming to set a new world record for the duration of an individual dance marathon. He managed to achieve a new record of 176 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds.
On the seventh day of his solo dance marathon, Benjamin Daniel Gabriel continued his pursuit of the world record in Nigeria, where grand stunts for the Guinness Book of Records have become a national entertainment. This 32-year-old dancer, known as Ben Dancer, set out to achieve a new record for the longest individual dance marathon.
Gabriel, who danced alongside musician Maid Kuti, grandson of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, moved continuously for 176 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds. The previous record of 127 hours was set by Indian dancer Shruti Sudhir Jagtap in 2023 when she was 16 years old.
Gabriel is the latest in a long list of Nigerians who have either broken or attempted to break world records. A few days after starting his endeavor, about 51,000 people gathered at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos—the site of Nigeria's official independence ceremony near Freedom Park—where Gabriel danced to beat the record for the highest number of premiere attendees.
When Fela's melodies started playing, energetic Makossa songs from Congolese singer and drummer Avilo Longomba prompted Gabriel to switch to a rapid dance routine matching the music's tempo. Dozens of people sang and danced with him. At one point, a small crowd synchronized with his movements as the hall filled with Afrobeats songs featuring popular dance moves.