Nigerian dancer and choreographer Benjamin Daniel Gabriel, popularly known as Bendancer, has completed a seven-day dance marathon in Lagos as he seeks to set a new Guinness World Records title for the longest dance marathon by an individual.
Gatekeepers News reports that Gabriel concluded the challenge at about noon on Tuesday at Freedom Park, Lagos, after dancing for more than 176 hours. His team said the final timing was seven days, eight hours, 32 minutes and 59 seconds.
The 33-year-old had set out to dance for 168 hours, beginning the endurance challenge on September 21. His target was 41 hours longer than the existing Guinness World Records record of 127 hours, set by Indian dancer Srushti Sudhir Jagtap in 2023.
The challenge attracted supporters to Freedom Park, with Nigerians gathering at the venue to encourage Bendancer as he continued with the marathon. He incorporated different Nigerian dance styles and music genres, including Afrobeats, fuji, jazz and zouk, while also wearing traditional outfits such as agbada and dashiki to highlight Nigerian and African culture.
Bendancer has spent about 18 years as a professional dancer and works across choreography, creative direction, dance consultancy, modelling and fitness instruction. He is also the founder of Bendancer Academy International, where he trains and mentors emerging dancers.
Following the completion of the attempt, Bendancer was taken to hospital for a medical check-up.
However, Guinness World Records has not yet officially recognised him as the new record holder. The organisation said his application remains active and that evidence from the attempt would undergo its review and verification process before any record can be confirmed.
