Buddy Agedah Bags International Awards, Redefines Afro-Latin Dance in Africa

Nigerian choreographer Buddy Doubara Agedah has received two major international awards in 2025, further cementing his position as Africa’s leading figure in Afro-Latin dance. He was recently honoured at the Benin International Dance Festival (BIDAF) in Cotonou, where organisers recognised his contribution to the growth of Afro-Latin dance in Benin and the wider West African […]

Nigerian choreographer Buddy Doubara Agedah has received two major international awards in 2025, further cementing his position as Africa’s leading figure in Afro-Latin dance.

He was recently honoured at the Benin International Dance Festival (BIDAF) in Cotonou, where organisers recognised his contribution to the growth of Afro-Latin dance in Benin and the wider West African region.

“I am deeply honoured to receive this award from a francophone country,” he said. “It shows that the work we are doing is transcending language, borders, and cultures.”

Agedah, who also received the Ghana Dance Merit Award for Afro-Latin Dance Development earlier this year, became the first non-Ghanaian to earn the recognition.

He said the awards reflect years of consistent engagement with communities across the continent.

“No other dancer in this genre from West Africa has been able to build the kind of continental network we’ve created,” he said. “This isn’t just about dance — it’s about cultural exchange and sustainable movement.”

He explained that beyond performances and classes, his work focuses on building an identity for Afro-Latin dance rooted in African rhythm and experience.

Agedah has choreographed six original pieces now performed regularly in countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Kenya, South Africa, and Benin Republic.

He said the pieces serve as blueprints for a generation of Afro-Latin and Afro-fusion dancers seeking to blend tradition with modernity.

“These aren’t just dance routines, they are movement languages,” he said. “They carry African identity, energy, and storytelling.”

He noted that his impact also extends into wellness and lifestyle spaces through his Lagos- and Abuja-based project, Dance & Art Alive.

He said the initiative offers Nigerians a healthy, joyful alternative to clubbing by creating community dance spaces focused on physical fitness, mental health, and cultural pride.

“Every week, we host sessions that bring together hundreds of people across different backgrounds,” he said. “We are building something deeper than entertainment, this is healing.”

He added that his annual West African Afro-Latin Dance Festival has positioned Nigeria as a central hub for Afro-Latin culture on the continent.

He said the festival attracts creatives from Accra, Nairobi, Johannesburg, and beyond, adding that Nigeria now plays a leading role in shaping the global conversation around African-inspired dance.

“Through this work, we’re connecting people from across the continent and placing African creativity where it belongs, at the centre of the global stage,” he said.

He called on Nigerian institutions to invest more in local cultural talent and recognise the economic and diplomatic power of the arts.

“Award bodies and international festivals are taking notice,” he said. “But we need that same recognition and support here at home.”

Agedah said he remains focused on expanding his reach across Africa, noting that the next phase of his work would involve training emerging choreographers to carry the vision forward.

He said: “This movement is bigger than me. It’s about building a future where African stories, rhythms and voices are leading the world in dance.”