Kaffy is a Nigerian dancer, choreographer, dance instructor and fitness coach. She is the founder and owner of Imagneto Dance Company and is best known for breaking the Guinness World Records for the Longest Dance Party at the Nokia Silverbird Danceathon in 2006. She has been a judge and mentor on several dance and music reality shows including MTN Project Fame. In this interview with Naij.com, she talked about her latest gig as a judge on TV show Dance with Peter, among other things.
Tell us more about Dance with Peter?
Dance with Peter to me is like a dream come true because I would have done it on my own but when Peter walked up to me and mentioned it, then we worked on it together. We embarked on the project because I have noticed that in Nigeria people like to take all the glory to themselves forgetting those that assisted them, so instead of allowing Peter to do his own thing while I do mine, I decided to give it more value by forming a strong team to make it a success.
Would you say dancing has given you so much fame?
I just had the faith that whatever I decided to become in life would be important to me and the people around me. And it’s the importance to people around me that has made me famous. It was not because I tried to be popular but because I communicate or try to maintain a direct contact with people who practically do what I have done with them. It was not a conscious effort to be the most popular girl in town but it was part of my destiny. From when I was a child, I have always represented my school at debates, Red Cross, jet club to inter-house sports. So, it’s nature that is taking its own course in my life.
How has the journey being so far especially mentoring young dancers?
The experience over the years includes the beautiful, ugly and bad. The only thing that has not changed and will not change is that urge to help because it’s a calling because when God gives you a gift it always shines out. One thing the young people get twisted is the fact that you make them a better person and they end up using it against you. I have housed about 20 dancers and that period was a learning process for me because I regretted many actions. I gathered my strength and I tried again many times. I figured there has to be someone out there who can help but at the end of the day you find only yourself. Despite all the young people I have trained, housed and catered for, is to see them start up their own dance schools without confessing they went through my guidance and direction but within me I am happy I made them who they are today and do not fend for them anymore.
You recently released a dance workout on DVD, tell us about it?
It was a dance workout which I started about ten years ago because so many people do not really workout. For me being a dancer, it became easy for me because I started adding my own flavours into dance and in a twinkle of an eye, it became something everyone started doing. This inspired me to do my DVD, Ijoda, because I wanted to do something that the western world will take the credit not by following what others are doing. That was how I came about Ijoda meaning “Let us dance or dance is good.” So, immediately I began to think of how I can coin it in a way that everyone will be able to relate with it
EXCLUSIVE: How I Inspired Other Dancers - Kaffy
Kaffy is a Nigerian dancer, choreographer, dance instructor and fitness coach. She is the founder and owner of Imagneto Dance Company and is best known for breaking the Guinness World Records for the Longest Dance Party at the Nokia Silverbird Danceathon in 2006. She has been a judge and mentor on several dance and music reality shows including MTN Project Fame. In this interview with Naij.com, she talked about her latest gig as a judge on TV show Dance with Peter, among other things.
Tell us more about Dance with Peter?
Dance with Peter to me is like a dream come true because I would have done it on my own but when Peter walked up to me and mentioned it, then we worked on it together. We embarked on the project because I have noticed that in Nigeria people like to take all the glory to themselves forgetting those that assisted them, so instead of allowing Peter to do his own thing while I do mine, I decided to give it more value by forming a strong team to make it a success.
Would you say dancing has given you so much fame?
I just had the faith that whatever I decided to become in life would be important to me and the people around me. And it’s the importance to people around me that has made me famous. It was not because I tried to be popular but because I communicate or try to maintain a direct contact with people who practically do what I have done with them. It was not a conscious effort to be the most popular girl in town but it was part of my destiny. From when I was a child, I have always represented my school at debates, Red Cross, jet club to inter-house sports. So, it’s nature that is taking its own course in my life.
How has the journey being so far especially mentoring young dancers?
The experience over the years includes the beautiful, ugly and bad. The only thing that has not changed and will not change is that urge to help because it’s a calling because when God gives you a gift it always shines out. One thing the young people get twisted is the fact that you make them a better person and they end up using it against you. I have housed about 20 dancers and that period was a learning process for me because I regretted many actions. I gathered my strength and I tried again many times. I figured there has to be someone out there who can help but at the end of the day you find only yourself. Despite all the young people I have trained, housed and catered for, is to see them start up their own dance schools without confessing they went through my guidance and direction but within me I am happy I made them who they are today and do not fend for them anymore.
You recently released a dance workout on DVD, tell us about it?
It was a dance workout which I started about ten years ago because so many people do not really workout. For me being a dancer, it became easy for me because I started adding my own flavours into dance and in a twinkle of an eye, it became something everyone started doing. This inspired me to do my DVD, Ijoda, because I wanted to do something that the western world will take the credit not by following what others are doing. That was how I came about Ijoda meaning “Let us dance or dance is good.” So, immediately I began to think of how I can coin it in a way that everyone will be able to relate with it
How far has the project taken you?
I have toured Nigeria with this workout, I have done free workouts at the National Stadium in Lagos for three years and as well as different sports. Then I decided to quickly take this outside the country and see how they will buy into our afro style which prompted me to go to the UK first and they liked it. Before I knew it, other dance groups started their own dance. It was like it gave them another opportunity to start their fitness classes. Then I proceeded to five states in America and it was stressful for me because I had my kids with me but with the help of Cynthia Morgan’s manager in America, I did not have much trouble with my kids. So when I got back into the country I realised it was time for me to shoot the video which took four different productions before we could finalize it..
How much did the project gulp?
I spent almost 15 million on that project which includes traveling from one country to another and many other expenses. However, I have not done the Alaba version yet because that is the one everybody on the street will buy. For now, we want to keep the quality of the video at its highest level before we take it to Alaba market.
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