In line with the vision of the Enugu state Governor ,Dr Peter Mbah to make the state a tourism and entertainment hub, the Executive Secretary of the Enugu State Council for Arts and Culture, Laurence Ani, on Sunday unveiled a bold cultural entertainment initiative titled, “Ballet Meets Rhythm.”
The initiative which also aimed at repositioning Enugu as Nigeria’s creative and cultural hub, saw dancers, performers and entertainers thrilled guests with a spectacular fusion of ballet, African rhythm, contemporary dance and indigenous performances at the International Conference Centre, Enugu
Ani
The colourful event, organised by the Enugu State Council for Arts and Culture in collaboration with Enugu Air, attracted a large audience comprising government officials, academics, culture enthusiasts, tourism stakeholders, entertainers, students, children, artists and lovers of the arts, who applauded the initiative as a fresh cultural rebirth for Enugu State.
Traditional dancers performing
The performances featured a captivating blend of classical ballet, traditional African dance, rhythmic drumming, dramatic cultural displays and contemporary entertainment, drawing loud applause from the audience .
Speaking with journalists after the event, Ani explained that the initiative was conceived as a platform to unite diverse audiences through creativity while making indigenous dance expressions more appealing and globally competitive.
According to him, the production was inspired by the need to bridge cultural gaps and accommodate different entertainment tastes within one performance space.
“We have diverse audiences, we have persons who might not be quite familiar with our indigenous dance expression, so we thought that let’s cater to diverse audiences,” Ani said.
The Ballet performance
“How do we cater to diverse audiences in Enugu? So we said, why don’t we create the same platform, but with diverse dance expressions. So that’s essentially what led to this today.”
Guests were visibly excited as performers seamlessly blended ballet with African rhythm and modern dance styles in what many described as one of the most innovative entertainment concepts recently introduced in Enugu
Ani disclosed that “Ballet Meets Rhythm” was not designed as a one-off event but would be expanded into a national and international cultural tour to showcase Enugu’s creative potential.
“It’s not a one-off. What we intend to do is to take this on tour of major cities in Nigeria. We intend to go to Abuja and Lagos in celebration of Enugu State’s anniversary of creation which comes up in August,” he stated.
“So we’ll be taking this to major cities in Nigeria and afterwards we’ll now look to collaborate with some art councils outside Nigeria.”
He noted that beyond entertainment, the initiative aligned with Governor Peter Mbah’s vision of using the creative economy as a tool for employment generation, wealth creation and economic diversification.
“As much as we are entertaining, we are also earning income because artists need to be compensated. Artists need to earn from their craft,” Ani said.
“When the governor says he wants to use the creative sector to create jobs, this is one of the ways. Dancers should be able to earn from their craft. That’s what we are exhibiting today.”
Ani further lamented the poor monetisation of artistic performances in Nigeria, stressing that plans were underway to convert the performances into documentaries and digital creative content capable of generating long-term revenue for performers and stakeholders.
“We are considering several options. I discovered that we do not monetise our art a lot. We perform, but how do we still earn from the footage, from the audio and all that?” he queried.
Group photo of performers
“Certainly, we will still package this and make it into a documentary. Putting this together wasn’t easy. When you see a dance performance, it looks simple, but people don’t appreciate the backstory. This took a lot of effort.
Ani
The Arts and Culture boss also highlighted the emergence of young talents during the production, including teenage ballet sensation, Anthony Mad, alongside another teenage ballerina whose parents approved her participation in the show.
Delivering a lecture on the theme, “The Value of the Contemporary Creative Economy in National Development,” guest lecturer, Dr. Ferdinand Agu, traced the deep-rooted history of entertainment and artistic expression in Igbo land, insisting that the Igbo people had always embraced culture and creativity contrary to widespread assumptions.
Traditional dance performance
According to him, the major challenge over the years was the absence of government support and proper infrastructure for the arts and tourism sectors.
“Our people have always loved entertainment, but previous governments did not consider creativity and culture as important sectors. We never had the structures and cultural centres that could drive entertainment and tourism the way other states did,” he said.
Agu commended the administration of Governor Peter Mbah for introducing a fresh vision for arts, culture and tourism development in Enugu State, describing the initiative as a significant step towards repositioning the state as a major cultural and creative destination.
Ballet meets Rhythm
Reflecting on the rich cultural heritage of the Igbo people, he stated that artistic expression had always existed naturally within communities long before the emergence of the modern creative economy.
“Everybody in Igbo land is an artist. In every community, somebody sings, somebody dances, somebody performs, somebody entertains. Creativity has always been part of our identity,” he added.
He further explained that the digital age had transformed creativity into a viable economic venture capable of creating wealth through social media and digital platforms.
“Today, all these beautiful performances, songs and creative contents can make people millionaires just by using their phones. Facebook, TikTok and other digital platforms have opened opportunities for people to monetize their talents,” he stated.
Agu urged young people to embrace digital technology, innovation and professional content creation, stressing that the internet had become a major tool for wealth creation in the contemporary economy.
“If you do not understand the internet, then you have not entered the contemporary world of digital applications. The world is moving fast, and creativity is now a global economic force,” he stressed.
He also emphasised the need for training, orientation and investment in the creative industry, encouraging youths to transform their talents, intelligence and cultural expressions into sustainable businesses rather than depending solely on white-collar jobs.
From L to R: Mamah, Ekweremadu Jnr., Nnajieze, Ani, Madueke
Highlighting the importance of traditional entertainment and masquerade culture in Igbo society, Agu described the popular “DJ” masquerade concept as one of the greatest indigenous entertainment innovations that predated modern entertainment systems.
Also speaking during the event, cultural enthusiast, Sir Kevin Ejiofor, delivered a goodwill message in which he commended the organisers for rekindling cultural consciousness in Enugu State through the “Ballet Meets Rhythm” showcase.
Ejiofor praised Ani for his dedication towards reviving the state’s creative and cultural sector.
“Whoever conceptualised this programme understands my passion for culture. The mere fact that people can gather like this on a Sunday evening for culture speaks volumes. Laurence, I am proud of you as a teacher and cultural ambassador. Congratulations,” he said.
He stressed that culture remained the foundation of every society and the driving force behind human civilisation.
“You may have wealth and resources, but without cultural pull and soft power, society loses its identity. At the end of the day, everything is cultural — law, engineering, architecture, music and even governance,” he added.
From L to R Shola, Ejeh, Nnajieze and Nwomeh
Ejiofor further described Nigeria as a unique blend of traditions and values united through cultural diversity, maintaining that cultural heritage remained one of the strongest tools for national unity and global relevance.
He urged stakeholders in the arts and entertainment industry to sustain the momentum generated by the programme by continuously investing in platforms that preserve and project indigenous heritage to younger generations.
“Can we please keep this up? Culture is the soul of the people. What we are witnessing here today shows that Enugu is gradually reclaiming its place as a centre for arts, creativity and entertainment,” he stated.
Observers at the event described “Ballet Meets Rhythm” as a refreshing cultural renaissance capable of restoring Enugu’s status as one of Nigeria’s foremost centres for arts, tourism, entertainment and creative innovation.
