Buddy Dance Cup

Vision

To build a sustainable and inclusive national dance competition that celebrates creativity, teamwork, and professionalism in dance, empowering dancers across Nigeria and Africa to collaborate, compete, and represent their countries on international stages.

Mission

To revive and promote partner and team dancing in Nigeria through an annual competition that encourages artistic excellence, unity, and purpose-driven dance practice.
The Buddy Dance Cup aims to nurture dancers, strengthen the culture of collaboration, and create a national platform where artistic talent and social impact meet.

Core Values

Collaboration – Building unity among dancers and teams.
Creativity – Showcasing original choreography that reflects African and Latin influences.
Discipline – Encouraging professional standards in dance practice and presentation.
Inclusivity – Opening participation to multiple dance genres and diverse backgrounds.
Community – Using dance as a tool to bring people together, inspire, and create positive change.

Purpose and Impact

The competition is designed to:

Revive partner and team dancing in Nigeria, a practice that had nearly disappeared due to economic hardship, inflation, and limited creative opportunities.
Promote collaboration among dancers, choreographers, and instructors, fostering a sense of unity and professionalism.
Encourage artistic excellence through structured competition, creative choreography, and cultural expression.
Offer exposure and opportunities for dancers to represent Nigeria at international festivals and platforms.
Rebuild social and emotional connection in dance communities that were fragmented by hardship and survival-driven entertainment work.

In 2025, the first official edition of the Buddy Dance Cup was held on October 19th, with 10 registered teams participating. The event symbolized a rebirth for partner and team dancing in Nigeria, restoring enthusiasm, teamwork, and purpose among professional and emerging dancers.

Background and Evolution

The Buddy Dance Cup was first conceived in 2008, when Buddy Doubara Agedah launched Buddy Dance TV on YouTube, a platform created to showcase and celebrate dancers from across Africa. The competition was envisioned as a national contest that would spotlight exceptional dance talent and strengthen professional collaboration among dancers.

However, due to limited resources and structural challenges in the Nigerian dance industry, the idea remained dormant until after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, when Buddy reactivated the project and began building partnerships and sponsorships.

Initially conceptualised as a Latin dance competition, the Buddy Dance Cup has now evolved into a multigenre national competition that includes both salsa and Afro dance — reflecting the diversity and richness of Nigeria’s dance scene.

Connection to the West Africa Afro-Latin Dance Festival

The Buddy Dance Cup is now a major component of the West Africa Afro-Latin Dance Festival Nigeria, founded by Buddy Agedah in 2012.
This festival serves as a regional hub for cross-cultural collaboration among dancers from Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and beyond. Through the Buddy Dance Cup, the festival now includes a national competition segment that crowns Nigeria’s top dance teams, preparing them to represent the country at other international festivals such as:

Benin International Dance Festival (BIDAF)
Ghana Dance Festival
Akoma Dance Spirit Festival, among others.

This integration makes the Buddy Dance Cup not only a competition but also a development pipeline for dancers aspiring to perform at regional and global levels.

Broader Contribution to the Dance Industry

The Buddy Dance Cup reflects Buddy Agedah’s long-term commitment to building the African dance ecosystem. Over two decades, through Dance & Art Alive and the West Africa Afro-Latin Dance Festival, he has used dance as a tool for:

Health and social advocacy (e.g., partnerships with Sebeccly and Green Field Cancer Care Foundations for free breast cancer screenings at festivals)
Youth empowerment and job creation
Cultural diplomacy and cross-border collaboration

The Buddy Dance Cup stands as one of his legacy projects, a national symbol of hope, unity, and artistic renewal within the Nigerian and African dance industries.

Future Direction

The long-term goal of the Buddy Dance Cup is to:

Establish state qualifiers leading to national finals in Lagos.
Develop training and mentorship programs for dance teams preparing for international representation.
Partner with corporate, media, and government institutions to create sustainable sponsorship frameworks for performing arts.
Promote Nigeria as a regional hub for partner and team dance development in Africa.