Disney+ Releases Trailer for ‘Madu,’ Based on the Journey of Viral Nigerian Ballet Dancer

In the peak of the pandemic in June 2020, a video of 11-year-old Anthony Madu practicing his ballet dance in the rain was posted by the dance academy he was in and it instantly went viral and mesmerized the world. The rest is history, as the teen was reported to have left his family in Nigeria for a ballet school in Birmingham, U.K.

Disney+ has released the trailer for the documentary film already selected to show at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. Madu premieres on the streamer on March 29.

The trailer offers some interiority about Madu’s life. The public perception of ballet as a feminine activity was mentioned in Madu’s words, who appears now to be on the cusp of a life-changing experience.

There are scenes of Madu, who started dancing when he was 5, leaving his family and community. The bond with his mother is profoundly touching, reveling in their closeness. Upon arrival in England, a lovely contrast in environment feels like the beginning of something new for Madu.

Madu | Official Trailer | Disney+www.youtube.com

But he would soon find out that talent isn’t enough. While the trailer offers a glimpse of a medical mishap with Madu, one that interferes with his dancing, the set up from there seemingly transitions into a coming-of-age story. With a dream to dance on a grand stage, Madu would need personal resolve.

Directed by Academy Award nominee Matt Ogens and Kachi Benson,

Madu joins Disney+’s steady content expansion into Africa, notably with animation titles like the sci-fi anthology Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire and the yet-to-premiere Iwaju.