Commercializing Dance with Kafayat Shafau Ameh 'Kaffy'

Kafayat Oluwatoyin Shafau (born 30 June 1980), popularly known by her stage name Kaffy, is a Nigerian dancer, choreographer, dance instructor, and fitness coach. She is also the founder and owner of Imagneto Dance Company. She is best known for breaking the Guinness World Record for "Longest Dance Party" at the Nokia Silverbird Danceathon in 2006.

Below is a summary of the interview Commercial Dance with Kafayat Shafau Ameh 'Kaffy'

Recounting her childhood experiences, she said that she had always been a believer a habit that had seen her fulfilling her dreams. The one-time Guiness World-book record holder recounted that she had always looked forward to breaking a record and having an appearance in the book. Sharing her journey into becoming a dancer, she recalled that it had started from her primary school days. Although, she had faced a lot of challenges, she began to take dancing seriously when she realized she needed to loose weight.

It had started from joining aerobic classes and participating actively until a day came where she had to stand in for the instructor, with adding a little dance into the exercise class, she soon got the attendees excited. She moved on to continue as a dance instructor at the University and she soon began to get jobs as a dance fitness coach. She was of the opinion that everybody could excel in their respective career choices only that it depends on one's level of desire and hunger for greatness.

She expressed displeasure on the attitude of Nigerians towards to victim and entitlement mindset as anyone could have a better life if they would add value to themselves. To the business in dancing she said that dancing was a lucrative business both in entertainment, fitness, parties adding that so far there is demand, there will be supply. She went on to say that anyone could learn to dance if they put their hearts and mind to it. Going further, she said that dancing was a part of human body communication and each dancer has their strength as pertains to the different areas in dancing.

As to the level of dancing that people want to operate on, she advised that they put the equivalent work into it. She spoke about dancing, choreography, production, stage content management, administration as some of the options that were available if one hoped to pursue a career in dancing. Discussing further on the money side to dancing she spoke through the thought that everything in life was lucrative so far as a problem is being solved. Recounting the periods before landing major jobs she revealed that she had begun as a fitness trainer and later took to personal training to earn a living.

She called on dancers to endeavor to start from where they are, to make sure to take time to learn and understand the rudiments of dancing. Remarking further, she stressed the need to train and invest in oneself and even as training as a dancer was often expensive she urged aspiring dancers to ensure to have a means of sustenance as dancing often took a lot of time and could be quite expensive to learn. In her advise to up and coming dancers, she advised that they seek knowledge and to take advantage of the info around them and to also learn to run businesses in the right pattern.