ht to make sure I was not dozing off and ask me questions afterwards. Any question missed would attract several strokes of the cane . It wasn ’ t tea party for me , but those days prepared me for the future and I ’ m glad about the progress I ’ ve made so far . In my previous schools, I always had impressive performances . I remember bagging the prizes in all subjects except Yoruba in my secondary school. I always took first position both in primary and secondary school .
Apart from being the best in your department, were there other awards you won as an undergraduate?
Yes, I won the most outstanding female and most academic sought -after female of the department . I also won the Prof. Babatunde Fafunwa award for the best graduating student with the highest CGPA in my faculty .
What was the extreme thing you ever did for the sake of your academics ?
When I read for 48 hours at a stretch .
Some people would think you would have read throughout to have that kind of result. Were you involved in other activities?
I didn ’ t read throughout; I was involved in other activities. I made sure I slept from 8pm to 11pm and then read from 11pm to 4am every day. Besides , I was involved in other activities . I like dancing and writing . I was in two dance crews and was the editor- in- chief of the National Association of Physical and Health Education , Recreation, Sports and Dance News and also belonged to the editorial unit in church . Those activities were equally demanding . I would travel to perform at dance events and competitions and go for overnight rehearsals , write for magazines and stay up to meet deadlines for submission. Ordinarily , I was doing rehearsals every day and the duration varied and there were times we had overnight rehearsals and I had to go to class the following morning . The most important thing was creating a balance and doing the right thing at the right time . I really wanted the best out of both worlds . It was a challenging feat but I was able to pull through with the help of God .
How did you start being a dancer and choreographer ?
I started dancing from secondary school. It gets me excited seeing people move their bodies . I realised I could do some of those movements very well . I started getting interested , formed a dance crew and we performed at special events in school. The experience in the university was not any different . I joined a dance crew , performed on stage and events , and became recognised in OAU . I started getting referrals to teach people how to dance. I really can’ t describe what dance means to me. I ’ m very passionate about it and it makes me very happy .
Was it that you went to learn it or it started since you were young?
I didn ’ t learn it. I realised it was something I could do , naturally . Although , as dancers , there are certain moves that need to be learnt and internalised .
Which would you consider as your biggest stage to have featured?
The best stage I ever featured was at Aso Rock at the YOUWIN conference . Having to dance in front of the then President Goodluck Jonathan was an honour. Also , I was given the ever ready member award and best female dancer award by my crew ( Shake up ’ crew ) , and best female dancer , Obafemi Awolowo University ( 2009) . I was named the best female dancer , Malta Guinness street dance competition, 2010. These mean a lot to me.
Were your parents supportive or there were times they chastised you ?
My parents didn ’ t know I danced in school , until they heard from friends that I was on TV. Since my academics wasn ’ t affected , they were very supportive.
How did you feel the first time you saw yourself on TV?
I was excited; I mean very excited. That was when I went for Malta Guinness Street dance and the judges made wonderful remarks about my performance , so that meant a lot. That was in my third year . I was really excited.
But oftentimes , people see dancers as unserious people , in terms of academics .
