The Reading / Listening - Ballet Dancer - Level 5

An 11-year-old boy is famous after a video of him dancing in the rain outside his home in Nigeria went viral. Anthony Madu impressed people with his skill, passion and dedication. An Oscar-winning actor saw a video of Anthony and put it on her social media. She tweeted: "We create, soar, can imagine, have unleashed passion, and love, despite the brutal obstacles that have been put in front of us." Another social media user said: "As adults, it is our job to help each child find their talent and to support them...The joy from this propels them in all things they do."

Anthony is a student at a dance academy in a poor district of Lagos. The academy gives free lessons to underprivileged children who have nowhere to practice. The academy's founder told BBC News: "We are changing the narrative about the stereotype of male dancers." Anthony said: "Where I live there are no male ballet dancers like me. When people see ballet they think it is only for girls, they don't know that it is not only for girls." He said he wanted people to know that there are also male ballet dancers. He added that this makes him feel like he is dreaming.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Ballet Dancer - Level 4 or  Ballet Dancer - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/nigeria-ballet-dancer-11-anthony-mmesoma-madu-video-a4495481.html
  • https://www.scmp.com/photos/3092187/dance-academy-brings-ballet-underprivileged-nigerian-children
  • https://www.gulftoday.ae/lifestyle/2020/07/07/nigeria-dance-academy-looks-to-spread-ballet-among-lagos-children


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. a video of him dancing
  2. impressed people
  3. passion and
  4. put it on
  5. despite the brutal
  6. put in
  7. it is our job to
  8. in all things
  1. her social media
  2. help each child
  3. with his skill
  4. front of us
  5. they do
  6. dedication
  7. in the rain
  8. obstacles

Paragraph 2

  1. Anthony is a student at
  2. in a poor
  3. underprivileged
  4. We are changing the
  5. the stereotype
  6. He said he wanted people
  7. there are also
  8. makes him feel
  1. children
  2. male ballet dancers
  3. of male dancers
  4. like he is dreaming
  5. a dance academy
  6. narrative
  7. to know
  8. district of Lagos

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

An 11-year-old boy is famous (1) ___________________ of him dancing in the rain outside his home in (2) ___________________. Anthony Madu impressed people with his (3) __________________ dedication. An Oscar-winning actor saw a video of Anthony and put it on her social media. She tweeted: "We (4) __________________ imagine, have unleashed passion, and love, despite the brutal obstacles that have been put in front of us." Another social media user said: "(5) ___________________ is our job to help each child find their talent and to support them...The joy from (6) ___________________ in all things they do."

Anthony is a student at (7) ___________________ in a poor district of Lagos. The academy gives (8) ___________________ underprivileged children who have nowhere to practice. The academy's founder told BBC News: "We (9) ___________________ narrative about (10) ___________________ male dancers." Anthony said: "Where I live there are no male ballet dancers like me. When people see ballet they think it is only for girls, they don't know that it is not only for girls." He said he wanted (11) ___________________ that there are also male ballet dancers. He added that this makes him feel like (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

An11-year-oldboyisfamousafteravideoofhimdancingintherainouts
idehishomeinNigeriawentviral.AnthonyMaduimpressedpeoplewithh
isskill,passionanddedication.AnOscar-winningactorsawavideoofAn
thonyandputitonhersocialmedia.Shetweeted:"Wecreate,soar,cani
magine,haveunleashedpassion,andlove,despitethebrutalobstaclest
hathavebeenputinfrontofus."Anothersocialmediausersaid:"Asadult
s,itisourjobtohelpeachchildfindtheirtalentandtosupportthem...Thej
oyfromthispropelstheminallthingstheydo."Anthonyisastudentatada
nceacademyinapoordistrictofLagos.Theacademygivesfreelessonsto
underprivilegedchildrenwhohavenowheretopractice.Theacademy'sf
oundertoldBBCNews:"Wearechangingthenarrativeaboutthestereot
ypeofmaledancers."Anthonysaid:"WhereIlivetherearenomaleballet
dancerslikeme.Whenpeopleseeballettheythinkitisonlyforgirls,theyd
on'tknowthatitisnotonlyforgirls."Hesaidhewantedpeopletoknowthat
therearealsomaleballetdancers.Headdedthatthismakeshimfeellikeh
eisdreaming.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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