The Reading / Listening - Ballet Dancer - Level 4

An 11-year-old boy is famous after a video of him dancing in the rain in Nigeria went viral. Anthony Madu's skill and passion impressed people. An Oscar-winning actor saw the video and uploaded it. 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 person said adults had to find the talent in children and support them and let them feel joy.

Anthony is at a dance academy in Lagos. The academy gives free lessons to underprivileged children. The academy's founder said: "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 wants people to know that there are also male ballet dancers.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Ballet Dancer - Level 5 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. dancing
  2. Madu's skill and passion
  3. have unleashed
  4. despite the brutal
  5. put in front
  6. Another person said adults
  7. find the talent in
  8. let them feel
  1. joy
  2. passion
  3. of us
  4. children
  5. in the rain
  6. obstacles
  7. had to
  8. impressed people

Paragraph 2

  1. Anthony is at
  2. The academy gives
  3. underprivileged
  4. We are changing the
  5. the stereotype
  6. no male ballet dancers
  7. they think it
  8. He wants people
  1. like me
  2. children
  3. to know
  4. of male dancers
  5. a dance academy
  6. is only for girls
  7. free lessons
  8. narrative

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

An 11-year-old boy (1) ___________________ a video of him dancing in the rain in (2) ___________________. Anthony Madu's skill and passion impressed people. An Oscar-winning actor (3) ___________________ and uploaded it. She tweeted: "(4) ___________________, can imagine, have unleashed passion, and love, (5) ___________________ obstacles that have been put in front of us." Another person said adults had to find the talent in children and support them and let (6) ___________________.

Anthony is at (7) ___________________ in Lagos. The academy gives free lessons to underprivileged children. The (8) ___________________: "We are changing the narrative (9) ___________________ of male dancers." Anthony said: "Where I live there are no male ballet dancers like me. When (10) ___________________ they think it is only for girls, they don't know that it is not (11) ___________________." He wants people to know that there are also (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

An11-year-oldboyisfamousafteravideoofhimdancingintheraininN
igeriawentviral.AnthonyMadu'sskillandpassionimpressedpeople.An
Oscar-winningactorsawthevideoanduploadedit.Shetweeted:"We
create,soar,canimagine,haveunleashedpassion,andlove,despitethe
brutalobstaclesthathavebeenputinfrontofus."Anotherpersonsaidad
ultshadtofindthetalentinchildrenandsupportthemandletthemfeeljoy
.AnthonyisatadanceacademyinLagos.Theacademygivesfreelessons
tounderprivilegedchildren.Theacademy'sfoundersaid:"Wearechang
ingthenarrativeaboutthestereotypeofmaledancers."Anthonysaid:"
WhereIlivetherearenomaleballetdancerslikeme.Whenpeopleseeball
ettheythinkitisonlyforgirls,theydon'tknowthatitisnotonlyforgirls."H
ewantspeopletoknowthattherearealsomaleballetdancers.

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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