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In 2006, Madu Margaret Vilvens aka Megryderz of Stepryderz, made Nigeria proud when she won a three-day danceathon competition and cemented her name in the Guinness Book of Records.
Megryderz has performed dance choreography with renowned musicians like Tuface, KC Presh, Timaya, and Sean Tizzle among others. The award-winning dancer is currently based in America where she runs a TV show called Spillthetea on Rydewithmeg, which dwells on lifestyles and experiences in the Diaspora.
In this chat, Megryderz speaks on her inspiration, clinching a world record and difference between Nigerian and American dance, among others. Here are excerpts:
When did you realise that you could dance and were your parents in support of it?
For me, dancing is inborn. I had my aunty dance for topnotch artistes like Egedege and my mother also danced in her youthful days. We are born entertainers; dance is in our genes. Growing up with my grandmother for most part of my life also paved way for me to be creative in terms of dancing. As a teenager, I used to dance with her and her friends during meetings. I was always going to meetings with her and it was priceless for me. They had their weekly meetings and I always danced for them and with them. Realising that I could dance was amazing, it’s a thing I had been doing from my childhood days. I danced when I was in primary school and I was the lead dancer for the Igbo cultural group; even during my secondary school and university, I was also dancing. I did performances with my team, Stepryderz. We went from one state to the other, including some countries for performances.
At first, my parents were not in support of my dancing; they were skeptical when it comes to entertainment. Back in the days, African parents were not as open-minded as they are now. Entertainment these days has gone far and wide, and parents have a better understanding of what entertainment is. It’s seen as a very lucrative profession. My parents were not in support, especially my mother, who could not fathom that I wanted to be a dancer or that dancing was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Those days, parents wanted their children to be doctors, lawyers, engineers etc.; the other professions did not really matter to them.
How do you feel when you had the opportunity to do choreography with Tuface, KC Presh, Timaya and Sean Tizzle among others?
For me, every opportunity is a blessing to work or create art or show my talent and bring joy to people. Every opportunity to be on stage with great artistes to explore my art and craft is a priceless feeling. I am humbled and will always be humbled by every opportunity I got to showcase my craft. I am grateful to everyone that has given me the opportunity to be able to make something out of my craft. It is a humbling experience.
How would you compare dance in Nigeria and America?
Honestly, dance is dance everywhere in the world, but every dancer is unique in his or her own way. There is something in dance that makes you different from another dancer. Every dancer is unique because every style is different. Every infusion of movement, bodywork, choreography that a dancer does makes him or her unique. For example, if I want to dance galala, it’s going to be different from the way another artiste will do it, because each individual is unique in his or her way of dancing.
You cannot compare dance in Nigeria to that of America. It’s actually the opposite. In the United States of America, every profession is appreciated; it doesn’t matter if you are a dancer, cleaner or cobbler, every profession is highly respected. No one feels that you are doing him or her a favour. As a dancer in America, you are well paid, compared to Nigeria where the artiste is paid peanuts or not paid at all.
What was your reaction when your name entered the Guinness Book of Records after three days non-stop Decathlon Dance Competition in 2006?
I was super excited that we won, and the excitement came from breaking the record. I love competitions. If you throw me a challenge, I will smash it. I was excited and happy. I didn’t know if it was going to be a life-changing experience because I was young. My goal then was to let people know that the record could be broken, and we smashed it and set another record that needed to be broken by another country. It was an amazing experience, it was great and I never knew the kind of energy that I had inside of me that day.
I was called out to exhibit my skills and the organisers couldn’t understand the kind of energy I had. They tested me for drugs and nothing was found in me. My energy was just a match and anyone who watched that competition knew what went down. For me, it was just about breaking that record and I was excited that the goal was achieved. I played a major role in putting Nigeria in the Guinness World Records for that particular competition.
How did you feel when you were invited to perform at the African Oscars at Warner Theatre Washington DC?
I am a person that grabs every opportunity given to me as if that would be my last. It was another great opportunity, which I will always remember as a dance choreographer, who came from Nigeria and who has been able to use her craft to be in different countries. It’s a footprint for me to choreograph at the African Oscars. I was the artistic director for all artistes during the award. I also got the opportunity to perform and entertain the crowd.
What’s your advice to up-and-coming acts that want to take dance as a career?
They should stay focused. Are you going to be beaten down? Yes! A lot of people will make you feel that you don’t have it, but if you are a goal getter, you should believe in yourself. Always keep your dreams alive. You are not too small to dream big and there is no dream that is too big. Be a big dreamer, focus on your art, explore as much as you want. Start from somewhere, be confident and believe in yourself. Don’t let anyone discourage you. Dance like no one is watching, and kill it!
How do you combine being a dancer, a mother and an IT specialist?
Honestly, being a dancer, TV host, actress, MC and YouTuber is exciting. There are lots of things that I do as an entertainer and not just as a dancer anymore. I have featured in few movies in Hollywood and I intend doing more in my productions. I multi-task coupled with the fact that I am a mother. Having been able to combine all these has been humbling and a blessing to me.
As a mother, would you encourage any of your children to take dance as a profession?
I would have said ‘no’ but with where I am today and with the things I have seen, and knowing how dance has changed my life. I remember how my mother had to shave my hair and stop me from dancing. I got locked out of the house several times and beaten. I knew the pains for not having someone who supported my dreams. I wouldn’t want that for my child or anyone. Any profession that my children want to go into, I will definitely give them my maximum support. I will guide them and let them see reasons if it is something that they can do better in other aspect.
What inspires your dance steps
Everything inspires me. I think it, I create it and I dance it. My inspiration can be from anywhere. I also get inspiration from people around. I draw my energy from positive vibes.
