Dami’s story begins at a secondary school in London, where she auditioned for plays and musicals. She sang and acted, but it was dance that truly captured her interest. “I realised I was actually quite good at this,” she recalls, despite having no formal training.
She continued to dance in general, but around 2018, a friend suggested they film an Afro routine to “Underlover.” She hadn’t danced Afro formally before, only at parties, but as soon as they filmed the routine, she was hooked. For a while, Afro became her foundation, even surpassing her earlier pursuits in jazz and tap.
Today, she embraces Afro as her root while intentionally working towards versatility as a dancer.
Dance With Dami: The Birth
“Dance With Dami” was born in 2019 while Dami was at university. Friends encouraged her to host a class, despite her never having taught before. Hesitant but willing, she tried. The first class was a shock: “So many people came. In my head, they’d never seen me dance, so it felt like they trusted the process.”
She filmed the routine to Koffee’s “Toast” and uploaded it to YouTube. The clip went viral, reaching over 10,000 views in weeks (now over 60,000). The success motivated her to continue. The vision has always been clear: the classes focus on confidence, encouragement, and community.
Students reflect by sharing reviews that reassure beginners. This approach has built a steady following, currently six consistent students, with a goal of ten by the end of the year and a dream of growing a community of over 100.
Struggles: Criticism, comparison, and faith
The journey hasn’t been smooth. Early on, when she began ticketing her classes, reality hit hard: only two people paid for one of her events. “I thought people would just want to come, but I learned quickly, you have to create value.”
There were also harsher struggles. Criticism online sometimes crossed into cruelty. The negativity discouraged her, even leading her to pause teaching for a time. On top of that, she wrestled with comparison, feeling overlooked because she wasn’t “well-connected” or “industry big.”
Her faith became her anchor. A promise she holds close is that God will create her table. “We try so hard to sit at the tables of others,” she reflects, “but God told me He’s building one for me.” That belief steadied her through discouragement and reminded her that her path wouldn’t look like anyone else’s.
Breakthroughs: From Davido to Burna Boy
Momentum built in 2021 when she began professional training under Ezinne, founder of Zinarts Agency. Soon after came her first music video appearance: “Champion Sound” with Davido and Focalistic, followed by credits on Keys The Prince’s “Left Right” and Bella Shmurda’s “Loner.”
December 2023 marked another turning point. Dami travelled to Lagos to film her first professional concept video, story-driven, visually intentional, and ambitious. Shooting in Nigeria felt authentic: “Nigerian videographers really understand my ideas,” she explains.
The project elevated her brand, giving her confidence to adjust her class rates and embrace her role as a creative director. “The ideas in my head are bigger than just class combos,” she says. Looking forward, she dreams of choreographing stadium shows, award stages, and films where movement, narrative, and stagecraft fuse.
Then came Burna Boy. In 2024, she joined his London Stadium show with just a week and a half to learn the full set. Balancing rehearsals with her 9–5 job meant learning choreography at 6 a.m. in gyms and evenings at home. “It was the most dedicated I’ve ever been in my life,” she says.
The experience affirmed her: “I had imposter syndrome at first, but I know I shouldn’t. I want to be one of the greatest dancers of all time. And if God aligned this for me, I’m ready to carry it.”
While these credits raised her profile, she keeps her perspective. “Those names help,” she admits, “but what I’m building is bigger than proximity to fame.
Vision and legacy: Beyond the dance floor
Ask about the next ten years, and she doesn’t hesitate: she wants to be remembered as one of the greatest creatives of all time. Not just a dancer, but a choreographer, creative director, and even a scriptwriter for Nollywood.
“Dance With Dami” will grow into a company where she isn’t the only instructor, but part of a team building a movement. She sees opportunities in weddings, choreographing memorable entrances for couples across cultures.
Closing thoughts
Dami’s journey is a story of school hall beginnings, viral surprises, crushing lows, redemptive faith, and perseverance. It’s about her biggest stages yet, and the quiet Tuesday night classes where beginners find their first steps.
With every class, every video, every bold dream, Dami Ademola is building something big and she’s on the right path to doing so.
