Kafayat Oluwatoyin Shafau (born 30 June 1980), popularly known by her stage name Kaffy, is a

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was derived from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jo ...

dancer Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

, dance critic,

choreographer Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A chor ...

, dance instructor and

fitness coach A personal trainer is an individual who creates and delivers safe and effective exercise programs for healthy individuals and groups, or those with medical clearance to exercise. They motivate clients by collaborating to set goals, providing m ...

. She is also the founder and owner of Imagneto Dance Company. She is best known for breaking the

Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...

for "Longest Dance Party" at the Nokia Silverbird Danceathon in 2006.

Early life and education

Kaffy was born and raised in

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

. She completed her primary education at Chrisland School, Opebi and her secondary school education at Coker Secondary School, Orile-Iganmu before attending

Yaba College of Technology Yaba College of Technology, popularly known as YABATECH, was founded in 1947, and is Nigeria's first higher educational institution. It is located in Yaba, Lagos. , it had a student enrollment of over 16,000. It also has a secondary school and ...

for a while and went on to obtain a diploma in

data processing Data processing is the collection and manipulation of digital data to produce meaningful information. Data processing is a form of ''information processing'', which is the modification (processing) of information in any manner detectable by an o ...

and

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, information, and automation. Computer science spans Theoretical computer science, theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, and information theory) to Applied science, ...

from

Olabisi Onabanjo University Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye is a state-owned university located in Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Nigeria. The university was founded on 7 July 1982 as Ogun State University (OSU) and was renamed Olabisi Onabanjo University on 29 May 2001, i ...

Career

Kaffy's dancing career took off after she went to an event to perform onstage by someone who spotted her when she used to go to the

National Stadium Many countries have a national sport stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football ...

during weekends for dance rehearsals and workouts. In 2006, Kaffy led her dance group to break the Guinness Book of Record for "Longest Dance Party" after they danced for 55hours and 40minutes. She is currently a dance instructor who has developed innovative visualisation-based methods for teaching dance and dance fitness in an accelerated-learning format. In 2017, she created 'The Dance Workshop ' a dance convention aimed at training and mentoring professional dancers as well as promoting cultural exchange within the Nigerian dance industry. The 2017 Edition featured America's leading choreographer, AY Hollywood.

Personal life

She was married to Joseph Ameh, the music director and drummer for Nigerian duo

P-Square P-Square are a Nigerian music duo composed of the twin brothers Mr. P (singer), Peter Okoye and Rudeboy (singer), Paul Okoye, who co-write and co-produce most of their songs. Noted for their artistic reinvention, musical versatility, and Visual a ...

from July 2015 to January 2022. She filed for divorce on 11 January 2022. She has two children with him.

Filmography

Dance fitness and instructions

* "9jaDance Burnout" * "Ijoda9ja Dance Burnout"

Reality television shows

* ''Malta Guinness Street Dance'' - (Judge) * ''

Project Fame West Africa ''Project Fame'', also known as ''Project Fame West Africa'' or ''MTN Project Fame West Africa'' (for sponsorship purposes), is a music talent TV reality show filmed in Lagos and aired in the West African subcontinent. It is a regional version of ...

'' - (Faculty Member) * ''Dance with Peter'' – (Judge and Faculty Instructor)

Music videos

Kaffy is recognized for her dance moves and level of stamina. She has featured in award-winning musical videos for artistes such as

Seyi Shay Deborah Oluwaseyi Joshua (born Oluwaseyi Joshua; 21 December 1985), known professionally as Seyi Shay (pronounced Shay-yee Shay), is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and actress. In 2008, she became the lead singer for the now defunct pop girl gr ...

D'banj Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo (born 9 June 1980), known professionally as D'banj ( ), is a Nigerians, Nigerian singer, rapper, music executive, event host and television personality. He signed with American rapper Kanye West's record label GOOD Music ...

Olamide Olamide Gbenga Adedeji (born 15 March 1989) is a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He is regarded as one of the most influential artists in Nigeria and Africa and has been crucial to the creative and commercial succe ...

Tiwa Savage Tiwatope Omolara Savage (born 5 February 1980), known professionally as Tiwa Savage (), is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and actress. Savage sings in English, Nigerian Pidgin and Yoruba; her music is a blend of afrobeats, R&B, afropop, p ...

and some other international top acts.

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1980 births Olabisi Onabanjo University alumni Yaba College of Technology alumni Nigerian choreographers Nigerian women choreographers Living people Nigerian female dancers Nigerian dancers Nigerian women company founders