# The Happy Pod: Why I danced for seven days straight - Show: Global News Podcast - Published: 2026-10-10 - Canonical: https://podc.club/en/episode/135067274_5413fcb29222.html - Audio: http://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/6/redir/version/2.0/mediaset/audio-nondrm-download-rss-low/proto/http/vpid/p0pfyg0m.mp3 - Source: Edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. Not an official summary. Nigerian professional dancer Ben Daniel danced non-stop for 168 hours — seven full days — in Lagos, attempting a Guinness World Record while shining a light on the dire conditions facing African dancers. The episode also covers the expansion of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in the UK, six weeks after the country legend's death; and the story of a 24-year-old usher at a Sydney theatre who stepped out of the aisle and onto the very same stage. ## What this episode answers ### Why did Ben Daniel decide to dance for seven days straight? He wanted to expose the poor conditions facing professional African dancers to the world — no royalties, and out-of-pocket costs for medical care, rehearsal studios and costumes. He set his target at seven days to surpass the existing record of five days and seven hours, and spent two years preparing for the attempt. ### How did Ben manage food, rest and physical endurance during his Guinness attempt? Within the Guinness rules of five minutes' rest per hour danced, he banked those minutes and took roughly 14 minutes of cumulative rest every eight hours, using that time to nap, use the bathroom and be checked by the medical team. He ate his meals at a small table on stage while continuing to dance. ### What is Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, and how is it expanding? It is a programme that posts one free picture book a month to children aged 0 to 5, founded by Dolly Parton in 1995 in a small Tennessee town and now operating in five countries — the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Ireland — with more than 340 million books distributed in total. In the UK it is expanding from 3 to 10 London boroughs, bringing in around 120,000 additional children. ### How did Ellen Ebs win her role in Fiddler on the Roof? After graduating from drama school, she worked as an usher at Theatre Royal Sydney while continuing to audition; at the final selection stage, director Jordan Fine unexpectedly asked her to also read for the role of Hodel. Two weeks later her agent called to confirm she had the part. ### Why did Ellen cry in the wings on opening night? Standing in the wings as a performer, she found herself in the very spot where she used to sneak a peek backstage while checking emergency exits as an usher, and the rush of overlapping memories overwhelmed her; when the curtain rose she could also see her former usher colleagues in the audience cheering her on. ## Article ## Why a Nigerian man danced for seven days straight Ben Daniel — known as "Ben Dancer", 33 — danced for 168 hours almost without pause in the Nigerian city of Lagos, attempting the Guinness World Record for the longest dance marathon. The record to beat stood at five days and seven hours. Official certification is still pending, but his attempt has already drawn global attention. The driving force behind the challenge was a desire to expose the harsh conditions facing professional dancers across Africa. Music producers and songwriters earn royalties, but dancers receive only one-off performance fees. Medical costs, rehearsal studio fees and costume expenses all come out of their own pockets, and most have almost no financial safety net when they retire. "I wanted to give dancers a voice. Dancers are the custodians of culture," Ben said. He spent two years building up to the attempt — swimming, boxing, weight training, cardio and yoga to condition both body and mind. Guinness rules allow five minutes of rest for every hour of dancing. Ben chose to bank those minutes, taking roughly 14 minutes of cumulative rest every eight hours, during which he napped, used the bathroom and was checked over by the medical team. Meals were eaten at a small table on stage while he kept moving. By day three the pain was so severe he almost stopped, but every time he saw the faces of people who had turned up to cheer him on, he found a reason to keep going. ## Dolly Parton's Imagination Library expands in the UK Six weeks after the death of the queen of country music, the charity she founded in 1995 — the Imagination Library — continues to grow. The programme mails one free picture book a month to children aged 0 to 5. It started in a small town in Tennessee, spread to the county, then the state, then nationwide; today one in five children in the United States receives a book through it. The scheme has since expanded to Canada (2006), the UK, Australia and Ireland, and has distributed more than 340 million books in total. In the UK, the programme is growing from 3 to 10 London boroughs, with approximately 120,000 additional children set to benefit. Dolly's inspiration was her own father, who was unable to read or write. "He was one of the smartest people I knew, but not being able to read held him back from achieving his dreams. That's why I wanted children to love books," she said. Her father himself told her in his later years that the Imagination Library was her most important work. Families like London mother Harriet and her daughter Sienna say the monthly deliveries have helped build a shared habit of reading aloud together. Research shows that reading to young children supports cognitive, language and emotional development. ## From usher to leading role — a dream fulfilled at a Sydney theatre Ellen Ebs, 24, was working as an usher at Theatre Royal Sydney when, two months ago, she made her professional stage debut in the same theatre's production of Fiddler on the Roof, playing the role of Hodel. After graduating from drama school, Ellen took a job as an usher while searching for acting work. Watching every show every night, quietly telling herself that maybe in five years she would be up on that stage, she came to think of the role as a "free masterclass." At the audition she was initially called in as a candidate for the eldest daughter Tzeitel, but at the final round director Jordan Fine unexpectedly asked her to also perform the role of Hodel. Two weeks later, walking to dinner, her phone rang — her agent. "I couldn't believe it. I just crumpled on the spot and started crying," she recalls. On opening night, standing in the wings as a performer, she found herself in the exact spot where she used to steal a glance backstage while checking emergency exits as an usher. The memories hit all at once. When the curtain went up she could see a packed house — and among the audience, the faces of her former usher colleagues. On closing night, fifteen of those colleagues lined both sides of the stage and cheered at the tops of their voices. ## Takeaways - Nigerian dancer Ben Dancer attempted a 168-hour dance marathon to expose the absence of royalties and the out-of-pocket burdens — medical, studio and costume costs — that leave Africa's professional dancers without a safety net. - Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which has delivered more than 340 million books across five countries, is expanding in the UK to cover 10 London boroughs and reach an additional 120,000 children. - Twenty-four-year-old Ellen Ebs completed a full-circle journey at Theatre Royal Sydney — going from usher in the aisle to lead performer on the same stage she had watched from the wings for years.