Then Comes the Body

2025 | Coast Film & Music Festival

Duration: 14 min

Synopisis

THEN COMES THE BODY is a short documentary about underdogs, globalism, and dance. It starts with Daniel Ajala, a self-taught ballet dancer who discovers the European dance form in the American movie SAVE THE LAST DANCE. With no ballet schools in Nigeria, he opens Leap of Dance Academy in his front yard: humble, rigorous, and free to anyone with dedication.

Then in 2020 — while the pandemic rages around the world — Ajala uploads a video of his students dancing on cement in the rain. The feel-good video goes viral, putting this unlikely dance school on the map. With the attention comes new opportunities for the students — but in the sandy streets of Ajangbadi, nothing comes easily. As top students compete for international scholarships and begin to leave home, Ajala realizes the best thing he can do is be a bridge for the next generation.

Featured at Coast Film & Music Festival 2025

Production Team

Jacob Krupnick creates cinematic stories told through movement and dance. Using the world as a stage, his unconventional collaborators move through busy spaces, sparking delight and curiosity -- while exploring deeper questions about identity and public space.

He’s currently working on a followup to his debut feature, Girl Walk // All Day.