Veteran Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, has weighed in on the growing trend of dance-driven movie promotions in the Nigerian film industry, calling for a more professional approach to marketing and distribution.
Omotola made the remarks during a recent appearance on TVC Entertainment, where she addressed the increasing expectation for actors to participate in choreographed social media dances to promote their films.
While noting that she enjoys dancing for fun, the award-winning actress stressed that she would not engage in promotional dances that feel forced or obligatory.
“I’m sorry, I would not be doing the dancing. It’s just not me. I dance and I love to dance, but it should come naturally,” she said.
According to Omotola, the backlash against dance-heavy promotions is largely driven by the pressure placed on actors, rather than allowing such moments to occur organically.
“I think the problem is that people want to dance because they feel like it, not because they have to,” she explained.
The actress added that there is nothing wrong with cast members dancing during promotional activities when it happens in a relaxed and spontaneous setting.
“There’s a difference. Promoting a movie and just having fun is different from turning it into a chore,” she noted.
Omotola further emphasised that an actor’s primary responsibility is to deliver a quality performance on screen, stressing that marketing and distribution should be left to professionals trained for those roles.
“I’ve already done the project. I should talk about it, promote it, and then allow the people whose job it is to distribute and advertise the movie to do their work,” she said.