My TV show almost led me into depression – Valentino

“I was born and partly raised in Kyebando, a Kampala suburb by my aunt because my mother died when I was still a child, probably a year old. My aunt became my mother and treated me quite well. I always admired actors in Nigerian movies but I did not know where to start from to pursue that dream. When I dropped out of school in S.2 due to lack of school fees, I was forced to try out my luck as an actor. I auditioned for several acting roles at the National Theatre but was never selected,” Valentino Kabenge says. 

In 2006, Valentino, as he is commonly known, decided to take the first step into the performing arts industry. He enrolled at Mariam Ndagire’s acting school. While there, he met a friend who took him to a social dance place called Lotus Mexicana on Sezibwa Road. At first, he did not want to go because he did not think dancing was something he wanted to take seriously.

“That was a turning point for me, while dancing in a group of strangers, right there, I felt like I was finally home, doing something that I loved. Moving my body made me feel so much freedom, like I could actually fly. I started practicing daily on my own by watching dance sessions on YouTube. There is one evening at National Theatre during a social dancing session where a Rumba song was played but because people were so used to the Salsa beats, everyone left the dancefloor. I stayed there with the girl I was dancing with and we started to move. We danced to the song and when we finished, everyone applauded us. I got very good compliments and that is when I realised that through dance, I could tell stories, so I started taking it seriously,” he said.

Valentino adds: “That is how I landed my first good gig Dancing with Valentino’ on NTV Uganda. However, I realised that I needed to improve my dancing skills to keep up with the trends and the industry demands.”

Valentino says his show on TV almost led him to depression as he felt overwhelmed.

“I believe that was one of the most challenging moments for me as a dancer. During my show in 2020. I almost had a breakdown because I was overwhelmed. I felt like I did not have the skills to continue growing the show and giving my audience what they needed and that is because I did not have any professional training as I had to teach myself all the dance moves that I knew. There were also no dance crews in Uganda that I could work with.  That is why I travelled abroad and enrolled at the South African dance training studio so that I could get more experience,” he adds.

To enhance and improve his dancing skills, Valentino travelled to South Africa and joined the Kim Isaacs dance studio whom he says has always been his inspiration.

According to Valentino, he had always watched her on the internet dancing and also knew she had trained several dancers and participated in big dance shows such as ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ and that it was a privilege for him to be trained by her.

“Meeting Kim Isaacs was probably one of my best moments. However, the best and most memorable one is when I performed with physically impaired children. There was a dance festival at the National Theatre and I was able to join the kids and perform with them on stage. After the show, they all came and hugged me. That melted my heart because I realised how big that moment was for them. It was a chance for them to be heard, express themselves and be seen for a different reason other than living with disabilities. Although I was not paid for that act and had to invest my money, the look of excitement and gratitude in those children’s eyes gave me joy and satisfaction,” Valentino says.

He later joined The Oti and Marius dance studio in London where he specialised in Latin and ballroom dance. To this day, the Latin and ballroom dancer is still attached to this studio and continues to train as Valentino believes in continuous learning.

It is his connection to the studio that presented a one in a lifetime opportunity for the Ugandan dancer. Valentino was invited to represent Uganda as a judge at the inaugural London Dance Night fest attended by prominent dancers from all over the world.

“It was a very spectacular event where I watched the crème de la crème of Latin and ballroom dancing. I was just invited to represent Uganda, though not as a dancer but as an official through the Uganda Dance Sport Federation. However, when I reached London, I received a phone call that I had been chosen to be one of the judges for the London Open 2022 Dance Competitions.

It was nerve-wracking, because all the other judges were very experienced dancers who had been in the game for long. I also allowed myself to learn from them. But that was a day for me to remember,”

Shortly after the show, Valentino was invited by the BBC to talk about Latin and Ballroom dancing.

“That was a big opportunity for me to showcase my talent to the rest of the world. It was a big stage for me and I believe it has played a big part in my career development,” he says.

Dancing as a business

Just like most artists, Valentino says dancing as a career and a businesses does not pay immediately but once you perfect your craft, there are very many opportunities.

He, however, notes that most dancers do not invest in themselves and also do not get professional financial guidance hence they end up being taken advantage of.

“The industry pays what you invest in yourself. As entertainer, you need to do enough research and keep growing your skill. I have been able to achieve so much through dance but I also know that other dancers may not be getting the breakthrough they need because there are things that we need to do to improve our selves. For example, most dancers in Uganda do not have agents yet they do not have the skills to do business hence they sometimes get exploited or never get the opportunities to actually earn from their skill,” he said.

Valentino adds that he is lucky that he has a business sense and hence does not find issues with promoting and bargaining for what he needs. He also has a team under his company, ValRich Arts, which helps with some of the things he has to do.

The dancer does not believe in luck but hard work and says his hard work, persistence and continuous training have kept him on top of the dance game.

“I have been given opportunities, some bigger than others. I believe appearing in Rema’s Touch My Body music video in 2018 was my breakthrough. Many people started recognising me and practicing my dance style, which was great. In 2020, I also featured in Winnie Nwagi’s Jangu which also received a lot of audience. And my show on NTV also gave me mileage,” he said.

In order to help other dancers and performing artists, Kabenge and his team are working on a dance project in partnership with a renowned choreographer and a dance director, Richard Marcel, one of the directors of the most popular dance shows in the world such as So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With The Stars.

“The aim of the show will be to promote dance in Uganda and also give skills to Ugandan dancers who want to take dancing to the next level. Our aim is to raise the standards and demand of dance in Uganda. I want to be able to bring these renowned dancers to share what they have with Uganda,” Valentino says.

His acting career

In addition to dancing, Valentino is a common face in Uganda’s acting industry. He had his first acting gig with comedian Anna Kasiime ‘Don’t Mess with Kasiime, which aired on Citizen TV. He was also part of Pearl of Legacy series that aired on NTV Uganda.

“Acting is my second love. And just like I have done with dancing, I want to improve my acting skills so that I can get better at it. I have spent the past two years bettering and mastering my acting. I am attending an acting class conducted by Bollywood actress, Stella Damasus. I am preparing myself for a big comeback with her as my acting coach,” he said.

Unknown to many of his fans, the Valentine’s Day baby is a very committed Christian. He is an active member of the Synagogue Church of all Nations led by Prophet Samuel Kakande. He says he loves worshiping the Lord and believes his faith is the reason he has been able to overcome the challenges he faces as an individual.

“I am a strong believer, I love praying and worshiping. I am part of the worshiping team at our church. Prophet Kakande has been my religious leader as long as I can remember. I feel blessed to be part of his church,”

In his free time, the Latin and ballroom dancer likes watching reality talent search shows and going out with friends.

“I love watching reality dance shows. Seeing people realise their dreams on a stage gives me a thrill. They also keep me on my toes because I also want to be able to achieve my dreams.”