A woman who started samba dancing to improve her confidence said the hobby initially had the opposite effect.
Nana Crawford, 38, was subjected to cruel comments about her weight and was told that she was “too big” to dance and that her belly was “distracting.”
“The comments would upset me, and I’d question if I should continue,” she told Newsweek. “One person said my samba would look better if I lost weight, and that impacted me the most, as it made me think my weight was holding me back from progressing. But it wasn’t.”
She refused to give up, and now, five years on, she is a professional dance fitness instructor who recently racked up 1.9 million views on Instagram (@thisblackwomancan) with a montage of clips showing her practicing the lively dance of Afro-Brazilian origin.
Instagram/@thisblackwomancan
The text layered over the clips offers insight into the insults she received online. They are also highlighted in the October 7 clip’s caption, with an excerpt saying: “I’ve been told I’m too big to be a ‘professional’ Samba dancer. I’ve been told that because of my size, I’ll struggle. I’ve been told countless times that the more weight I lose, the more ‘impactful’ my Samba will be.”
Crawford, who was born in Ghana and lives in England, told Newsweek she joined a samba dancing group in February 2020 to build her confidence and accept her body. However, when she shared her progress on social media, it initially had the opposite effect.
“I never realized how much it would open up the floodgates for horrible criticism,” she said. “Any comment about my body used to impact me in some way. But I wanted to prove to myself that I could improve regardless of body shape or size. I used the comments as fuel to prove myself wrong.”
Indeed, dancing is good for the mind, body and soul. In 2023, researchers from Brazil’s University of São Paulo and Masaryk University in the Czech Republic found that samba rehearsals can significantly enhance dancers’ physical fitness. Specifically, regular samba practice can improve cardiorespiratory function by up to 19 percent of VO₂ max (the maximum amount of oxygen your body can absorb and use during exercise). Additionally, dancers may experience a reduction in fat mass by as much as 1.9 kilograms and an increase in lean body mass by 1.3 kg.
During each rehearsal session, 13 dancers spent approximately half their time working at an intensity above 83 percent of their maximum capacity, aligning samba with the rigorous demands of high-intensity workouts and contributing to these health and fitness benefits.
Today, Crawford is an internet sensation with 212,000 followers and frequently performs at the Notting Hill Carnival, an annual Caribbean festival in London.
She uses her webpage to promote body positivity and encourage others to follow their passions, which has led to many kind comments.
“Many women tell me they want to dance or feel confident about their bodies but have felt insecure,” she told Newsweek. “I wanted to show that despite what others have said about my body, I’m still here. I’m dancing, enjoying moving my body and thriving.
“I want people to stop letting what they think or feel about their bodies hold them back from doing something they’ve always wanted to do. I always hope that if I can inspire one person, then I’ve made a huge impact,” she said.
So far, Crawford has received a sea of support online, gathering more than 228,000 likes and many comments.
“This how you know it’s rarely ever about ‘health,'” said one user. “You out here regularly moving your body with strenuous activity through dance and being happy but they’re like ‘why do you have body fat still?’ I thought it was just about being ‘healthy’—mmhmm. Also, you look good!”
Another wrote: “I was never distracted by your body, if anything I was absolutely inspired! I never skip a video. I just adore seeing you in my feed. Period.”
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