Oluwatosin Solaru, the Nigerian dancer who recently completed a 157-hour dance marathon in Lagos, has credited veteran dancer Kaffy as her source of inspiration.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Solaru said Kaffy‘s historic 2006 Guinness World Record (GWR) achievement planted the seed of ambition in her.
“Back then, I thought it had to be done by organizations like Silverbird. But after Hilda Baci’s GWR feat last year, I realized it was something I could apply for myself,” Solaru shared.
The 30-year-old performer, who concluded her attempt on June 29 at Nile Cinema, Ikota, Lagos, revealed that the process cost about ₦3.5 million.
Despite limited support at the start, she noted that public and online support grew significantly after day two of the marathon.
She emphasized her commitment to proving that dance is more than just a hobby, stating, “Nigerians hardly understand talent, let alone embrace talented people. I had to make a clear statement.”
Solaru, also a writer, spoken word artist, and entrepreneur, plans to extend her passion by collaborating with more dancers and organizing workshops across schools in Ogun and Lagos States.
Although the Guinness World Record currently stands at 127 hours, set by India’s Srushti Jagtap in 2023, Solaru exceeded that by 30 hours and now awaits official ratification.
