Sometimes we form quick judgments about someone based on their appearance. Despite knowing that we shouldn’t and striving to avoid doing so, we still find ourselves doing it occasionally. Simply ask dancer John Lindo.

When you first see John, you might not believe he’s a dancer. He is tall and acknowledges he is overweight. He’s heard that some people thought he was too overweight to be taken seriously in the dancing industry. However, rather than allowing other people’s first perceptions of him to knock him down, John has turned it into a challenge. He focused his efforts on becoming a dancer, and he achieved remarkable success in this pursuit.

John started swing dancing more than two decades ago. He has participated in and won various events, including the United States Open. When he hits the stage with his companion Deborah Szekely, no force on Earth can stop him.

The entire floor becomes quiet when the two begin performing. The ease with which Lindo moves and the joy on his face indicate that he was born to dance. And he wouldn’t stop, whether or not anyone thought he was a dancer. Watch the complete video below and leave us a Facebook comment to let us know what you think—and perhaps why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover!