In this video, “Inspirational Comedian” Judson Laipply samples five decades of dance in six minutes -– thirty-one songs, thirty-one iconic dance moves. Taken from the finale of his stage show, Evolution of Dance has raked in over 86 million views (!!!) and holds the number one spot on Youtube’s Most Viewed and Most Favorited Videos. If this is news to you, try turning your computer on more often.
The secret to its popularity may not lie in Laipply’s sweet moves (although he is a fine dancer) but rather in the nostalgia of seeing Elvis’s “Hound Dog,” N*Sync’s “Bye, Bye, Bye” and a decent Robot (though we are happily spared the Macarena as Laipply responds to the music cue with a shrug). While much viral content can credit its success to our desire to laugh at others, the special videos, the ones that get passed along 86 million times (!!!) are those that let us laugh at ourselves. Laipply’s comically accurate renditions of some truly bizarre moves bring back memories of proms and weddings and countless Friday nights spent in friends’ basements.
Also, the video doesn’t require an understanding of English to be enjoyed. It’s dancing. Being instantly accessible to a few billion more viewers always helps.
The video itself isn’t delivering million dollar checks to his doorstep, but Laipply has used the attention to continue his career as a motivational speaker -– albeit on a grander scale. Heck, the man has even been on Oprah. Fame is only as good as what you do with it, and Laipply intends to pay it forward, helping the world discover future Internet sensations with his company Let’s Dance Media, Inc. And, of course, the world eagerly awaits Evolution of Dance 2.
But for now, we’ll have to settle for Optimus Prime.
