WHILE some people may find the lockdown period extremely boring or see it as an excuse to become couch potatoes, a family from Charlo have been making waves after videos of them dancing and showcasing moves you would only expect to see in a Chris Brown Hip-Hop video, went viral on the video-sharing app, TikTok.
Chad Jones, a 24-year-old software developer and self-taught dancer, is the mastermind behind the videos. In some of the videos he dances solo, but what grabbed the nation’s attention was the fact that Jones also involved his parents, procurement officer, Wayne (52) and accountant, Gayle (51), that diligently spend hours learning their son’s routines.
“Before the lockdown, the thought of making the videos or downloading TikTok had never even crossed my mind, but being bored at home and scrolling through Facebook, I came across some TikTok dance videos. I downloaded the app and started surfing through it. I saw one simple, but fun looking dance and thought that would look pretty cool, however, it required two more people.
“Since my parents are the only other people in my house, I asked them to do the video with me. It took a few attempts in persuading them but eventually they agreed,” Jones said.
According to him he learnt how to dance by watching a lot of Michael Jackson and Chris Brown’s music videos growing up. He then tried to imitate the moves in the videos. He also spent quite some time watching Jika MaJika on SABC 1 on a small TV in his bedroom, he explained with a laugh.
When asked if his parents are good students, Jones laughed again and said that they are quite good.
“I admit that I’m a bit harsh on them at times but it’s only because I want them to look good, you know. As we produce more videos and dance more, they seem to pick up the moves easier and faster than they did in the beginning.”
Jones, who also plays piano, guitar and drums and received his national colours for Karate, said he never thought that they would become an internet sensation as he only expected that his friends would see the videos.
“Now that a few of the videos have gone viral and seeing the positivity they bring to so many people, it brings us joy and excitement. It also motivates use to enthusiastically make more videos for everybody who enjoys them.”
@chadjones957 ??????? dc: @evangomillion3 @jadagomillion ##family ##asian ##fyp ##fy ##dance ##trend ##lit ##itsonmute ##copycat ##viral ##trendtribe ##southafrica
Since the videos have taken the internet by storm, Jones has received offers to work and collaborate with different people around the country.
“It really is surprising to see how many different people around South Africa love watching our videos. I get a lot of screenshots from my friends showing me how many times my videos have been viewed and we just end up laughing about it.
“However, getting responses from some of South Africa’s celebrities and my favourite artists have been really overwhelming,” he added.
Of course, Jones could not have done this on his own. His parents have been very supportive and willing to step out of their comfort zone to make his videos a success. Here we learn more about Wayne and Gayle:
1. The two of you are showcasing great dance moves, how does it feel to be doing this as a family?
Gayle: Well, being very close, we already do a lot together and I just thought this would be fun as we all love to dance in this family. I now feel “cooler” because I have a few more dance moves to show off.
Wayne: It makes me feel proud whenever we put out something that a lot of people enjoy. We have been getting a lot of love from everyone. I don’t know why (you would have to ask Chad), but the dances seem to increase in difficulty [laugh]. I can tell you that it is a great form of exercise though and always fun learning new moves.
2. Is it very difficult to learn the dance moves and how do you feel about the dancing?
Gayle: It started off with very easy dances moves and I thought that it wasn’t too bad, but as the videos got more popular, the dances suddenly became more difficult. Most of the time during rehearsals you would hear Chad saying: “You can do this, I wouldn’t let you do this if I didn’t know that you could [laugh]. I often ask why we’re doing these moves but, in the end, when we’re all in sync, I guess it looks good.
Wayne: Like my wife said, in the beginning it started off simple, but not knowing these dancing styles, I find it pretty awkward as my body is not used to these type movements. However, Chad will make you practice until you get it right. Although I find it challenging, I think I’m starting to enjoy it.
3. Were you keen on the idea of dancing in these videos or were you sceptical at first?
Gayle: I love to dance so I was keen from the beginning but I didn’t know that Chad was going to post it! [laugh]. When he did, I became sceptical and didn’t know what everyone was going to say. Hearing that a lot of people liked it a lot and were requesting more videos, motivated me to do more dances.
Wayne: I wasn’t really keen because I knew that Chad would be posting them. I was obviously sceptical of what people would say and think and didn’t want to look stupid. He kept telling me that he wouldn’t make us look stupid, so I made a deal with him that if he bought me the PlayStation game that I wanted, I’d join in. I’m starting to enjoy the dancing and have a new PlayStation game so it’s a win-win for me [laugh].
4.Other than dancing, what do the three of you do as a family to get through this lockdown period?
Wayne and Gayle: We mostly watch movies or series together in our spare time and also try out different recipes when cooking.
5. What would you tell other parents who would like to do the same?
Gayle: Yes, do it. It’s an awesome family activity and different from just watching movies, for example. It’s really fun.
Wayne: Go for it, you never know what you can or can’t do before you try.
6. How does it feel to be an internet sensation?
Gayle: We don’t think about it that much. I just love refreshing the TikTok page to see how much the views go up. It is also heart-warming to see all the lovely positive responses to our videos.
Wayne: I’m overwhelmed by the response to the videos as it was unexpected. Almost everyone at work knows about the videos.
Click here to follow Chad on TikTok.
@chadjones957 ??????? dc: @evangomillion3 @jadagomillion ##family ##asian ##fyp ##fy ##dance ##trend ##lit ##itsonmute ##copycat ##viral ##trendtribe ##southafrica
