60-Year-Old Teacher Steals The Show During Students’ Performance To ‘Uptown Funk’

Nov 02, 2022 by apost team

Shirley Clements was the dance teacher at North Surrey Secondary school in British Columbia, Canada. She was getting ready to retire after devoting herself to teaching for many years.

It may be a cliché, but age really is irrelevant. Nobody could have demonstrated this better than Clements, a Canadian high school dance teacher who, at the time, was in her 60s. She was getting ready for retirement in 2015 despite her love for teaching. She knew the time had come to move on. Instead of becoming melancholic, she made the decision to join her students for a yearly dance competition she had started 19 years prior. You will never look at aging the same way once you see this competition.  

The younger dancers made their way to the center of the floor and claimed their spots to bust out some impressive choreography to “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars. But it was Clements’ moves that had everyone’s jaw hitting the floor.

Clements did a lot more than just dance well for a woman who was then in her 60s. She hit every single move perfectly, right along with the younger dancers. She taught her students every dance move she knew and displayed them exceptionally well.

Her moves when she joined a dance competition for hip-hop were sensational. She knew every move she had ever taught and amazed the audience. It’s safe to say that this retired teacher will always be remembered as a true legend. Keep reading to learn more about Clements’ passion and see her epic performance.

In June of 2015, Global News reported that a video of Clements dancing that was uploaded in January had gone viral – and it’s easy to see why. The retired teacher showed off some incredible skills alongside her students. She had created the Outbreak Dance Competition about 20 years prior in order to showcase hip-hop and breakdancing.

“(I’m) fantastically passionate about dancing,” Clements said. “I’ve been dancing since I was 4 years old.”

It only seemed natural that Clements would go from just dancing to teaching it to others, and she found a great position teaching dance to high school students. In fact, Clements even called the job the “perfect fit.”

Not only that, but Clements believed that anyone should be able to take classes in something they’re passionate about. “People think today that kids can afford to take dance classes outside of school, but in our economy, many kids can’t take dance classes outside of school,” she explained.

Fortunately, Clements provided a welcoming space for her students. It’s not surprising so many of them called her “Mama Clements.”

While Clements has certainly proven that she is very proud of her students and their skills, she has also shown that you’re never too old to show off your own skills. The 60-year-old teacher most likely wasn’t trying to steal the show when she performed alongside her students, but it’s safe to say that that is exactly what she did.

In an effort to highlight her own hip-hop skills, Clements decided to do something she knew her students wouldn’t “forget.” 

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When Clements showed off her dancing skills during a performance of Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk,” the entire crowd went crazy. After one minute, the boys took center stage as the girls moved back. The boys were joined by their favorite teacher, and her success was astounding.

After 20 seconds, she did something the majority of people could never accomplish – a headstand. She ended her career with quite a bang. All of her students gathered around her to make sure she received every bit of hype she had earned.

The video was nothing less than absolutely amazing, as this teacher proved she knew how to dance. On top of that, she helped create an everlasting legacy for the school she taught at. Clements said:

“I think it’s really important that the legacy of Outbreak and that what’s it’s been created for these children of Surrey, which oftentimes gets kind of a hit, that it’s really important that people know that they should come out and support their kids. That administration should come out and support their teachers. And that we should really build this up as a community.”

People couldn’t get enough of this teacher’s skills and left plenty of comments under the video. One person wrote, “Now this is a real teacher who will change every one of her students’ lives for the better.” Another said, “She’s such an inspiration! I want to be dancing like that when I’m 60!” A third person added, “Those dance moves were amazing. Granny certainly shows that she still has rhythm… Fantastic job!”

What did you think about this teacher’s performance? Were you impressed with her dance moves? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family and friends!