Toddler’s Jive To A Favourite Elvis Classic Captured Hearts – And He’s Still Dancing Today

Aug 01, 2022 by apost team

We have all likely seen footage of some amazing children from around the world on the internet. Are you ready to see one more clip that will knock your socks off? Featured below is arguably one of the most talented young dancers to hit the internet.

William Stokkebroe, who hails from Denmark, was only 2 years old at the time of this video from March 2012, but he was already wowing audiences all over the world. His dance moves are so good that this performance has spread far and wide across the web.

William was able to show off his beautiful footwork at a gala opening. You might be shocked at how skilled he is for his age. His parents, Peter and Kristina Stokkebroe, taught the little boy how to dance. They are also dancers who have been dancing at their own studio, Studie43, for many years.

The video showed William doing the jive, a hard dance for someone his age to do! But you will see how well William nailed the moves when he got down and busy on the floor. Can you imagine just how amazing he will be with more practice when he grows up?

Luckily, the Studie43 YouTube channel uploaded another of the wunderkind’s performance in 2018, six years after William’s jive dance went viral.

The kid is clearly a dancing machine as he moved and grooved to Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock,” and his talent has continued to grow over the years. So many people across the world have shown their appreciation for William’s skilled moves by watching his wondrous videos and leaving positive comments, encouraging the young boy to keep pursuing his passion.

Not only has William grown up, but he also seems to have changed his dance style. Rather than dancing the jive, which came out of the African American community back in the 1930s, the 8-year-old student opted for a breakdance routine, teaming up with Specific Kidz for a dynamic and loud group performance set to DJ Fleg’s track “Victory Ron.”

All of William’s fellow dancers, who seemed to be in high school, towered over him as they started their routine by running in a circle and hyping up the crowd. As the group completed their introductory circle, one out of the five dancers jumped into the middle and started showing off his footwork skills, jumping back and forth to the heavy bass. The crowd, which looked to be made up of fellow students, clapped along in unison, letting out the occasional cheer as the first dancer dropped to the ground and started spinning on his back. Eventually, the first dancer backed out and gave one of his group members a shot at a solo in front of the audience.

Around halfway into the routine, William got his shot to show off his solo skills. Shortly before he took the spotlight, we could see one of his dancing mates giving him what looked like a pep talk. Seconds later, he stepped out in front of his crew, gave it a shot, and the crowd went wild. The 8-year-old dancer held his own among his older compatriots, showcasing classic breakdance moves like the worm and showing an impressive deal of coordination for such a young child.

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But Williams' biggest moment came later during the routine. As the group wrapped up the performance, William jumped in front for his last solo, and if we listen to the cheers, we can tell that his moves were a big hit with the spectators. After showing off his footwork skills once more, William abruptly flipped backward, doing a backflip that moved into a handstand. And as if one time wasn’t enough, the 8-year-old dancer did the backflip a second time, eliciting a second burst of cheers from the audience. The commenters, many of whom came upon the breakdancing video after watching his viral jive routine, were similarly enthusiastic about 8-year-old William’s new dance skills.

“Was looking for the 2-year-old who danced so wonderfully,” one viewer commented. “(T)hank you William for making me smile during these hard times. Never stop dancing.”

“William (is) still dancing … from jive to break. Congratulations young man keep it up! 🙏” another user wrote.

Before the internet was widely available, it might have been astounding to find a young Dane into breakdancing, given that it is a distinctly American dance style. According to Britannica, breakdancing, which combines a wide variety of influences like gymnastics and martial arts, was born in New York City back in the 1960s and 1970s. At that time, African Americans and Latinos were breakdance pioneers, leading to the energetic and improvisational dance form’s rise in popularity in the U.S. Today, breakdancing even has a spot at the forthcoming 2024 Olympics in Paris, Britannica reported.

One of breakdancing’s biggest breakthroughs came in the 1980s thanks to Michael Jackson. Jackson not only incorporated breakdancing into his music videos, but he also popularized the moonwalk, a dance move that became extremely popular with teenagers at the time, according to Britannica. William, who seems to be a clear fan of breakdancing, also gave a nod to the pop star legend’s moonwalk back in 2017.

The young dancer, then around 7 years old, dressed up as Jackson and gave an impromptu performance in his living room in preparation for the Danish Carnival celebration that year. Luckily, the entire performance is on video, one of three of William’s performances on his parents’ Studie43 YouTube channel.

While William is no doubt talented, his parents likely played a large role in his success, given that they are both professional dance instructors.

According to Peter and Kristina’s website, for example, the husband-wife duo’s dance career spans more than 21 years, with both starting dance before the age of 5 at Dorit & Erik Hybel's Dance Institute in Odense. Since then, the couple has won five world championships and established their own dance studio in Risskov, Denmark, in 2011.

If William’s dance performances are any indication, it seems like he’s on a similar path. At age 2, he became an internet sensation for doing the jive in the video below. At age 7, he was moonwalking across his living room in full Michael Jackson attire. And at age 8, he impressed viewers around the world with his breakdancing skills. Only time will tell what William will accomplish as he grows up, but the future looks bright.

What do you think about William’s dancing skills? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends, family members and fans of dance.