Matt Harding likes to boogie around the world
‘Hi, I’m Matt and I dance badly all over the world,’ sounds like a confession at a therapy group. In fact, it’s an introduction to a man whose spent 14 months travelling the globe – doing what appears to be the funky chicken. Matt Harding, a self-confessed ‘deadbeat’ boogied with thousands of people in 42 countries from Iceland to Papua New Guinea.
Set to a feel-good soundtrack, he jigs with crabs, lemurs and on his own – but also with others and even astronauts in zero gravity.
The 31-year-old said: ‘It makes people want to travel but it also shows them just how big the world is. They’re more aware of how connected we all are on this planet.’
It all began when Mr Harding, originally from Connecticut, resigned from his job as a video game designer in 2003 and went to Asia.
During the trip a fellow traveller first filmed him dancing.
‘They were standing around taking pictures in Hanoi and his friend said, “Hey, why don’t you stand over there and do that dance. I’ll record it,”’ says his website, wherethehellismatt.com.
So Mr Harding made some video postcards and put them online. The popularity grew and grew.
He caught the attention of a chewing gum company, which paid for him to dance his way around the world.
The traveller’s website adds: ‘It’s actually the only dance Matt does. He does it badly. This turned out to be a very good idea.’
Watch Matt throw some shapes below….
