TikTok has become the go-to place for dancers to show off their skills.
Meet Kai Jmarii, the 21-year-old choreographer and comedian making millions of people laugh with his execution of on-the-spot dances to the most random sounds.
Kai initially went viral on TikTok after posting his version of the Hip Hop Harry dance trend. Most notably, he performed the dance while wearing his now-signature Crocs.
After The Shade Room reposted his video, “The next day, I woke up [with] 2 million views,” he shared. "It was so surreal. It didn't feel real because I'm like, 'Wow, I literally just went outside [to dance] and was just playing around."
"A lot of people go viral, and then you don't hear from them for a long time, or you don't hear from them ever again," he said. "So I thought, 'What can I do to make myself a public figure who everybody loves?' Then I thought, 'Why not dance to theme songs or dance to sounds that people wouldn't think I can dance to?"
According to Kai, most of his videos only take "about 10 minutes" to record. "I don't make up choreography or anything. This is all freestyle," he explained. "I feel like if I make it up, it's just not going to go over well. I say to myself, 'Let me just go outside and just freestyle whatever comes to mind.'"
His viral clips, including a hilarious dance to the J.G. Wentworth jingle, have reached the likes of Rihanna, Megan Thee Stallion, and Chance the Rapper, among others.
"Rihanna follows my Instagram. I messaged her randomly one day, and she messaged me back saying, 'Thank you for making us smile every day,'" he gushed.
His videos have also been featured on Ellen, with co-executive producer and professional choreographer tWitch admitting he has been inspired by Kai.
!["He literally takes all of the jingles and jams that you know and makes these super, full-out dances to it," tWitch stated. Kai wrote that it "felt like a dream" to see himself on the show. "I’m so glad I can inspire [him] the way [he has inspired] me!"](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hU9PihebyMY/mqdefault.jpg)
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"He literally takes all of the jingles and jams that you know and makes these super, full-out dances to it," tWitch stated. Kai wrote that it "felt like a dream" to see himself on the show. "I’m so glad I can inspire [him] the way [he has inspired] me!"
The viral star credits his mother, who was part of a Parent-Teacher Association, with helping him enroll in professional dance lessons at the age of 11.
As for which random sound was most difficult to freestyle dance to, Kai admits, "The car alarm was very hard."
Although his videos often combine dance and comedy, Kai appreciates when viewers recognize his true talent. "I see people laughing, but it also feels good to know people [are] like, 'He's actually talented.' I want people to know even though I can make a joke and it's funny, I'm actually dancing and doing the technique."
In October, Kai fulfilled one of his lifelong dreams. He choreographed and danced at the Rolling Loud music festival with rapper Dream Doll.
"I learned a lot since going viral," Kai shared. "I'm gay, and I used to be afraid of [dancing] in public. [I was] hiding and not doing things to my full ability because I felt like, oh my god, people were going to be like, 'He's gay,' or they were going to call me all these crazy things. And, I mean, they still do, but I learned to just ignore it and be me to the fullest because this is who I'm always gonna be. And, honestly, it has gotten me this far."
The Bronx native now has his sights set on working with Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion, Missy Elliott, and Beyoncé. "I always think about how much further can I go," he said.
I, for one, cannot wait to see what he does next! If you want to keep up with Kai and watch more of his viral TikTok videos, be sure to follow him on TikTok @KaiJMarii.
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