Elderly man dancing to street performer playing 'Riders on the Storm' has us all grooving
There are often setbacks and gloomy days in life when you just don’t feel it. However, you need just a little bit of optimism and a dash of hope to rekindle the spark inside yourself. An elderly man, Roland Parijs, who goes by @SwingDanceOpa on YouTube, has been adding this hopeful flavor to his life and that of others with one simple factor: dance. The man, with his gray beard, walking stick and unmatched enthusiasm, has been dancing his heart out on the streets to bring light and smiles to many. Parijs shared an incredible video of himself randomly busting moves to a street musician playing “Riders in the Storm,” a classic by “The Doors.”
The elderly man has been known to spread smiles in the most surprising ways. While he knows quite a few groovy moves, what makes his performance exquisite is his smile and cheerful attitude. Through his YouTube account, the man has been sharing videos of himself displaying energetic and refreshing moves. In the recent video with the musician playing the classic, the man went all out and spared not one bit of energy while astonishingly dancing his heart out. He wasn’t dancing for any specific reason, he just happened to come across the man and poured out his spirit on the streets of the Netherlands.
The musician had been playing on electric guitar and the piece itself was a fast-paced and upbeat one. Despite it all, the elderly man gave his all, staying on beat and vibrantly busting moves, never letting his smile fade. Sharing the video on his YouTube page, the man explained his experience and how he felt. He wrote, “While walking in the center, craving for some music, I heard ‘Riders in the Storm.’ I walked towards the sound and there stood a fantastic guitarist playing and dancing. Quickly, I put down my bag and started to dance with him. In the end, I told him that he made my day. He smiled and said he made a video of me dancing and gave me his card. It was Borya Catanesi, what a wonderful artist!”
Catanesi himself posted the video on his YouTube channel, completely impressed by the man’s style and energy. He wrote, “This man is pure style. Spontaneous moment recorded in the streets of The Hague, The Netherlands. I finally got in touch with the dancer! His name is Roland Parijs and he has such a great spirit! He was missing some live music since he’s very used to dancing. Luckily, we met and the magic happened!” There is nothing more uplifting than spontaneously joining someone in expressing their heart through dance.
Parjis lifted the spirits of not just the musician and the passers-by but also the many people who watched him online. @SnorelyBorely wrote, “That old man still has a young soul. Because he got moves!” @abnurthanr2927 added, “This is what life is about, music, dance and love.” @PinkPrettyProper exclaimed, “Two dudes just jamming, the world needs more things like this.” @stugw4839 remarked, “And in just under 4 minutes my faith in humankind has somewhat been restored.”