Rodrigo Daguerre(NEW YORK) — At a time when many people’s social media feeds are inundated with negativity, a Canadian dancer has been sharing ridiculously uplifting messages of positivity and inspiration — accompanied by creative moves — that have taken the internet by storm.
Donte Colley of Toronto has created a sub-genre all his own with dance videos that feature on-screen text — messages like “You matter” and “You have a purpose” or even “You’re here for a reason.”
Colley told “Good Morning America” he was inspired by “nostalgic Disney and intro theme songs” in making his videos.
“I am so passionate about digital and dance that I decided to fuse these two together,” he said, adding that his ultimate mission is making people smile. “I think everyone could use a boost, and I try to be that person. I, too, have low days — sometimes the videos I post put a smile on my face too.”
In some of his videos, Colley even dances alongside the text, letting followers know, “You are a star.” He even reminds everyone to remember their small accomplishments, such as, “You woke up today!” and to not forget to “keep going.”
“I have had close people in my life that have had struggles with their mental health. It’s not fun to watch, so I had to find a way to help them get through,” he told “GMA.” “If I am able to help one person, that’s all I could ever ask for.”
The messages of unaffected positivity are being eaten up by the internet: Most of his videos have garnered hundreds of thousands of views, and the dancer’s Instagram handle now has more than 340,000 followers.
His videos were even spotted by actress Jennifer Garner, who re-shared one of his videos to her 4.7 million Instagram followers, captioning it with the hashtags #wevegotthis and #keepgoing.
Colley said he hopes others are inspired and encouraged by his videos.
“Social media is an amazing platform for all of us to spread positive messages, but it often does the opposite,” he said. “I hope my posts help encourage friends near and far to stay motivated about their passions and avoid comparing themselves to others. We are all different and unique.”
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