You never know where Jean Codjo is going to pop up next with his dancing shoes on at a park in New Brunswick, even if those shoes are actually winter boots.
“You don’t have to go to the Caribbean – just stay here and you can dance in your snow,” said Codjo who started taking videos of himself dancing in nature parks across New Brunswick after the COVID pandemic hit.
Having grown up in Benin, Africa, before moving to Canada, Codjo said that dancing has always been a big part of his culture.
“I have been dancing since I don’t know when,” he said.
Winter, on the other hand, was never really his thing.
“In winter I would just stay in my room and go to work and come back that is all I would do,” said Codjo.
But after his indoor dancing classes were canceled during the pandemic, “I found myself not doing anything,” he said.
So he took his fancy feet outside and started taking videos of himself dancing the salsa, merengue, bachata and cha cha in provincial, federal and municipal parks across the province posting them to social media.
The goal, he said, was to show people beautiful locations in the province to hike and to inspire people to get outside even in the winter to celebrate life through dance.
“That is it – I am enjoying life,” he said.
This winter he can be found performing what he calls “Afro-Latin” inspired dances that one would not typically see done in the snow.
“Not only for the people here but for the people in Africa too. To show them what the snow is and also too for Africans who are here who behaved like I did before the pandemic because they don’t know any winter activity. I say ‘hey you can go out and dance,'” he said.
Codjo’s videos are posted on YouTube and on his Facebook page.
He said that sometimes he gets the odd look from passers-by seeing him strut his stuff in the snow in winter boots.
And every once in a while, he has a partner join in.
Diane Miller who used to take dance lessons with her late husband took a break from her hike in Centennial Park in Moncton recently to dance with Codjo.
“It is great. Any reason for people to get outside and get some fresh air,” she said.
Codjo said you don’t have to be a professional to enjoy dancing outside in any kind of weather.
“You don’t dance by counting you just go with the feeling,” which he says sets the spirit free.
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