TORONTO – When Jahmaul Allen danced on the tarmac at Toronto Pearson International Airport as an airplane prepared for takeoff this holiday season, he thought the only people who would see his moves were the passengers, and more specifically, the crying child onboard who he was trying to make smile.
“I felt like I needed to brighten that child's life,” Allen told ABC News recently. “I just made her smile ... so then I continued to dance.”
But ever since the moment was captured on video and posted to Twitter, his energetic sidesteps and shimmies have been watched more than 1.71 million times.
“It was a really big impact,” said Allen. “It made a great way to end off 2018.”
Allen, 28, who has worked for American Airlines for two years, said the dancing didn’t interfere with his duties as a customer service agent but it did show how much he enjoys his job.
“I just love what I do and I love making the passengers happy,” said Allen.
In an interview with ABC News, Allen said people onboard planes recognize him and he still dances every now and then on the tarmac. Allen said his sudden internet stardom has come as a surprise and while he enjoys dancing, his dream is to become a pilot.
For now though, he’s just happy the video took off.
“I usually don’t really have an impact on anyone. No one really notices me,” said Allen. “So for this to happen, for this to surface — it’s actually a blessing.”