round the world trips

Dancing Around the World

I’m a big fan of the “Where the Hell Is Matt?” videos. The first one, which Matt Harding, then a backpacker, put on his blog in 2005, shows him dancing in different places around the world. His signature move is delightfully amateurish–it looks like a goofy mash-up between a flailing Irish jig and running in place. But he’s so exuberant and the backdrops are intriguing and the soundtrack is infectious. You can’t help but grin when watching. Not surprisingly, it went viral.

The В two follow-up videos he made (thanks to a sponsorship with Stride gum) are even better. One, released in 2006, is similar to Matt’s first video:В He dances in iconic place after place around the world. The second, released in 2008, is even better:В Thousands of locals from each destination join in with the same running/jig-like moves.

Matt’s latest video, which just came out, still manages to top that one. It follows the same format, but with one big difference: Instead of Matt doing his trademark moves, locals teach him dances native to each place. This time, he created it without a sponsor and it’s clearly a labor of love. Check it out–and be prepared to smile: