A 5-year-old dancing drum major stole the show and became an Internet sensation after showing off his moves during the halftime performance at high school football game in Florida last weekend.
The real star of Saturday's Muck Bowl — the annual rival football game between Glades Central and Pahokee high schools in South Florida — was Taranza McKelvin Jr.
McKelvin made his debut with the Glades Central Raiders after only two months of rehearsing. The boy's father, Taranza McKelvin Sr., played in the band at Florida A&M with Glades band director Charles Moorer and approached his friend with the idea to incorporate his son in the halftime show.
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"His father mentioned it last year when he was four and I was very, very hesitant about it due to the
big age gap between him and the other students," Moorer told the Palm Beach Post. "I wanted to hold off a little bit, and we held off until the biggest game of the season, which is the Muck Bowl. That was his debut, and he took it and ran with it."
McKelvin began practicing with the band in September and quickly memorized every part of the dances.
"What was so amazing was that he would catch on to most of the steps and movements quicker than a lot of the high school students," Moorer said. "He's a very special kid."
McKelvin loved being the center of attention and is excited to continue in his new role with the marching band.
"I was nervous when I first got out into the field, but then
I just performed," the pint-sized drum major told WPTV.com. "I love performing in front of a lot of people. It’s really exciting."
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