Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

9-Year-Old's Epic Dance Moves Make Her A Festival (And Internet) Sensation

By Stephanie Lulay | June 20, 2017 6:00am | Updated on June 23, 2017 1:00pm

WEST LOOP — A viral video showing a Chicago girl's epic dance moves at Taste of Randolph last weekend has been viewed more than 200,000 times on Facebook. 

Sage Tenfelde, a 9-year-old student at Andrew Jackson Language Academy on the Near West Side, said Monday that she was "very happy" that the video of her dancing at the West Loop street fest was being viewed all across the country. She was at the fest Friday with her dad, Eric Tenfelde. 

"My dad's a DJ, and he loves music, and I like to dance with him and I go to a bunch of street fairs and have fun," said Sage, who lives in Pilsen. 

Tony Martin, a Pilsen photographer who covers Chicago's house scene, captured Sage's dance moves on video during Psycho B! Valerie's set at the West Loop Community Organization's DJ dance stage Friday night. 

"I was like, 'Wow! She has the moves. She is dancing better than anybody here,'" said Martin, who also works as a doorman at 16" on Center venues. 

Martin, who did not know Sage, said the little girl's house dance moves — complete with dramatic jumps as the beat drops — were impressive. 

"To have the fancy legs, arm movements and the jumping? ... The way she was dancing, she's just totally into the music completely," Martin said. "She was not giving a hell." 

By Saturday morning, the Facebook video had more than 10,000 views. By Sunday night, more than 150,000 views. 

As of late Monday, the viral video of Sage's groove had been viewed more than 201,000 times and had been shared more than 1,600 times. 

"This little girl did her thing!" one woman wrote on Facebook. 

Another woman said the video reminded her of her carefree days as a kid. 

"I'm pretty sure this is what I looked like to y'all back in 1992," she wrote. 

"Quite possibly the best example of 'Dance like no one is watching!!!'" another commenter wrote. 

And while Martin captured 2½ minutes of Sage's steps, Martin said she continued dancing to the beat. 

"She was dancing like that for the rest of the night," Martin said. 

Sage said she studies dance at Healthy Hood in Pilsen and takes summer dance classes downtown. Her favorite dance styles are hip hop and house. She was also spotted dancing at Fiesta del Sol in Pilsen last summer.

"I like to freestyle and make it up as I go," Sage said. "All I have to do is, I hear the beat, and I'm off."