Published 2004-02-18T00:00:00Z”/>

Adam Arella<br>Assistant Sports Editor

He’s more exciting than Willy Wildcat, able leap head-over-heels for cheering fans and can stop an opponent’s scoring run in a single move. He’s a track star, he’s a pedicab driver, he’s both – he’s Dancing Man.

J.J. Akins-Dunbar, who may be better known as the “Dancing Man” during Chico State basketball halftime shows, is also a student, pedicab driver and track sprinter who still has time to entertain friends and strangers alike.

Junior Tom Fitzpatrick first met Akins-Dunbar when they were freshmen three years ago.

“He’s extremely outgoing, and how he acts in front of a crowd of basketball fans is the same as if you were talking with him one-on-one,” Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick, who competes with him in the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes, was the first to encourage Akins-Dunbar to showcase his talent and is amazed every time he dares to dance.

“One day he just started doing his thing, and everyone on the team just thought it was the coolest thing ever,” Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick and his teammates have been daring Akins-Dunbar to show off his skills at halftime and practice. They have suggested Akins-Dunbar occasionally crash the aerobic dance classes.

Fitzpatrick said Akins-Dunbar wasn’t so daring to begin with, but after the support and positive reaction he has received from the Chico State faithful, he has turned the pressure into passion.

“I think that he is always nervous when he goes up in front of everyone, but it’s like he channels it into his own excitement,” Fitzpatrick said.

Akins-Dunbar said more people recognize him for his dancing than anything else he does, but that he does it for entertainment, not popularity.

“I walk with him on campus and see people recognize him, and whether they know him or not, they love to see him dance,” Fitzpatrick said.

Akins-Dunbar said the inspiration for his moves came early on from watching dance and music videos. He describes his style as an early form of hip-hop, known to most people as breakdancing.

Akins-Dunbar debuted his skill to Chico State during last year’s basketball game against University of California, Davis, when he wanted to prove he had more skill than another dancer.

“I just wanted to show him up,” Akins-Dunbar said. “But when I got such a great reaction from the crowd, I wanted to do it again.”

Akins-Dunbar said his favorite moves are his windmills. This move is when the breakdancer spins back and forth from stomach to back.

Akins-Dunbar plans to choreograph different routines next year and even has some ideas on costumes, including dressing as Spider-Man, a senior citizen, a mime or someone from the ’80s.

When Akins-Dunbar is not working on new dance steps, he’s studying to be a P.E. teacher.

Akins-Dunbar has also recently signed up for a gymnastics class where he can spend more time on his moves. He said his goal is to learn to work in flares and add back-handsprings to his routine.

Friend Jon Bruland agreed that Akins-Dunbar is an entertainer at heart and tells stories to accompany his stunts.

Bruland recalls a certain Akins-Dunbar story to make his tale and talent more believable.

“He tells people he was caught in a hurricane sometimes and gets on a pole and somehow makes himself parallel,” Bruland said.

Bruland first saw Akins-Dunbar at a local club but was amazed the first time he saw him perform for a crowd.

“My roommate plays on the team and (Akins-Dunbar) said he would dance when he got in the game,” Bruland said. “It was pretty funny, and it’s gotten bigger and bigger and now he’s wearing costumes. I think they should offer him a scholarship and he should be our Wildcat mascot.”

Away from his many activities, Akins-Dunbar said he “jokes excessively” and is “childish” socially, a sentiment girlfriend Jennifer Sturm agrees with.

“He’s a goofy guy and is like a little kid,” Sturm said. “He’s always happy and likes to make other people happy.”

Sturm said that Akins-Dunbar just loves to show people a good time and will do anything to get attention and entertain an audience.

Sturm, who has been dating Akins-Dunbar for a little more than a year, said Akins-Dunbar’s antics are not limited to the hardwood.

“He’ll say hi to someone or tell someone to be quiet during tests really loud; anything to make a scene,” Sturm said.

After meeting Akins-Dunbar, she not only became a fan of his dancing, but now has aspirations to learn some new moves herself.

“The first time I went over to his place, he had cardboard down and was dancing, and I was totally shocked,” Sturm said. “I absolutely love it, and he’s been teaching me a little moves and I really enjoy it.”<em>Adam Arella can be reached at <a href= “mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]</a></em>