Steelworker in cheerleader outfit becomes unlikely star with dance video in pandemic

Something called “quarantine dancing” has taken off on social media during the COVID-19 outbreak and the trend has apparently produced its first celebrity.

In the past week, 2.3 million people have watched a 36-second Facebook video featuring a bearded and tattooed man in a cheerleader’s outfit, recreating a scene from the 2000 teen film “Bring It On.”

It has been shared 83,000 times, and 28,000 people have commented, many of them gushing “Thank you, quarantine!” and “I have found the one.”

Who is this guy?

Brittany Alexandra of Youngstown, Ohio, created the video, and she says it’s her fiance, union steelworker Jeremy MacLeod.

“I came up with the idea for Jeremy to recreate the scene from the ‘Bring It On’ movie. I talked him into it and it took a lot of convincing,” she told McClatchy News in an email.

“I can take a guess and say that it was about 20 times before he got it right, because we couldn’t stop laughing. He didn’t have any reservations about posting it online. Since we enjoyed making the video, we both wanted to share the laughter with friends and family.”

She posted it April 21 with a note saying: “This is what happens when you lose your sanity during the quarantine.”

In her case, that means sheltering at home with five children, ranging in age from 1 to 12. Four are doing “distance learning,” which she says is adding to the family’s stress.

Ohio, like most states, issued a stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected 1 million people in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University. The order limits people to essential travel for necessities and exercise.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine decided this week to extend the order through May 29, Fox8 reported Friday.

Quarantine dancing, quarantine cooking and quarantine humor groups have popped up on social media during the pandemic, as Americans try to fill time while they’re stuck at home. It was one such group, Quarantine Dance, that picked up Alexandra’s video and shared it with members.

The popularity of the video took her off guard, but also inspired her, she says.

“I think it says a lot about our nation and how people are looking for new forms of entertainment and trying not to let this virus get the best of their physical and mental health,” she told McClatchy News.

“It was a surprise for everyone and a little bit of a nostalgia for some. People mentioned how good he did and how much effort went into it. The response to the video makes us want to create more.”

Among the questions some have asked is where he got a man-sized cheerleader’s skirt. Alexandra says she made it for the video, using supplies from Walmart and hot glue.

The couple have been together 11 years and have known each other 20 years, after meeting in Sunday school, she says.

As for how her fiance feels about the attention, Alexandra says he has enjoyed reading all the positive comments on social media, many of which note how well he did the routine.

“He can’t wait for the quarantine to be over to enjoy his new found stardom,” she says.

This story was originally published May 1, 2020 at 5:05 AM with the headline "Steelworker in cheerleader outfit becomes unlikely star with dance video in pandemic."