‘Calculator’ dancer Cyah Tiad

It is not hard to spot street dancer Cyah Tiad. Frequenting events like Mojito Mondays, he is usually the centre of attention on the dance floor with his eccentric moves and elaborate props, like a landline phone, calculator, umbrella and compass.

Does he sound familiar? You may have stumbled across one of his viral videos on social media.

Ironically, the life of the party has a reserved persona in the daytime, selling fruits at the bridge in Cassia Park, St Andrew.

"Nuff people weh buy from me don't know weh me do a night-time, they just know me as a fruits man, but who knows me as a dancer will ask weh me a go tonight," he told THE WEEKEND STAR.

This may be because of his interactive nature as he allows patrons to join in on the antics, making calls from his neon-green landline handset or spinning his umbrella.

the 40-year-old, whose given name is Carl Mitchell, has been on the dance circuit for five years and is the creator of dance moves 'Calculate', 'Run Lef Poverty', 'Call centre' and 'Nuh Badmind'. He has also been featured in music videos for artistes like Nesbeth ( My Dream), Shaggy ( Money Up) and Prado ( Calculate the Money).

Despite his popularity, he revealed that he had no intentions of becoming a dancer. Born in Kingston, he spent his formative years in Manchester with his grandparents and is a past student of Bellefield High School.

"As a kid, I didn't know what I was interested in. Dancing wasn't even a hobby for me, and I wasn't thinking about what I wanted to do as an adult," he said.

He returned to Kingston 20 years ago and said his motivation to eventually pursue dance was driven by his love for music.

His inclusion of props is reminiscent of late dancer Bogle, whose crime-scene barricade tapes and black fowl formed part of his performance.

"Whenever I go to the parties, me carry a suitcase or knapsack with props, and I put it beside the selector so me can dance and go for each prop when it's the right time. I use props to up my game and make the thing more professional," he said.

Now a father of five, Cyah Tiad has dreams of buying a new home and expanding his business.

"I'm going to try and save from what I am getting right now - put it together and get a nice house," he said. "I would also like to have a space to do my own dance classes, and I want to have a drive-in fruits stand where you come, buy your fruits, and get your fruit juices."