It started out as a simple gig to attract more customers, but it has since turned into an online sensation.
Tian Bo, a 31-year-old La Mian (hand-stretched noodle) maker in Chengdu, in China’s southwestern Sichuan Province made a splash when a video of him dancing while making the noodles went viral after Spring Festival.
Many noodle makers in China add dance movements to their noodle-stretching performance to the delight of customers. But Tian’s sensual and flirtatious gestures set him apart.
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“I saw his dance online and came to see that with my own eyes,” Ms. Gao from Shanxi Province told the Huaxi City Daily. “Watching him work like this is quite an inspiring experience.”
Tian has five sets of choreography but also adds new movements regularly to keep his performance fresh and entertain his customers.
The idea came as the restaurant where Tian worked was losing business. He added some dance moves to his noodle-stretching performance in an attempt to attract more customers but to top the competition, he also started dancing to music, and even trained with a female kitchen assistant.
CFP Photo
The sensual, girlish style made him uncomfortable at first. “I still get nervous performing like this in the crowd,” he admitted.
Even now, he insists his dancing persona is not really him. “I am not the coquette I portray,” he says, insisting he is no more than an ordinary guy.
Tian wasn’t even aware of his popularity until not only tourists, but also high-paying job opportunities landed at his door.
Still, he says he would never consider altering his career or pursue more than he is capable of. His goal for the future now that he is famous: “I would run a noodle restaurant on my own.”
