Speaker, YouTube star inspires through dance

“Life is change” is public speaker and YouTube sensation Judson Laipply’s mantra.
It’s a theme he used to reach a small crowd Monday in the IU Auditorium in a speech organizers said remained a success despite the sparse audience.

Inclement weather and a lack of advertising hurt attendance at the event, sponsored by the Residence Hall Association.

However, event organizers said the speech remained successful because of Laipply’s diverse appeal.  

“I think the program was still successful, regardless of the lack of students,” said event organizer and RHA Vice President of Program Management Katie Lambert.

During his speech, Laipply said he hopes students will walk away with a better, more realistic approach to daily situations.

Laipply has been speaking in public venues since 2002, and has given around 750 speeches. He has gained fame through YouTube, where his video titled “The Evolution of Dance” has received more than 100 million views.

“You’re here to do two things,” Laipply said. Those things were to laugh and to think.
Laipply said he wants people to understand their “power of choice” and to be able to “let go” in situations in which they have no control.

“Life isn’t always the party you hoped for, but while we’re here, we might as well dance,” Laipply said as a transition into his dance routine.

Laipply’s dance featured the evolution of popular dance moves from 50 years ago to the present, all in a six-and-a-half-minute routine. Some recognizable dances moves included Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” N’Sync’s “Bye Bye Bye” and Soulja Boy Tell’Em’s “Superman Dat Ho.”

“I never wanted to do a canned speech,” Laipply said before his performance.
Laipply said he tries to mix up the material each time he goes on stage while keeping the material that gets the most laughs.

Freshman Nick Mackall’s deep laughter could be heard over the crowd.

“It’s certainly interesting the way the dance was collaborated,” Mackall said. “He did, in my opinion, present some viable insights that could help me as a young adult.”

Bobbi Gaertner and her husband drove from Indianapolis to attend the event.

“It was very entertaining, very informative, and was a great motivational speech,” she said. “I’ve never seen him before, but I’m a dancer. It’s very informative if you grew up in that period.”