If you want to learn about modern dance, you can take lessons, find an online tutorial or enjoy a dance show. But wouldn’t it be much more fun if you logged onto Stephen Otieno’s TikTok account?
Otieno, a TikTok star with over 32,000 followers, uses his account to showcase his hip-hop dance. Whether dancing alone or in a group, he weaves his movements through music, dancing with intention, purpose and energy.
Through an EDU Africa collaboration with Madison College, David Hansen’s World Issues Journalism class students got to know Kenyan students like Otieno, who attends St. Paul’s University (SPU) in Nairobi.
“I’m an open book,” said Otieno in a video interview. “I am ready to share anything that you want to know.”
As a child, Otieno’s dance roots began with his participation in Western Kenya tribal dance. Otieno belongs to the Luo tribe. However, there are 42 tribes in Kenya, and traditional tribal dances unify all of them.
In cultural dances, performers can wear feathered hats and skirts made of sisal strands, called Owalos.
The Owalo is a traditional costume worn by several African communities while performing dances, especially during festive and happy times.
Today, on his social media platform, Otieno wears a different kind of apparel — a neon palette of highlighter-colored shirts paired with cargo pants. He’s TikTok ready — just add music.
Otieno was born twenty years ago in Pumwani, an estate in Nairobi. Pumwani is the oldest African settlement still in Nairobi. He has four brothers and one sister. His hometown is Gwasi, Migori County, Kenya.
He was born in the evening, notable because being born at night is important in the Luo culture and is the reason Otieno’s name begins with the letter “O.” (Females born at night are given names starting with “A.”)
Otieno’s first language is the Luo tribe’s mother tongue. Afterward, he learned Swahili and English, later, when he began school.
Like most entertainers, Otieno started by dancing in front of his parents, who soon enrolled him in dancing lessons. In primary school, Otieno continued participating in cultural dances from other tribes, which taught him other Kenyan cultures. Much of his talent can be traced to the choreography and training he received from Western Kenya tribal dance.
During the day, he attends SPU in Nairobi. His path to the university is common for Kenyan students, who, like American students, attend primary, secondary and high schools.
In middle school, his extroverted personality shined, eventually transforming him into a constant presence on TikTok.
TikTok dances have audience appeal because of their simplicity, a concept Otieno intuitively understands. He makes them accessible to a broad audience; his routines offering basic, easy-to-follow moves that people from all demographics and skill levels can learn.
Additionally, he’s drawn to TikTok because of its user-friendliness.
“When you click on a video — on a one-minute video — let’s say someone is talking about how to milk a cow. You can learn more from that video in just 60 seconds, so I just stick to TikTok because it is easy to use and very friendly to me,” Otieno said.
But he doesn’t always need video to learn.
Sometimes, he learns just by listening to a song. There is no strategy for choreographing a new dance. He hears the song repeatedly until he understands the rhythm and tempo, inspiring his choreography.
His TikTok channel, “stimulator_brolin,” has brought him an international audience, with occasional requests to choreograph for musicians overseas, collaborating online.
With his international exposure, does he ever consider traveling outside of Kenya?
Otieno chuckles at the familiar question that he and other Kenyans often hear.
“I’m going to be honest — 90% of Kenyans want to go outside the country. For me, I need to know more. The fact that I don’t know everything bothers me. I just need to know more. I plan to go one day and explore other countries and understand how other cultures work,” he said.
In addition to dancing, he loves storytelling, which is why he has taken journalism classes and is majoring in public relations.
“Since I like stories, I like storytelling,” said Otieno, who chose public relations because he is comfortable connecting with other people.
“Everybody has their own story. Everyone likes listening. When you listen to others, you realize your own problems are not that bad,” Otieno said.