FLORISSANT, Mo. — Shoppers at the Schnucks on Shackelford Road in Florissant are treated to some incredible dance moves thanks to a young man named Johnathan Heinle.
Today in St. Louis’ Allie Corey first learned about Heinle from a Facebook post. It was cellphone video of a Schnucks worker dancing in the parking lot. The caption read, "Let’s make this kid famous."
While we can't make any promises on the famous part, we can promise he'll make you smile.
You know the saying “Find something you love and you'll never work a day in your life”? Twenty-year-old Heinle is living, moonwalking proof of it.
"I love my job; I mean this job is a lot to me," smiled Heinle.
He has worked at Schnucks for the last four years, dazzling shoppers with his moves while simultaneously collecting carts from customers.
"Everyone just came by and they happened to really like it and really enjoy it. Then, once the coronavirus pandemic started, I decided I wanted to kick it up a notch," he laughed.
He only dances to his idol Michael Jackson. With his white glove and speaker, Heinle moves just like King of Pop. He taught himself every move by watching YouTube videos.
"There were times I would rewind it and then play again and say, ‘How does he do that?’" he explained.
Almost more impressive than his dance skills is his confidence. He performs in front of strangers in a parking lot full of judging eyes. Those judging eyes are something he became accustomed to as a kid. He was diagnosed at a young age with Asperger syndrome.
"Because of my Asperger’s syndrome everybody was judging me because I was different. They didn't understand what I was going through,” Heinle said. “My parents taught me an important lesson. You should be who you be and as long as you have your self-respect, there's no room for hurt.”
Heinle may not realize it, but his dancing and his attitude are teaching all of us that life is short.
"If they're happy, then it makes me happy," he said of the shoppers he encounters every day.
We all have the power to make a difference, even in the smallest of ways.
In the words of Michael Jackson himself, "If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change," Heinle said, quoting his idol.
Photojournalist: Bob Hoehne