A New Jersey man has gone viral after derailing a town-hall meeting by breakdancing.
Will Thilly, from Cranford, just outside New York City, performed a silent robot dance during a meeting in the town before complaining about taxes.
Why It Matters
Thilly is a town council candidate, running as an independent, and is known for regular stunts at town hall meetings. According to the New York Post and his Instagram, he has gone to town halls to breathe into the microphone without speaking and has also spoken out against taxes before.
What To Know
Thilly opted to approach the microphone during the meeting, but not before dancing toward it. During his dance, other people in the room looked around, smiling while others covered their mouths with their hands.
After his dance, which lasted almost one minute, Thilly took to the podium to speak. He started speaking about his recent holiday in Monterrey, Mexico, and then asked if anyone wanted to seem him do a backspin. No one responded but he lay on the ground and spun round anyway, prompting no response from the other attendees.
He then started speaking about taxes. He said: “Why did our taxes go up so much? We were told the referendum would raise each household $400 a bank and mine went up about $900 bucks. What actual expenses were incurred by the schools that weren’t told to the public when we voted on that referendum?”
He then gathered his papers, a water bottle and moon-walked away in silence, prompting one official to thank him for his “interpretive dance.”
What People Are Saying
One X user wrote: “Let me guess, no one on the Township Committer had the courage to beatbox.”
Another user wrote: “Well that’s one way to use your 5 minutes at a NJ town meeting. Everything OK in the water over there in Cranford NJ?”
On his website, Thilly wrote: “”Hi, it’s Will Thilly. I’m running for the Cranford Township Committee to tell you the truth, to fight for what you need, and to defend our Town and schools.
“Did you know that in recent years the Township Committee under both political parties has awarded over $150 million in 30-year tax exemptions to billionaire developers at 750 Walnut and Birchwood?
“We residents have to pay for this on their behalf. It’s a few thousand dollars every year in extra taxes per household. In return, we receive little besides increased traffic, flooding, overcrowded schools, and overburdened infrastructure.”
He told the Guardian: “The dance was basically improv[,] decided almost on the spot. The main goal is to have our local government lighten up and look at the residence [sic] as friends and equals. The division and lack of community decision-making is what seems to be our biggest problem. Not to mention people are overly stressed and taking stuff too seriously and are not feeling free to speak and express themselves as they might wish.”
What Happens Next
Whether Thilly performs other stunts at other town meetings remains to be seen. The township election takes place in November 2025 and five candidates are competing for two vacant seats.
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