Who would have thought that a single click on the internet could turn someone into an overnight sensation? It sounds like a plot straight out of a sci-fi movie, but it's the reality we live in today. And one person who has harnessed the power of the internet and social media is none other than the kaldagan king himself, Dennis Tayag a.k.a the Big Boy from Pampanga!
Dennis' dance moves are not just any ordinary moves, they are animated, funny, and will leave your back aching - but in a good way! His style has revolutionized the dance step and made him the new face of TikTok. Even though his dance moves seem simple and easy, it's his infectious energy and quirky expressions that people are finding hard to replicate.
But that hasn't stopped the masses from trying! From regular folks to big-name celebrities like Rayver Cruz and Sanya Lopez with the Sexbomb Girls, everyone has jumped on the kaldagan trend and danced alongside Dennis and his big-boy squad.
We had the privilege of catching up with the man himself in an exclusive interview. Trust us, you don't want to miss out on hearing directly from the kaldagan king!
The Big Boy Phenomena
It was never an easy step for Dennis to have been given the chance to showcase his talents and quirk over the media, and because he is confident, he might not feel even the slightest pressure in what he does, because he is having much fun doing it. Perseverance and work-life-balance are his ultimate clothing in crossing the path and he struts his way quickly and surely albeit belittling. As big as he gets in the media, he wishes to have continuity in what he does.
Dennis was actually first known in his Pinatitibok or #NotaNotaMo dance challenge before his big boy challenge was sensationalized. From there his creative bits of curating steps out of a viral song continued, and from then on, he gave birth to the #BigBoyChallenge! His first #BigBoyChallenge video garnered a sweeping 33.6 million views while Dennis has 1.7 million followers on his TikTok.
@dennis_tayag Pang ulam ngayon valentines day🔥 #DennisKaldag #dennistayagincident #dennistayag #Bigboy #BigBoyDennis #NationalDanceUnlocked #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #7elevensponsoranmonako ♬ original sound - Dennis Tayag
How did Dennis stumble upon the song Big Boy? According to our exclusive interview with Dennis, it started when he heard this song on Tiktok. The song’s vibe piqued his interest so he logged into YouTube and discovered that at that time, it still had no official music video. So Dennis took matters into his own hands and choreographed his own dance that became a dance craze known to everyone on TikTok.
With his dance moves, you would suspect that he has a history with dancing and you are definitely spot on. But what is surprising is that his history is ballet dancing! When asked by Metroscene Mag, Dennis says that both he and his brother danced ballet when they were in Junior High School. “Sumasayaw talaga family namin, dancer talaga. Kaya ang lambot ko sumayaw e, kaka-stretching ko nung JHS pa ako,” Dennis jests. No wonder he could do those back-aching moves!
That is why many people were enamored by his dancing, he was even featured in a show in GMA! By the looks of it, Dennis Tayag may be the next TikTok choreographer of this generation. But, when asked about whether he is to continue being in the showbiz industry, he said maybe. Who knows what more is in store for him? The big boy deserves big things!
The Big Boys Squad
Dennis is adamant in encouraging people to make their mark on their lives. He compares our world in The Matrix movie where it is like a game. He says that there are already too many non-playing characters (NPC) in the world, thus we should create, try new things, and discover our own uniqueness. He also takes pride in his purpose to show people that he is a living example of a person who never lets a day pass by without doing something.
“Sabi ko sa sarili ko, sayang ang buhay kasi any moment at this time pwede tayo ma-delete sa world. Kasi kung wala kang gagawin sa isang araw, wala kang gagawin na something big. Naniniwala ako sa kasabihan na ‘yong sa permanent death, ‘yong kapag natutulog tayo ‘diba parang patay. So, technically parang araw-araw birthday na’ten nagigising tayo dapat special. Kailangan ba sa birthday ka lang mag ce-celebrate?” He also added that every time he wakes up, it needs to be a good day. He channeled this positive vibe through dancing. When he wakes up, he makes random dances until one day he succeed and made a hit with #BigBoyChallenge.
Dennis walks the talk, as he was able to encourage and uplift his two buddies, Russel and Emz. If you don’t know them, they are the two back-up dancers in his videos. Emmandrei Amurao was Dennis’ childhood friend while Russel Mateo is his newly-found friend, according to him is someone he vibes with. Mentioning people he vibes with, Dennis also showed interest in collaborating with the dancer siblings, Ranz Kyle and Niana.
On being a small boy to big boy
The most jarring thing about growing up is having to experience a lot of bruising things like bullying and being alone. As for Tayag, growing up, he didn’t entirely feel like he was a big boy, but rather a meek and isolated kid. Dennis felt small when he was isolated and picked-on by people around him. But it was definitely because of the environment he’s pacing in, not because he thinks small of himself. Say it with me, it’s not his fault!
Though started as a normal kid, Dennis attempted to get various jobs aside from standing at a public market to help his family sell just to get by. He tried to be a waiter, he even tried to succumb to becoming an online seller, and because of his family’s seafood business, Tayag tried to carry the job and took orders from people and managed to deliver them. At some point, he tried to take over the process of cooking by himself, which has led him to become the big boy he is now, figuratively and TikTok-wise.
But for most people who feel small on certain things, Dennis Tayag definitely is the testament that with the right amount of self-assurance and awareness, you will definitely go big, or else, go home! He said, “Number 1 is magtiwala ka sa sarili mo, solid! Mas kilala mo sarili mo kahit sa mama, papa mo kahit anong gawin mong pagkakamali mo, alam mo sarili mo,” suggesting that the key to fully understanding your full potential is to always trust yourself. That’s right, for Dennis, it may sound as cliche, that’s the thing he held onto to acknowledge his strength.
Actually, Dennis is not always the same as what he shows on TikTok, he’s a very normal person. He does not project so much flamboyant personality, chill, street smart, and as he quoted it, “kanto vibe.”
What makes him a big boy
According to Dennis, what makes him a legitimate big boy, aside from the moniker created by the TikTok netizens, is that fear and being scared of trying is none of his concern! Dennis trusts Papa G and with the proper eagerness to try, he’d definitely rule out being fearful. What’s the use of having the ability to dive, if you’re not going to thrive? The big boy never forgets that there is always a worthwhile reward after unceasingly doing so.
After all, maybe the key to being a big boy is beating all the mishaps and doubters around you! Dennis Tayag bested his haters at their own game, and it worked out well for him. I mean, what’s a big boy gonna do, but to go big, right?
When asked by Metroscene Mag about his future plans, Dennis said he wanted his world tour to happen. He also plans to do content creation as a full-time job, although Dennis does not have his own management yet because he believes that they can handle it themselves. He also let us in on the fact that he was a singer before so part of the teaser of his upcoming plans would probably be a song (but he doesn’t want to jinx it!)
With the multitude of his success, Dennis Tayag can definitely claim the title of being the Big Boy of this generation, drawing near to his authentic, unfiltered persona is a reward he keeps himself. That is why his achievements are the marks of his very existence and story. From being a meek, isolated, picked-on boy, who was made small by the doubters around him, he had the power to take over his true essence and was able to be introduced as the big boy who people know him as, at least in his new vast, and big world. Big boy and a big world! Periodt!
