



TACOMA, Wash. -- Donning an American flag mask, red and white basketball shoes and hip-hop music in his ears, Ryan Joseph is bringing smiles through his dancing – but not at your typical studio.



On any given day at the corner of 6th Avenue and Pearl Street in Tacoma, you can find him on top of an electrical box spreading his unique form of joy to drivers and passersby.



“I like making people happy,” Joseph said. “It brings me joy, it brings me energy.”



Honking horns and smiles greet the teen as he practices his routines in public, but it was a troubled home that inspired Joseph to dance in the first place.



"My dad put me through a lot growing up, he was an alcoholic,” he said. “He just inspired me because he never believed in me.”



One woman stopped by just to thank Joseph for making her smile.



“I’m having a hard time,” she said. “My house just got burglarized, and that made me smile.”



And that’s why Joseph says he dances.



“You can make an impact on someone’s life by just making them smile,” he said.