In North Syracuse, Matt Dougherty is the embodiment of the phrase "Dance like nobody's watching."

Of course, he's fully aware that anyone who drives by the intersection of Route 11 and Bear Road around dinnertime is watching -- and loving the show he puts on.

Dougherty is a "shakerboarder" for Little Caesar's Pizza, more commonly known as a sign shaker, who promotes the pizza chain's North Syracuse location during the summer. Most days of the week, people can get a glimpse of his performances from 4 to 7 p.m.

"No, not really," he says when asked if he's had any training or lessons. "I kind of picked it up on my own. I dance with the sign, I do tricks with the sign, I throw it up and flip it in the air, stuff like that."

His managers hope it'll draw customers to the restaurant, tucked into a shopping plaza across the street from a Verizon store and a Dunkin' Donuts. In fact, the Little Caesar's there would be hard to notice without Dougherty's dancing, especially with competition nearby like Twin Trees III, Utica Pizza Company, CopperTop Tavern, Commisso's, Papa John's and Pizza Hut.

Sign shakers are hardly new, but they can mean big business. Last year, one Idaho restaurant owner said 60 percent of his customers come in because they saw the shakerboarder.

Not everyone is a fan, as Florida towns like Cape Coral and St. Petersburg have tried -- and failed -- to ban sign shakers. Drivers have complained that the distractions can cause accidents, but Dougherty says he sees more positive responses than negative.

"People are honking at me, waving at me, telling me I'm doing a good job, and giving me a thumbs up or a high five," the 18-year-old Cicero resident says.

"The funniest thing [that's happened to me] is pretty much every week, there's this one guy who always passes by me and he has this recorder and every time he passes by me he, like, plays it at me. Sometimes he has a flute, but usually a recorder, and he serenades me every time he passes by."

For Dougherty, though, dancing is just a hobby and sign shaking is just a summer job. He soon leaves to start his junior year at SUNY Oneonta, where he's majoring in graphic design. (Yes, he's 18 and already a junior in college after being home schooled and then completing two years at Onondaga Community College.)

Other sign shakers will attempt to fill the void he leaves, but Dougherty's not impressed by most. He picked up sign spinning, flips and other tricks by watching others, but as anyone who's passed by a despondent-looking "going out of business" sign holder can attest, many just stand there.

"Don't just dance with the sign, and don't just spin it either," Dougherty advises other shakerboarders. He recommends using a variety of displays to draw more attention -- and also to keep himself entertained.

And what keeps him going? Dougherty listens to an iTunes playlist on his headphones filled with pop, hip-hop and electronic dance music: "Pitbull, Skrillex and Usher -- that kind of stuff."

Though Dougherty leaves for college soon, Central New Yorkers can drive by to see him perform in person this Tuesday and Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Little Caesar's at 709 N Main St. in North Syracuse.

If nothing else, it'll remind you of the importance of having fun and the words of William W. Purkey: "You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, love like you'll never be hurt, sing like there's nobody listening, and live like it's heaven on earth."