A dance battle with a police officer has lead to multiple scholarship offers for a D.C. teen.
Aaliyah Taylor and an officer went head-to-head in a video recorded last week. It has since gone viral, racking up over 1 million views on Taylor's Facebook alone as well as some educational funding for the 18-year old.
So basically I was trynna get to this girl but the police told me to go home so we made this deal if i win u leave but if u win I step andddddd she step
Posted by Adore Liyah on Tuesday, October 27, 2015
"Two churches have offered to pay for whatever college I want to go to and another lady wants to pay for my graduation and prom," Taylor told TODAY.
"Everyone knows who I am now," she added. "They are reaching out to Ellen [DeGeneres], and I am praying she gives me a call back."
Even if Ellen does not, a local dance studio would love to have Taylor and her energy in their midst.
"I was mesmerized and could see Aaliyah's passion for dancing," confessed Saudi Jenkins, a professional dancer and owner of Figure 8 Dance Fitness in D.C. "She reeked confidence. I thought, this is the one - I have to get her," Jenkins added.
Jenkins has offered Aaliyah free dance lessons and a private academic tutor.
"I know that dance is therapy and a healer," she said. "In urban areas, children are so talented, but they have not been exposed."
According to the caption on the video posted to Facebook Aaliyah was going to approach another student, but the police office intervened and told everyone to leave. "So basically I was trynna get to this girl but the police told me to go home so we made this deal if i win u leave but if u win I step andddddd she step."
Aaliyah reportedly approached the unidentified cop playing Silento's Watch me (Whip/NaeNae) on her phone.
"[The officer] laughed, 'I can do better than that,'" Taylor explained.
"I said, 'Sure, show me.' That's when we started dancing."
"She did some familiar moves with 'Nae-Nae' then we made a deal: If I win the competition, I get to stay and if she wins, I have to go," she said.
"I kept dancing and dancing and she kept picking up the moves," Taylor told TODAY. "I didn't know she could move like that. In the end, we said it was a tie."
The video even garnered a tweet from the Oval Office. Obama tweeted "Who knew community policing could involve the Nae Nae? Great example of police having fun while keeping us safe."
The dancing police officer declined TODAY's interview, but the Metropolitan Police Chief Chief Cathy Lanier said in a statement that officer is "known for her hard work and dedication to policing."