There was a lot of history made during the Super Bowl — including the halftime show.
Joshua Felder was the first disabled man to perform at the big game.
“It was just amazing,” Felder said.
The 23-year-old is intellectually disabled, but he has a photographic memory.
“I can remember everything … back to when I was little,” he said.
A self-taught dancer, he started posting his daily routines on TikTok.
Little did he know, one video he made peaked the interest of NFL halftime show coordinators.
“I was asked to audition, and I got in,” he says. “I never thought in a million years I’d be at the Super Bowl … and dance with The Weeknd.”
Rehearsals were multiple times a week, for two weeks straight. The NFL required all dancers to keep their involvement a secret until after the performance.
“It was easy to keep it a secret … I love giving people surprises,” he said.
Friends say Felder come a long way.
“He was scared to talk to people and would never get up in a crowd in a million years,” recalled Morgan Heartsfield, Deputy Director of Development in Best Buddies.
Best Buddies is a non-profit organization that aims to celebrate thousands of differently-abled individuals and help teach them independence — even find life-long careers.
“Seeing Josh do so much really means a lot to us,” Heartsfield said. “It really an incredible chance to see our mission in action.”
Even though Felder enjoys the spotlight, he says he’d love to one day work for Best Buddies in Tampa Bay.