Just after the new year, Gillette resident Wes Johnson decided to dance it out to Florence and the Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over” while shoveling snow.
Two months later, he was “dancing it out” to the same song in the rotunda of the Wyoming Capitol with Gov. Mark Gordon.
Johnson, who has exploded as the “Dance It Out Guy,” has accrued more than 2 million likes on TikTok and 30 million views across his social media platforms.
The demand for his moves and optimism keeps growing, and he’s determined to bring some goodness to the world from Wyoming.
“I’m only two months into going viral, so we’ll see what happens, but I’m optimistic that anything can happen,” Johnson told Cowboy State Daily.
Governor Gets Jiggy With It
Johnson had already gone viral when he traveled to Cheyenne to attend the final days of the 2025 Wyoming legislative session. A crucial Campbell County issue was finally crossing the finish line.
“Getting the funding to replace Campbell County High School has definitely been a battle this session,” Johnson said. “I tried to help as much as I could, sending emails and letters and calling all the representatives saying, ‘You guys need to put Campbell County High School at the top of your priority list. That needs to be funded.’”
The legislation passed, meriting a signing ceremony from Gordon. Johnson reached out to his connections to see if the governor would be open to rescheduling the signing to a time when Campbell County students could witness it.
“The high school boys’ and girls’ basketball teams were in Cheyenne for regionals, and the governor always signs bills at 1 p.m.,” he said. “I asked if there could be a special exception for a morning signing so we could have the kids there.”
Gordon agreed to sign House Bill 259 at 10 a.m. on March 7. The Campbell County School District secured $131 million to replace the dilapidated high school and several other facilities.
With the bill signed and celebrated, there was one more thing Johnson wanted to do.
“I told a friend we were going to dance it out in the rotunda,” he said. “That friend asked Governor Gordon if he was going to dance it out with us. He was hesitant at first, but then he said, “Yeah, why not?” So, I set up my tripod and we danced it out.”
Not every viral dancing celebrity can boast that they’ve danced it out with a state governor. For Johnson, that’s part of what makes Wyoming special.
“I think it was a little bit by luck, a lot of connections, and the good atmosphere at the end of the legislative session,” he said. “I don't know if he would have been willing it was in the middle of the session.”
Just Dance It Out
Johnson is a lifelong Wyomingite with his share of successes and disappointments. He runs Four Seasons Events, an event company in Gillette, and has dabbled in several other industries.
After his original TikTok account was hacked, Johnson started posting short videos on a new account, “theonlywesley.” His viral success caught him completely off-guard.
“This sound was on TikTok and I was feeling it at the time,” he said. “I was plowing snow that day, so I took a break and decided to put this sound on and dance it out in my driveway.”
Then, as Johnson put it, “the algorithm happened.”
“That video went viral, and the next video went viral, and the next after that,” he said. “I became known as ‘The Dance It Out Guy’”
Johnson’s Jan. 3 video has over 2.6 million views on TikTok. A later video he posted of the same dance as recorded on his home security system has 3.4 million views.
Johnson has been riding the wave of virality since, posting a new “Just Dance It Out” video in a different location every day. He has over 82,000 followers and 2 million likes on TikTok and is growing his following on YouTube and Instagram.
This success isn’t surprising for Cheyenne resident Stacie McDonald. She’s followed Johnson’s career of kindness and community involvement and believes he’s a perfect social media ambassador for Wyoming.
“He’s a man about town,” she said. “No one can resist his open friendliness. He's showing up in places, being friendly, and people you wouldn’t expect to participate are joining his positive dancing. He’s being himself, and he’s so Wyoming in that way.”
While he’s having a good time and savoring his success, Johnson hopes his admittedly silly videos bring out the same in whoever’s watching them.
“In the divisive world that we're living in right now, this lets you take your mind off things for 60 seconds, dance it out, put a smile on your face, and have a few moments of positivity in your day.”
Beyond A Solo Hit
As Johnson continues to gain followers and visibility, he hopes to leverage his virality to benefit others. He wants to help other people and organizations find success in his success.
Kids and teenagers are the primary demographic on TikTok, and many Gillette residents are thrilled to have a viral video star in their neighborhood. Johnson has filmed several videos at different places in Gillette, such as the Campbell County Community Center, and roping in anyone who wants to dance it out with him.
As the spread of Johnson’s spotlight grows, he’s making room for more people to stand in the light.
“A lot of kids idolize influencers and creators,” he said. “I have a platform to showcase a special event or a non-profit, or just to give a kid an opportunity to have their five seconds of fame and get 40,000 views on a video. That’s what it’s evolved into.”
Nevertheless, Johnson knows enough about business to keep things in perspective. The balance is maintaining momentum without going too far too quickly, which is why he’s happy to be in the perfect “test market”
“I've had a small business long enough to know you can't create a business out of anything overnight,” he said. “I want to start in Wyoming and see if I could find a way to make it to each community, do an epic video in each community, and see what happens from there.”
Regardless of what happens, Johnson wants to make the moment bigger than himself.
“Instead of making it all about me, I’m able to make it about a lot of other things too,” he said. “I'm only one guy. I’m the face of this, but I’m trying to use my platform for good.”
Viral In Wyoming And Worldwide
It doesn’t take much to become a local celebrity in Wyoming. Johnson has crossed and surpassed that threshold - the world wants to dance it out with him.
“I’ve had people reach out from the U.K., Europe, and Africa wanting to dance it out with me,” he said. “There's a group in New Zealand raising money to fly me to New Zealand, because they're just so dead set on me coming to New Zealand.”
Johnson has contemplated the possibility of a “Dance It Out Tour” to meet the growing domestic and international demand for his upbeat TikTok persona. Whatever he decides to do in the limelight, it’ll start close to home.
“I’m working with a group to see if we can pop into communities for a flash-mob-type deal,” he said. “I got people from all over asking me to come to Casper, come to Sheridan, come to Rock Springs. I'm trying to figure out how I could go to each town in Wyoming and get as many people as possible together and do a big ‘dance it out’ in each community. That’s what I’m hoping to do.”
McDonald believes Johnson has what it takes to capitalize on his viral success. At the core of this “movement” is the genuine person she and many others have known for years.
“He’s smart as a whip and puts a lot of research and effort into everything he does,” she said. “The dancing might feel silly to some people, or some might not understand it, but it’s not cavalier. It’s a movement. Wes is working on something positive and friendly with a unique Wyoming spirit, and I’d love to see him take this as far as he can go.”
Here For The Tramp Stamp
Wes knows thousands of people are following him because they genuinely enjoy his “Just Dance It Out” videos. He also knows others are intrigued by the tattoo he unintentionally revealed in his first viral video.
“I have a tramp stamp on my lower back that I got 20 years ago, before tramp stamps were a thing,” he said. “A little bit of it peeked out when my sweatshirt pulled up, and that set TikTok ablaze. The comments were epic.
Johnson’s leaning into that aspect of his virality, too. He wouldn’t disclose anything about his lower back tattoo to Cowboy State Daily, as he’s saving it for a big reveal once he hits 100,000 followers on TikTok.
“Now, I’m #danceitoutguy and #trampstampguy,” he said. “Everybody’s waiting for the tramp stamp story, and I’m not bursting the bubble yet.”
Contact Andrew Rossi at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com
@theonlywesley Day 48 Just Dance It Out! At the Pinnacle Bank Shootout! #wesfromwyoming #theonlywesley #wesjohnson #trampstampguy #fyp #danceitout #justdanceitout #justdanceitoutchallenge ♬ som original - edits
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
