GAITHERSBURG, Md. — When you meet Danika Wiggins, you learn quickly she’s neither shy nor bashful. As she and her two sons gathered around a small laptop screen for our Skype interview, you could see just how happy they are as a family.
Wiggins, an Assistant Principal at Summit Hall Elementary, is finding creative ways to enjoy the time she’s having with her family during the coronavirus epidemic. She, her husband Parrish and their sons post daily videos on the social media app TikTok, teaching dance sequences and taking on the latest viral challenge.
"I’ve been wanting to try some of the more challenging TikToks that I have seen on the internet," she said.
Watching Wiggins in the videos, you wonder about her personal journey. How does she move like that? Where did it come from? Her sons, noticing my surprise, offer a glimpse into their mother’s resume.
"She’s a trained dancer," one of the boys tells me.
Wiggins said she started dancing at the age of three, went on to dance for many years and eventually coached other students like those at Northwood High School.
Although the pandemic has put a pause on normal life, it has presented an opportunity for Wiggins and her family to spend quality time with one another and help lift the spirits of other families.
"I'm trying to do one [video] a day just for fun, just to give people some entertainment during this time," she said. "Just because it’s a bad time, you can get through it doing different things, and not thinking about what's really going on. But you still have to be safe."
The family videos are a hit online. They’re both widely shared and viewed.
"This is a great way to exercise and keep all of us smiling," one Facebook comment read.
"So Much swag! I love all of these dance videos!!" said another.
It isn’t clear when life will return to normal. But while the Wiggins are healthy and happy, they’ll continue make videos and take advantage of a unique opportunity to spend with each other as a family.
