William Canning — traveling evangelist known in Duluth for his strange gyrations in Canal Park

Apparently, according to the video description on YouTube, some guy named Jon was vacationing in Duluth in the 1990s and came across a fellow “making some very strange moves” that were “too good to pass up,” so he videotaped it. Earlier this summer, he uploaded it to YouTube.

As it turns out, I have the scoop on who the “man dancing in Canal Park” is.

It turns out that William Canning spent many summer nights in Duluth gyrating around near the shipping pier. I ran into him once and photographed and interviewed him for the Budgeteer Press.

3 Comments

Touchdown Johnson

about 14 years ago

I knew it had to be either God or drugs.

poe poe

about 14 years ago

We used to call that guy "Dances with Seagulls."  It's one of those memories that seem like it may have just been imagined, but yay, there's proof -- he was real!

Jim M

about 14 years ago

Is that the same guy who used to go to shows at Bayfront that danced on the piece of plywood covered with dish washing soap?

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