PITTSFIELD — Have you seen a dancing Superman on the streets of Pittsfield?

Maybe you saw The Man of Steel turning cartwheels on the corner of First and Fenn streets, his red cape flying in the wind. Or maybe you noticed him showing off some fancy footwork during your commute through downtown.

In Metropolis, Superman’s real identity is Clark Kent. In Pittsfield, his real name is Taras Jefferson.

Jefferson, 49, has been donning costumes and dancing throughout the city since he moved to Pittsfield in 2014. A former Bronx resident, he enjoys bringing the costumes and dance skills often seen in New York City’s busking scene to Western Massachusetts.

“I started it there [in New York] and I never stopped, you know, dancing,” he said. “I love performing, so that’s the real goal.”

In the past, he says he’s dressed up as Batman, Black Panther, a ninja and many other personas to entertain Pittsfield residents as they go about their days. Most recently he’s been performing as Superman, including at the city’s Fourth of July parade on Saturday.

On the days Jefferson is dancing on sidewalks downtown, you can see him performing everything from front flips and shoulder stands to leaps and kicks — all while clad in the bright primary colors of his superhero costume.

“I try to show kids, people, just be yourself,” he said of his work.

It’s also a key part of his own creative expression. “I do it just to feel good,” he said.

He’s aware that this kind of street performance is typically found in Times Square, not Park Square. There’s a lot less competition in Pittsfield than in New York, for sure, but the city’s unfamiliarity with street performance has gotten Jefferson used to locals calling him “weird” or “crazy” for his antics.

“Some people walk away from me when they see me,” he said. “A lot of people don’t speak to me."

"It hurts, but you’ve got to suck it up," he said.

And anyways, isn’t rising above adversity a core part of any superhero story?

Besides, there are some people who seem to resonate with his work.

“People say I make them feel good, like they can be angry and I change their whole mood,” he said. His dancing has sometimes been filmed and put online by local residents who find themselves amused by the moonwalking superhero in their midst.

Taras Jefferson hits a dance move while in character in Pittsfield. He can be seen putting on a show downtown as the The Man of Steel.

Jefferson said he lived in Kansas City and in Albany, N.Y., before eventually moving to Pittsfield. It felt natural to bring the kind of street dancing he was used to doing in New York City, where he grew up, along with him.

Jefferson, a husband and father, said he’s also inspired to keep dancing by the joy his performances can bring to children.

“There’s kids that look up to me that are not my own,” he said. “So I do it mostly for them.”

However, the positivity he receives often doesn’t translate to material support.

“People say I make them feel good and I change their mood, but they don't help me out when it comes to tipping,” he said. He said the most he’s ever made in a day as a dancer is around $75, and he sometimes picks up yard work to support his income from busking.

Despite the challenges, Jefferson keeps pushing on, holding out hope that one day he’ll get a big break and be able to pursue dance full-time.

“I think there's something in me just not to give up, always have faith, belief,” he said. “So I always believe, one day, I will make it.”