One of the hottest trends on social media over the last few years has been a succession of TikTok dance challenges. From Jalaiah S. Harmon’s Renegade going viral in 2019 to the Wednesday dance (current at the time of writing), TikTok’s users have loved to participate in TikTok dance challenge to share their interpretation of the latest dance craze.
And there have been many TikTok dance trends over TikTok’s comparatively short existence. Many have fizzled out after a few hundred videos, while others have kept on reinventing themselves, with newcomers continuing to make their spin on the dance.
We know that TikTok is a platform of growth, with Gen Z continuing to flock to the platform ahead of anywhere else. And Gen Z, girls, in particular, love to dance. So, expect to see this list continue to grow over time as the next dance challenge arrives on the scene.
27 TikTok Dance Challenges
1. Wednesday Dance
@_jelichamaata Wednesday Dance Trend #jelasan #wednesday #wednesdayaddams #wednesdaynetflix #fyp #fypシ #addamsfamily #netflix #wednesdaydance #dancetrend #foryoupage
As I write this in early 2023, the dance taking over TikTok is based on a scene in Wednesday, Tim Burton’s Addams Family spinoff currently airing on Netflix. In the show, Wednesday Addams shows off some seriously “unusual” moves during a dance at Nevermore Academy, the school for outcasts. Now TikTokers have got in on the act, uploading videos showing their version of the dance.
Even Lady Gaga has got in on the act:
@ladygaga BLOODY WEDNESDAY #fyp
CNET describes the dance as:
“part Argentine tango, part spooky shimmy, and part C-3PO trying to let loose.”
2. Toosie Slide (Drake)
@.jadenkrantz ⚗️🔮Is this how you slide?🔮⚗️ #tootsieslide #foryou
This dance craze began with Drake releasing his Toosie Slide video on YouTube. The song’s lyrics give inspiration on how to do the dance, and before long it had found its way to TikTok, where millions were uploading their interpretations.
3. Renegade (Lil Massive)
@mtv If you meet @charlidamelio on a red carpet, you ask her to do the #renegade dance 😏
The Renegade had its time as TikTok’s biggest dance in late 2019-early 2020. Even YouTuber David Dobrik, Kourtney Kardashian, and her son all did the Renegade together.
It’s a quick, multiple-step dance that incorporates popular moves like the woah, the wave, and the dab to “Lottery” by Atlanta rapper K-Camp.
Although it became extremely popular on TikTok, few who performed realized that it originated from a 14-year-old in Atlanta, Jalaiah Harmon (@jalaiahharmon), who initially posted an Instagram video of herself and her friend Kaliyah performing the moves in September 2019. @global.jones brought it to TikTok in October of that year, and it became a phenomenon.
Harmon identifies as a Dubsmasher, i.e. a group of young creators who use Dubsmash and other short-form social video apps to choreograph dances to songs they like and upload them to TikTok and Instagram for a wider audience. These creators hope to gain fame for creating original moves in their TikTok dance challenges.
4. Cannibal (Kesha)
@kesha
Cannibal may sound like a bizarre name for a dance, but it’s named after the track behind it, Kesha’s 2010 song “Cannibal”. 14-year-old Briana Hantsch from Illinois created the first version of the dance in February 2021 of herself dancing to the song in her bedroom. Before long, more famous TikTok stars like Charli D’Amelio and Addison Easterling had started a trend, and millions more joined in.
5. WAP Dance (Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion)
@addisonre i had to do it before my mom did…. goodnight dc @besperon
In 2020, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion released the song “WAP”. It became phenomenally popular on TikTok and featured in frequent mashups, a popular meme, and a dance. Often videos simply featured the song’s lyrics and the dance mixed with other music. For example, people remixed Megan Thee Stallion’s first verse with songs as diverse as “Let It Go” and “The Phantom of the Opera.”
The decidedly explicit lyrics caused conservative political pundit Ben Shapiro to go into meltdown, and get involved in a public spat with Cardi B. This simply served to increase the number of memes, remakes, and dance videos – it seems a clear case of the Streisand Effect taking place.
Guam choreographer, Brian Esperon, created the dance, and Cardi B shared it with her YouTube and TikTok audiences. Within a day, it went viral on TikTok. The hashtag, #wapchallenge has now had 20.4 million views.
6. Last Christmas (Ariana Grande)
@missnalaaa Merry Christmas everybody 🫶🏼 #arianagrande #dancechallenge #dance #trend #makeitvirаl #dancetrend #lastchristmas
♬ Ariana Grande Last Christmas Showmusik Dance Remix – Showmusik
As Christmas 2022 approached, Ariana Grande’s version of Wham’s “Last Christmas” became a TikTok favourite. This led to a dance challenge as TikTok followers decided it was time for a Christmas party.
7. The Box (Roddy Ricch)
@itzslavik Gravity left the chat… @_aubreyfisher #theboxchallenge #UltraSmoothMoves #realdance
Well-known TikTok celebrity, Charli D’Amelio created this dance to a section near the beginning of Roddy Ricch’s song “The Box” while still just 15. She then uploaded other versions (same song, same choreography) for her fans. One of them had 4.8 million likes, and it wasn’t long before millions of others uploaded their versions.
8. Laxed (Siren Beat)
@jasonderulo I can’t stop watching this @itsjonathanle @justmaiko
♬ Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat) – Jawsh 685 & Jason Derulo
Jawsh 685 created this dance in 2019, alongside the “Laxed – Siren Beat” tune which he initially uploaded on YouTube. He created the instrumental as a tribute to his Samoan and Cook Island heritage. The dance took off, primarily as a demonstration of cultures. Before long, users felt inspired to post “Culture Dance” videos celebrating their heritage by dancing to the song while wearing traditional costumes.
In 2020, Jason Derulo used a sample of the track in his “Savage Love” track, which led to rights issues, and the new song being re-released as “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)”, credited to both artists.
“There were so many people doing it,” Jawsh365 recalls. “I couldn’t pick a favourite, but it was pretty cool to see the mix of cultures doing it – Indian, Chinese and Pacific Island.”
9. Foot Shake Dance
@nathanpiland When the #FootShake isn’t on point 😱 @dyvon @e_brzy @lincolnhoppe @demiskinner @ajgonzalez101 #comedy
Originating in 2018, the Foot Shake Dance is one of the older entrants in this list of TikTok dance challenges. It is relatively simple, making it easy for everyday TikTok users to emulate.
10. Number One Baby
@notavanigreggsorry number 1 baby #fypシ #on #avani #notavanigreggsorry
This dance is set to Young Thug and Future’s, “Relationship.” It begins with hand and arm movements, ending in holding an invisible baby. Although Number One Baby isn’t the official title of the dance, it’s what it became known as, and how most people have labelled their version.
The music no longer appears to be available on TikTok, but plenty of videos featuring the dance still do.
11. Savage (Megan Thee Stallion)
@keke.janajah NEW DANCE ALERT! 🚨 if u use my dance tag me so i can see🤗 @theestallion #writethelyrics #PlayWithLife #foyou #fyp #foryoupage #newdance #savage
Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” was a favourite on TikTok in early 2020. Keara Wilson choreographed a dance challenge to the track that ended up becoming one of TikTok’s largest. To date, the Savage song has been used in more than 14 million videos, many of which have emulated Wilson’s dance moves.
12. Ride It (Jay Sean)
@zein232k @amyjessicapidgeon ride it
By 2022, Jay Sean’s hit “Ride It” was 14 years old, released before many of TikTok’s most ardent followers were even born. However, the track received a great comeback on the platform in the form of a TikTok dance trend with a mix of quick, sharp movements and slowed-down warping.
13. Supalonely (Benee featuring Gus Dapperton)
@sierrafurtado
@zoifishh created the choreography for this dance, set to New Zealand singer-songwriter, Benee’s track “Supalonely”. It increased in popularity once influencers like Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae uploaded versions of the dance.
The song has a catchy beat, and its lyrics like, “while you’re out there drinkin’ / I’m just here thinkin’” made it a natural target for Zoifishh to come up with an entertaining dance.
To date, people have uploaded 5.3 million videos featuring the Supalonely track, many of them emulating Zoifishh’s dance moves.
14. Adderall (Corvette Corvette)
@addisonre Idk this dance at all so here’s that @yvnggprince
The song, “Adderall (Corvette Corvette)”, was released on October 15, 2020. The next day, @yvnggprince choreographed a video, that caught everybody’s attention on the platforms and started a dance challenge resulting in TikTokers posting more than 15 million videos.
15. The Wobble (V.I.C.)
@sterlingkbrown You didn’t know the Pearsons could wobble, did you? 😏 #thisisus #wobble #weddingseason
The Wobble started as a line dance in Philadelphia in the mid- ‘90s. However, rapper, V.I.C. more recently wrote a song called “Wobble” which became his second single. The TikTok dance craze came about as TikTok’s creators put together versions of his dance steps.
16. Don’t Start Now (Dua Lipa)
@thexhan pls do my dance🥺
This dance, set to Dua Lipa’s song, “Don’t Start Now”, dominated TikTok in the first half of 2021. The original dance was performed by Hannah Kaye Balanay, who posted a video of herself outside dancing to the song. She captioned it, “pls do my dance,” and the millions who who follow TikTok dance challenges took her up at her request, including Charli D’Amelio and Addison Easterling.
17. Say So (Doja Cat)
@yodelinghaley HERE IT IS!! the full say so dance🥺🥰
Haley Sharpe of Alabama became famous on TikTok as @Yodeling Hayley. One of the first videos she uploaded of herself dancing in 2019 went viral, and she soon build a respectable following based on the quality of her dances.
Not long afterwards she created a viral dance to Doja Cat’s “Say So” that took off and was often repeated. Sharpe included a message in the caption of her original Say So video, informing Doja Cat that she’d love to be in one of their future music videos. Once her video went viral, and the dance became mega-popular, Doja Cat obliged and invited Sharpe to cameo in the song’s music video.
18. Give it to Me (Timbaland)
@marvzdcasper
Timbaland’s 2007 hit “Give It to Me” became a popular backdrop to TikTok dance videos 15 years later. This dance required good hand-eye coordination if you didn’t want to turn it into a comedy video. The song has a catchy beat, making it ideal for a TikTok dance challenge.
19. Git Up Challenge (Blanco Brown)
@fitandphat No one looks stupid while they’re havin fun #gitup #gitupchallenge #dance #havingfun #fitandphat #dancingnurse #nurse #fyp #goodvibes dc @harvey
The Git Up Challenge dates from May 2019 when two half-brothers from Utah, 19-year-old Ajani Huff and 21-year-old Davonte House uploaded a dance to Blanco Brown’s “The Git Up”. Their dance is a mix of country and hip-hop. More than three million other TikTokers have since shared their interpretations of the dance.
“At first [we were] just doing it for fun, but then after we did “get up” we realized the power choreographers have,” House said.
20. Out West (JackBoys and Travis Scott)
@alisyacaaaa
“Out West” is a song by JackBoys and Travis Scott, featuring vocals from fellow American rapper Young Thug. They included it on their album, JackBoys, which they released on December 27, 2019. Virtually immediately, Nicole Bloomgarden uploaded a video to TikTok featuring the track behind a very simple dance – you only have to raise your arms and move your hips.
The dance caught on, with Usher, YouTube stars Emma Chamberlain and David Dobrik, and 8.4 million others sharing videos of their versions.
“A strategy I learned is [that] dances have to be more catchy than hard,” Bloomgarden said. “The easier it is to do, the more people are gonna’ do it.”
21. Seven Rings (Ariana Grande)
@rybkatwinsofficial Breakfast at Tiffany’s ☕️ 7 RINGS! 💍💍 #dance #acro #sam #7rings #fitness
TikTok follower Devin Santiago created the Seven Rings dance, using Ariana Grande’s song. It was more of a slow burner than many of the dances profiled here, but it eventually took off becoming one of the more popular TikTok dance trends of 2020. It involves very fast, intricate choreography, so users probably needed time to learn it before they could show the world their moves. And some
22. Vibe (If I Back It UP)
@from.kawehi.with.aloha #taeyangbigbang #parkjimin #vibedancechallenge #taeyangjimin #taeyangftjiminbts
A dance highlight from early 2021 was 22-year-old Mikeila Jones’ moves to Cookie Kawaii’s “Vibe”. She didn’t have any pretensions of going viral, simply making a video because she “just wanted to be cute”. However, once she got into making her video, she realised how catchy the song was, finding it easy to dance to.
Within an hour of uploading the dance to TikTok, Jones had 100,000 others emulating her dance, with a further 300,000 in the second hour.
Although the song (and dance) is titled “Vibe”, most people know the dance by the line, “If I back it up, is it fat enough?”
23. Blinding Lights (The Weeknd)
@yoyoivan They had know idea what was going on 😬 blindinglights #family #dance #happyathome #toronto #canada #fyp
The Blinding Lights dance challenge is a silly group number initially popularized by TikTok user, @macdaddyz. The dance steps aren’t difficult and are reminiscent of a 1980s throwback. As a result, you will find more older people in these videos, with quite a few parents joining their kids, proving that you’re never too old.
24. Jingle Bells Remix
@joshlws lool @Larnz
We’ve already highlighted one Christmas dance challenge in 2022, based on Ariana Grande’s “Last Christmas”. However, it wasn’t the only fan favourite of the season. This remix of “Jingle Bells Rock” also brought out the Christmas goodwill from TikTok’s dancers.
25. I’m Moving Too Fast
@blondie.nka i’m moving so fast🐛 #dance #foryoupage #cyprus #4you
In March 2021, Deaundre Lamar (aka @2live.d) set the #2liveSoundsmix challenge, using his original audio. It went viral in less than a week. To date, TikTok followers have uploaded 4.8 million videos based on the dance and track. The dance includes moves such as the “woah” and “throw it back.”
26. Stay (Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber)
@maxtaylorlifts smh
The Stay dance challenge from @maxtaylorlifts can definitely be considered a fun challenge. The comic dance seems to mock the song, and even starts with the words, “There’s no way people can actually like this song” visible on the screen. Now 7.7 million TikTok videos use the song, many of which include interpretations of @maxtaylorlifts’ “unusual” moves.
27. Tap In (Saweetie)
@dancewithbritt Dad learning the tap in dance 🤣 #tapin #tapinchallenge #dadsoftiktok #tiktokdance #fyp
Saweetie’s “Tap In” was one of the most popular tracks on TikTok in 2020. @yodamnmamma choreographed a dance to the track, with particular reference to the lyrics, “wrists on glitter/waist on thinner”.
Wrapping Things Up – Can TikTok Dance Challenges Benefit Brands?
TikTok dance challenges have been a favorite of TikTok users virtually since the start of the platform. Every few months since Renegade went viral, people have continually tried to choreograph a new TikTok dance challenge, and many have succeeded. Many of these challenges have millions of views, and indeed millions of videos with people giving their own dance interpretations.
To know more about how we can collaborate with you for your custom tiktok strategy.
If you’re a brand you could great publicity by being part of this, perhaps working with an influencer if you don’t feel confident enough to share your personal dancing abilities. House of Marketers can help you come up with influencer strategy to cater for your brand, audience, and objectives.
House of Marketers (HOM) is a leading TikTok Marketing Agency. Our global agency was built by early TikTok Employees & TikTok Partners, which gives us the insider knowledge to help leading brands, like Redbull, Playtika, Badoo, and HelloFresh win on TikTok. Want us to convert more of Gen Z and Millennials with TikTok? Get in touch with our friendly team, here.