TikTok is one of the latest in a long line of social media trends that are changing pop-culture as we know it.
Based on the premise of the long-lost app, Vine, TikToks are short-form videos that include commentary, comedy, dances, costumes (or cos-play), singing, and otherwise entertaining content for others to view immediately from their smartphones.
Why do people dance on TikTok?
Dancing and being viewed dancing is one of the more popular trends on the TikTop app, including singing or wearing costumes. These are performative and are meant to entertain. Whether you are dancing because you’re good, bad, or copying the latest trends, dancing can make you a famous TikTok user.
Because of this easy access to content, some TikToks and TikTok famous people are getting hundreds of thousands of views per day per video!
What is the Deal With Dancing on TikTok?
Dancing on TikTok can help you feel part of the major changes and trends that happen on TikTok nearly every week – even every day! Mostly, though, it is about getting views.
It seems as though new dances are constantly being added, changing, evolving, or being used in different contexts.
For example, one person may be doing an upbeat dance that is then repurposed by another person who turns it into a darker or slower dance to contrast it.
This is a way to get viewed and seen on TikTok, not only as you practice and show off performing the same dances as other people, but also to put spins on it to continue to entertain users who are fans of the dance or who are tired of one version.
Finally, inventing or starting a new dance on TikTok that people like can make you pretty famous – especially if other TikTok users credit you in their videos when they imitate it.
People also share dancing videos because they are extremely popular on Tik Tok. Some even speculate whether Tik Tok actually inflates the views and likes to create buzz around dancing videos.
How Did Dancing Become so Popular on TikTok?
Dancing on camera has always been a popular trend online.
While YouTube was the beginning of sharing your day to day activities with millions of viewers each day, other apps like Vine and now TikTok are helping people make very fast, short-form videos nearly every hour!
Only minor editing needs to go into most TikToks, vs. a full-length YouTube video, but that doesn’t mean they are any less impressive.
Therefore, dancing on TikTok instead of on other platforms has become easier to do than ever.
This is also because Tik Tok is still mainly for kids and young people.
Why Dancing Though?
Dancing online has been part of the social media boom between Millenials and Gen Z individuals for a little over a decade.
The early 2000s saw a boom in sharing everything about yourself literally online, and dancing is just part of that!
Dancing is fun, upbeat, and can be a quick way to show off a talent. It also holds your audience’s interest if you’re good, and can give them a good laugh if you are purposefully bad.
Furthermore, people who invent new dances that get picked up by other dancers online – it’s happened before – can become famous overnight and earn millions of subscribers and followers who are always waiting for the next new dance.
Not to mention that dancing is one of the most popular genres on the app. If you’re dancing, you are more likely to be seen and viewed by people who are using TikTok on a daily basis.
Finally, artists and content creators who aren’t afraid of expressing themselves will definitely try dancing and other trends that pop up on the site in order to garner more followers and views.
Who Comes Up With the TikTok Dances?
Some dances on TikTok are preexisting from music videos, video games that are memed (like Fortnight), or from famous celebrities and artists.
However, a majority of dances on TikTok are started by one content creator on the app and then imitated by other people. These dances are sometimes very quick and easy to imitate, while others are longer and are more complicated – and therefore more impressive.
Inventing one of these dances can result in a short-lasting tidal wave of content that keeps the dance famous until a new one comes along. While it isn’t clear when a dance loses its popularity, it is a safe bet that it will see many different TikTok users before it is gone.
Whether you created a dance that people like and try to do for themselves, or you created one that people hated but love to mock, your dance could have an entire week or month of TikTok fame before it fizzles out for something new.
Sometimes you may even see really old jokes or dances pop up on TikTok briefly, which can cause a resurgence.
Either way, dances are invented or imitated over and over online to show a sense of solidarity and connection to people you would otherwise never meet in real life.
If you’ve seen a TikTok dance, it was probably invented by a TikTok user for fun, and then repurposed thousands of times over by other people who appreciated it.
Do You Need to Do Dancing Videos to Get Success on TikTok?
Dancing videos are probably the most famous TikTok genre on the app.
Nearly every account will have more than one dancing video that is either trying to invent their own moves or imitate another content creator’s style. Either way, you’re more likely to run into a dancing video on TikTok than any other genre.
Furthermore, TikTok has had a recent history of making dancers, singers, and other artists famous outside of the app, gaining them recognition online since most content creators will connect their social media tags and sites to their TikTok account.
Therefore, a successful dancing account on TikTok, or even a single dancing video, can gain so much traction overnight that you might also find yourself famous outside of TikTok entirely!
Just remember, fame online is very short, and often if you aren’t continuing to make content, your fame can fizzle out very quickly.
Therefore, make sure that if you are chasing fame online, you know what you’re getting into before you start.