TikTok's rise has been meteoric and while many of us had barely heard of the app a few years ago, it's huge now and you pretty much can't avoid it, especially if you're interested in dancing.
Though it was first launched in 2016, it wasn't until 2018 that it really started to become popular. In 2018 and 2019 it was the most downloaded app on the App Store, outperforming heavyweights like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
By the beginning of the pandemic, TikTok had built up a head of steam and for one reason or another, being able to make short videos of ourselves from pretty much anywhere (including our own homes), became massively popular.
Beyond that, TikTok became particularly famous for one thing: dances. While there are plenty of TikToks on the platform that are memes, jokes, and even more serious content, music and dancing are still the most popular content types since that's the kind of content the app was basically designed to help create.
How Did TikTok Dances Become Popular?
Dancing on TikTok has become so popular that you could even say there's a “TikTok style” (at least to amateurs such as myself). However, professional dancers have pointed to the fact that TikTokers have been drawing on a range of different dance styles when creating their TikToks.
The reasons behind the success of so many different types of dances on TikTok are similar to the reasons that the app itself has been so popular. TikTok is engaging and fun from the get-go. TikTok's algorithm means that users are presented with content immediately, even before they've started to follow anyone.
Finding things on TikTok mightn't be as easy as on other apps, but discovering things is, and TikTok's focus on short-form content means you can engage quickly with a lot of content and by the time you've finished bingeing a whole bunch of videos, TikTok has a pretty good idea of what you like.
TikTok makes itself really accessible, too. All you need is a smartphone and you can start making videos. It isn't looking for professionally-produced content or even a lot of it. Anyone who can do a dance for about 30 seconds can quite quickly put together a video and since TikTok allows users to include licensed music in their videos (without copyright notices like on YouTube), they can also include the latest hits as part of their dances.
Anyone can make a dance TikTok, it's easy to do, you can pick from all the trending hits, and TikTok will try to get your content in front of as many users as possible, that's why dances are so popular on the app!
How Has Social Media Changed the Dance Industry?
Whether social media has changed dance for better or for worse remains to be seen, but it has changed the whole industry.
Like many businesses and artists, social media is essential. You can try and survive in this world without a social media presence, but if you want and need to be seen, which professional dancers do, having social media can help.
The social aspect of social media does help as dancers can use it to network, find their fellow dancers, get information, find work, and even discover and study dance moves and choreography that would have previously been referred to as "underground".
How Has TikTok Changed the Dance Industry?
Of all the social media platforms, TikTok is definitely the one most synonymous with music and dancing since the app is built around putting music onto videos.
A key benefit of TikTok is that it's introducing new people to dance and encouraging them to get involved. The aforementioned accessibility of TikTok means that anyone can discover dances and then make videos of themselves doing them.
Though there are some excellent dancers on TikTok, TikTok dances are mostly an amateur pursuit and that's why they're so popular; TikTok dances are for everyone.
You just need to look at the latest dance trends and see that while TikTok is very much a young platform with a young audience (the majority of whom are under 24), you can see everyone from teenage girls to rugby players and elderly couples getting involved with the latest dance challenges.
The good thing is that the democratisation of dancing through TikTok is being met with praise by professional dancers. There doesn't seem to be any gatekeeping from professional dancers and most are just happy to see their beloved art being given a platform and being enjoyed by so many people.
Why Do People Love TikTok Dances?
People seem to love TikTok dances because of one simple reason: they're fun! The most popular dances on TikTok don't seem to be taking themselves too seriously and almost beg the viewer to try them themselves.
This is far more engaging than a lot of the other content we engage with on social media and it's arguably better for our mental health. While Facebook and Twitter promote interaction through posting and comments and don't care whether we do it to agree or disagree with something, TikTok's dance videos are far less toxic.
That isn't to say that TikTok is free from any form of toxicity, but that doesn't seem to be what drives the platform's algorithms.
What Are the Benefits of TikTok Dances?
You might be dismissive when you see some teens making TikToks of themselves dancing in the park, but the phenomenon actually comes with a heap of benefits.
Admittedly, most of these benefits are shared with dancing, but since many TikTokers wouldn't be dancing if it wasn't for the trend, many wouldn't be enjoying the benefits.
The Physical Benefits of TikTok Dances
Firstly, there are all the physical benefits of dancing. By making dance TikToks, you have to get up and move around. Even if the video only lasts a few seconds, it may take several takes and even longer to learn the choreography and all the practising you'll have to do, especially if you want to make a good one.
Dancing, especially a lot of the most popular ones on TikTok, is low-impact. This means that there's a lower risk of injury (though this will depend on the type of dancing) and is good for your overall stamina, flexibility, and strength.
The Mental Benefits of TikTok Dances
Learning a routine, no matter how short, has been shown to have cognitive benefits. It can help you work on your memory, release endorphins, and improve your overall mood.
Learning a TikTok dance is also a great way to relieve stress and just a few minutes spent learning a routine can be a good way to take a break.
The Social Benefits of TikTok Dances
TikTok challenges, even when done alone, are inherently social. You're participating in a community and sharing the dance with them.
Even better, you can learn TikTok dances with friends or family members and turn your TikToks into a social activity with others.
This all comes with the mental health benefits we mentioned before plus the extra ones we get from meaningful social interactions.
Are TikTok Dances Still Popular?
While big TikTok dance crazes mightn't make the evening news anymore, they're as popular as ever. They're just not front-page news because they're neither new nor different phenomena.
They're part of the social media and internet landscape now just like outrage in comment sections, posting pictures of cats, or sharing memes in a group chat.
Since a lot of TikTok dances are on the back of popular songs, they'll be popular as long as there's chart-topping music to listen to and we know that isn't going anywhere!
How Can You Learn TikTok Dance Challenges?
To the uninitiated, some TikTok dances can seem impossible at first glance. However, after you've watched a few examples, you should have a better idea of what you need to do.
Since TikTok dances are huge, there are also plenty of accounts that also post tutorial videos on how to do the most popular dances with step-by-step guides that you can follow, which weren't around for a lot of the huge dance crazes over the years.
However, if you really want to learn how to dance, there's nothing better than attending dance classes or working with a private dance teacher or tutor.
That way, you can learn more about dance than just a few moves for a 15-second video. You can learn about the art of movement, the theory behind dance, and dance techniques that will take you much further than just copying short dances from TikTok.
That doesn't mean you can't keep making TikToks and participating in dance challenges, it just means that you'll have a better understanding of dance when you do!
If you have a quick look on our website, you should be able to find dance tutors for all abilities and budgets in a matter of seconds.
Discover dance classes near me here on Superprof!
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