In the past 20 years, YouTube and TikTok dance trends have revolutionized the world, transforming ordinary individuals into dance sensations. From catchy choreographies to sick combo moves, these viral dance trends are perfect for showcasing one’s talent and, of course, becoming a celebrity of sorts.
From the classic Numa Numa kid to modern trends, these are some of the most viral dances ever published on YouTube and TikTok.
1. Numa Numa
Initially, O-Zone’s song “Dragostea Din Tei” was known as “Numa Numa.” The name change came when some American guy named Gary Brolsma posted a video of terrible quality on Newgrounds and then on YouTube, in which he danced to the song, quickly hitting that viral status. Props to the man for having amazing facial expressions and sick moves.
2. Evolution of Dance
In 2003, Judson Laipply put on the original performance of “Evolution of Dance,” where he showed off 31 popular dance moves from the past 50-ish years. In 2006, Judson Laipply uploaded the entire performance to YouTube, which has since garnered over 214 million views! In the video, you can see him busting out various dances, from Elvis’s Hound Dog to YMCA to Chicken Dance to ‘N Sync’s Bye Bye Bye. All that in under eight minutes.
3. Uptown Funk
In 2015, an entire American school took part in a dance video tribute to Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ smash hit Uptown Funk. And that thing blew up like a fireworks display, getting over seven million views and going on national news in less than a week. And what’s even more fascinating is that Bruno Mars personally praised their little stunt!
4. Where the Hell Is Matt?
Imagine doing the same dance over and over again and then going viral. Sounds silly, but in 2005, YouTube was like Wild Wild West of content. Que in Dancing Matt with his famous globetrotting adventures while hitting the “jig” on camera. By today’s standards, that’s like a 3/10, but back then, Matt somehow started a new dancing trend that anyone could join in.
5. JK Wedding Entrance Dance
On July 19, 2009, a video featuring the wedding ceremony of two lovely people, Jill and Kevin, hit YouTube with incredible force. In its first 48 hours, the footage accumulated more than 3 million views, and the original upload was the third most popular video on YouTube in 2009. Currently, it sits at 106+ million views.
6. Git Up
The Git Up Challenge kicked off in May 2019 when two guys from Utah shared their fun dance set to Blanco Brown’s hit The Git Up. It had the hip-hop energy mixed in with a bit of country vibes, making it a hit with fans. Since then, over three million users just on TikTok alone have jumped in, showing off their own sick moves.
7. Body Language
Set to Queen—Body Language, this incredibly hot dance choreographed by Liana Blackburn has generated over 31million views since it was uploaded.
This dance focuses on moving with intention rather than for attention, or so the nice lady claims. And if you love what you see, make sure to check out her other viral hit, Dance Monkey, which is even more sensual.
8. WAP
The “WAP” dance is inspired by the Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion song of the same name. Many have tried it or at least seen it, as it has become a viral phenomenon. The risqué moves and boppy tune have made many netizens take up the challenge, but to successfully pull it off, one requires huge assets.
9. APT
Inspired by the song ROSE & Bruno Mars and its exhilarating moves, this dance combines fun body movement without making people practice it for days. It may not be the most popular dance on this list, but you can still spend hours watching people from all around the globe break down to it.
10. Este
The Este dance trend went viral thanks to its catchy Latin-inspired beat and fun moves. It’s all about smooth transitions and expressive hand gestures. People are loving its upbeat vibe, making it a perfect way for young dance stars to show off their skills and maybe even go viral. That’s the dream, right?