As a content creator for ten-dance.com, I’m always looking for the next big dance trend. When my editor challenged me – a self-confessed, rhythmically-challenged millennial – to learn a new Tiktok Dance every day for a week, I hesitantly accepted. My mission: to understand the hype around TikTok dance and see if I could actually keep up with the viral sensations. What followed was a week of laughter, near-disasters in the office, and a surprising appreciation for the world of TikTok.
Between the ages of 5 and 10, ballet and modern dance lessons were part of my life. However, my instructor gently suggested I might be better suited for drama. This early feedback foreshadowed my lifelong struggle with rhythm and coordination. The idea of mastering dances on an app “just for dancing” felt less like a fun assignment and more like a daunting task.
Yet, in the spirit of journalism, I plunged into learning a viral TikTok dance each day. Quickly, I discovered that TikTok is much more than just random arm flailing. It’s a whole universe of creativity, challenges, and yes, a lot of dancing.
One of the first things that struck me was the unexpected level of… suggestiveness. While I know teenagers are, well, teenagers, watching countless videos of them suggestively moving to Kesha’s “Cannibal” was a bit of a surprise. Firstly, nobody really needs to see that. Secondly, practicing these moves in our glass-walled office meeting rooms, while constantly worrying about an HR report, added another layer of awkwardness to the challenge.
I can almost hear the “OK boomer” comments already. And honestly, just a week prior, I would have agreed with that sentiment. TikTok was something I had little interest in. But this experiment changed my perspective. I started to “get” TikTok and the appeal of TikTok dance.
Despite feeling like the oldest and most awkward person on the platform at 28, I unexpectedly had a lot of fun. Here’s a breakdown of my week-long TikTok dance journey, starting with Day One.
Day 1: Conquering the Leg Dance Challenge
Starting hungover was not my brightest idea for learning a new skill. But, I persevered, beginning with the first hurdle: downloading TikTok and setting up my account, LindsayTokson. For my inaugural TikTok dance, I chose a seemingly simple leg jig set to Vampire Weekend’s “A-punk.”
This dance, while perhaps lacking an official name, was a popular TikTok dance trend a while back. It looked straightforward, basically one repeated move, which seemed like the easiest entry point. So, fueled by a bit of “hair of the dog,” I started recording.
Trying the leg dance challenge for the first time, feeling slightly overwhelmed but determined to learn this TikTok dance.
Regret was almost instantaneous. If I couldn’t even grasp this single move, my hopes for the rest of the week were dwindling fast.
However, after several attempts and getting used to the bewildered stares from my colleagues, I think I started to get the rhythm. That’s Insider’s News Editor-in-Chief Jim Edwards casually walking by in the background and our MD Julian Childs trying to maintain focus amidst my TikTok dance efforts.
Office colleagues become accidental spectators as I practice the TikTok leg dance, highlighting the slightly disruptive nature of learning TikTok dances in a work environment.
Day 2: Getting “Obsessed” with a Simpler TikTok Dance
The moves to Mariah Carey’s 2003 hit “Obsessed” are advertised as so easy “anyone can do them” (apparently, even a ferret). It took about thirty minutes to learn, and surprisingly, I even remembered it the next day – a definite win! This TikTok dance was a confidence booster after day one’s struggles.
Successfully learning the “Obsessed” TikTok dance, demonstrating that some TikTok dances are indeed beginner-friendly and fun.
Day 3: The “Get Busy” Challenge – A Reality Check in TikTok Dance Difficulty
I quickly realized this TikTok dance challenge was a mistake. Scrolling through Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae’s profiles for viral challenges, I overlooked a crucial factor: teenage bodies are far more agile than my increasingly creaky one.
I could barely practice the entire routine at regular speed without recording it in slow motion. This TikTok dance required a level of speed and coordination I was clearly lacking.
Struggling with the fast-paced “Get Busy” TikTok dance, realizing the gap between TikTok dance pros and a beginner.
I eventually sort of learned it, but “felt good” would be a major overstatement.
A slightly improved attempt at the “Get Busy” TikTok dance, showing persistence despite the difficulty.
Day 4: “The Git Up” – Embracing the Country TikTok Dance Vibe
Everyone kept saying this was their favorite TikTok dance. Challenge accepted, I thought again.
It took a solid two hours and a lot of sweat in a cramped meeting room to grasp the basics. And again, I must emphasize how much worse it looks compared to pros like Harvey Bass. This TikTok dance was definitely more complex than anticipated.
Practicing “The Git Up” TikTok dance, highlighting the effort and time commitment even for seemingly simple TikTok dances.
Performing “The Git Up” TikTok dance in the office, causing amusement and distraction for colleagues.
Doing “The Git Up” in the middle of the office was, unsurprisingly, a bit of a disruption.
Day 5: TikTok Dance Intermission and the Renegade Breakdown
I had a mini-breakdown trying to learn the Renegade, but more on that later.
Overall, I genuinely enjoyed learning more about TikTok during the week – the memes, the inside jokes, and how old songs can suddenly become viral sensations again through TikTok dance trends. Trends move so fast your ideas can feel outdated almost instantly, but surprisingly, no one makes you feel bad about it. The TikTok community seemed surprisingly forgiving.
Taking a break from choreography I was clearly not destined to master, I enlisted help from colleagues to try some other popular TikTok dance challenges from the past year.
Former Insider UK Social Media Editor Charlie Clark, on a trip back from Hong Kong, kindly taught me the “oh na na na” leg dance.
Receiving a TikTok dance lesson from a colleague, showcasing the collaborative and fun aspect of learning TikTok dances.
Entertainment editor Tom Murray and I attempted the leg shuffle challenge on the office stairs. He admitted it was exhausting. I just laughed, knowing what I had already been through with these TikTok dances.
Trying the shuffle challenge TikTok dance, highlighting the unexpected physical exertion involved in some TikTok dances.
Later on Day 5: The Renegade – My TikTok Dance Nemesis
There are so many versions of the Renegade TikTok dance, I didn’t even know where to begin. And that was just the start of my problems. YouTube tutorials? Failed. TikTok tutorials? Also failed. The video pretty much sums it up.
Utterly failing to learn the Renegade TikTok dance initially, capturing the frustration and difficulty of mastering complex TikTok dances.
After two and a half hours in a meeting room, I had to give up for the day. I just couldn’t get my arms to cooperate, and getting angry at myself wasn’t going to improve my mood or my 51 followers’ experience.
Then, a miracle! After a good night’s sleep, James Charles, of all people, showed me the way. I eventually learned a basic version from him and Bretman Rock after watching their tutorial about 100 times. I nearly lost my mind, but I can now confidently say I can do (a version of) the Renegade TikTok dance.
Finally achieving a version of the Renegade TikTok dance, demonstrating perseverance and the satisfaction of overcoming a difficult TikTok dance challenge.
TikTok is definitely not what I initially imagined – just a platform for fame-hungry teenagers. Some users are undoubtedly annoying, but they are the minority.
I mostly found TikTok to be a supportive, friendly, and hilariously brilliant space – a hub of immense creativity where people are more likely to encourage each other than to criticize. Considering I spend a significant amount of time on Twitter for work, this was a refreshing change. The TikTok dance community is surprisingly positive.
Just nine days ago, I was indifferent to Charli D’Amelio. Now, I understand she’s a precious angel who must be protected at all costs. My perspective on TikTok dance and the entire platform has completely shifted.
While you process that revelation, you’ll find me on TikTok, brainstorming how to create more TikTok skits at work instead of writing about them. The intense dancing, however, I might leave behind. My joints and my aging anxiety can’t really handle that level of TikTok dance challenge intensity.
Contemplating future TikTok content, showcasing the author’s newfound appreciation for the platform beyond just TikTok dances.
Read more:
A young boy got a concussion and was hospitalized after his friends performed the TikTok ‘skull-breaker’ challenge on him
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The New York Jets deleted a TikTok video where they made it look like a football flew out of a teenager’s butt
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