20. The Bernie
"I mean you can't get any lazier than *pretending to be dead*"
"The Bernie is a fun dance to do in conversation. It's not the best dance for like, actual dancing."
"Right, it's good for Vine videos. Just have a random guy doing the Bernie in the background."
"I'm doing the Bernie rn."
"BUT I do really like the Weekend at Bernie's movie and appreciate any homage paid to it."
"It also doesn't have a song attached to it so I don't think it has spread or resonated as much."
19. The Crank Dat
"The frat boi anthem."
"It was fun till white people got hold of it."
"Points because Soulja Boy definitely changed the game with that one. That was everyone's ringtone for years. He still got ringtone money."
"The moves were so basic??"
"The perfect dance for people who can't dance."
"You couldn't NOT do it, which is, to his credit, genius, but also terrible."
"Is the dance actually called the Crank Dat? 'Cause you can crank a lot of things."
"The word 'crank' had a huge moment. People were cranking everything."
"Yeah… what is one cranking?"
"The Soulja Boy, right?"
"But so meta??? 'Cause you're DOING the dance but also cranking the dance???"
18. Lean Back
"LAZY. Like, barely a dance. Not a dance at all."
"Just an attitude, really."
"It's what your beautician asks you to do when she needs to reach another part of your head. 'OK, lean back real quick.'"
"But the whole point was it's supposed to be a dance for dudes."
"Blah. If you're too cool to dance, then just don't dance!"
"'My niggas don't dance we just pull up our pants' — booooo go away."
"You may as well invent a dance called the 'blink your eyes.' Now blink your eyes. Blink your eyes. Blink your eyes."
"Also, you can only do it during the chorus. So what are you doing the rest of the time?"
"Just posted up being an annoying dude."
17. The Shoulder Lean
"A close cousin of the lean back."
"Equally as lazy."
"It was like the Atlanta version of New York dudes not wanting to dance."
"Guys, it's all in the SWAG."
"I don't think I've ever seen anyone do this dance IRL."
"Nope. Only in videos.
"I think everyone does their own version of this, but no one knows what the real one looks like."
"There's a bounce to it, which is fun. But that's about it."
"It's basically like T.I. and Young Dro doing an uncle dance."
"It's just a glorified stretch."
16. The 1, 2 Step
"Everyone looks pretty chill doing the 1,2 step."
"It's basic, but like cute sweetheart basic 'cause it was Ciaraaaaaa."
"It's hard to fuck up, so that's cool."
"The 1-2 step was dope because it was super easy but LOOKED so cool. You felt like a professional dancer when you did it."
"Yeah! and it actually like stepped on offbeats which made it cooler than, say, Cranking Dat."
15. Yeet
"YEET doesn't have a song so much as it has a chant."
"Cool name though. Like, you could not guess what that was."
"It's born from the Vine generation and perfect for just hanging out in high school with your friends."
"YEET is a social experience. People get so creative. I love watching kids create things, ergo, I love YEET, which I refuse to type in lowercase letters."
"That *emptying the pail* move is so strong!"
"I saw one where someone stopped to read a book in the middle of it so you can dance and be dedicated to education at the same time."
14. The Wop
"I don't think I've actually seen this IRL either, just on the internet."
"I've never seen this new age Wop outside of Vine and Miley's video."
"Never forget, 'The White Girl Wop.' Twenty million views!!!"
"I remember when I watched that video, I didn't know what the real Wop looked like, but I knew it wasn't this."
"Truth told I still don't know what it is or how to do it."
"If you search on YouTube, white people are ALL OVER this dance."
"I feel like any dance that white people are really into is usually awful :("
"I think these three girls buried the Wop forever."
"RIP Wop."
"We barely knew you."
13. Flap Your Wings aka "Getting Your Eagle On"
"I still think this dance is called get your eagle on."
"Girls who do this dance look so fucking cool."
"If I remember this music video correctly, this was very difficult."
"You gotta have some healthy knee ligaments to do this."
"I would NEVER approach or attempt this."
"I'm always thinking, Wow your knees must be very strong."
"There was a time when I could. I refer to that time as the Golden Years."
"It was super limby: knees, elbows were all doing things."
"Watching the video again, this looks so exhausting."
"Forreal!"
12. Pop Lock & Drop It
"It's like a dance for people who would like to be able to twerk but can't. Just enough hip action."
"Surprisingly athletic!"
"It's great exercise! As good as squats."
"Very similar to flap your wings in terms of needing good knees."
"It's deceptively easy 'cause the music is slower but getting down there and back up again is hard."
"There's also a lot of core action in this."
"But it looks SO GOOD. Everyone doing this dance looks fly as hell."
"It's a dance where anyone can participate but the great ones are separated from the rest."
"Yeah, it's one of the dances where if you're not good, it just is embarrassing for everyone involved."
"I might go home and do this for about 45 minutes as a workout."
11. Chicken Noodle Soup
"SO GOOD!"
"Fun, charming, just a good dang time."
"Something for the kids."
"Kids look adorable doing the chicken noodle soup. Like, why are they dancing about chicken noodle soup? It doesn't even matter. You just wanna enjoy that it is happening."
"Nothing about this dance makes any sense but it feels like it does when you're doing it."
"But also, are people eating chicken noodle soup with a soda on the side? A soda??"
"What soda pairs best with chicken noodle soup?"
"Zero. None of them."
"And how do you clear out rain? it just has to evaporate."
"Major points for customization opportunities."
"It's highly customizable."
10. Stanky Legg
"I just learned the Stanky Legg has two 'g's"
"The Stanky Legg is the perfect celebratory dance. Got an A on your test? Do the Stanky Legg. Got a discount at your favorite store? Do the Stanky Legg."
"It's simple but you have to be really good at it to look good doing it. I do not look good doing this dance."
"You have to have a lot of natural charisma and/or swagger to get it down perfectly. But it looks good when you do!"
"Beyoncé's Stanky Legg is so good."
"I think it works best for girls with long hair because when they come up from the leg part you can do a really dramatic hair flip that will give everyone life."
"It's all in the legs, but a lot of room to do things with your arms."
"You just need a really lazy leg. Lean to one side and pretend that the other one won't stay up."
"^^^ Protip."
"If you've ever had crutches, advantage."
"Also, I still think about this Tumblr text post from time to time."
"LOL, I love how it's framed as 'what if.'"
9. Red Nose aka "Yiking"
"Watching a group of girls do the Red Nose is just a beautiful sight. Up there with like cool sunsets and stuff. Just makes you happy to be alive."
"It's poetry. I love watching it. Will I ever attempt it? Probably not in this lifetime."
"The Red Nose is one of those dances that old people point to as proof of the decline of society and morals.'Got these chirrens runnin round puttin their red noses where they don't belong. They need Jesus!'"
"I didn't know how dope it was until I saw it IRL. The video doesn't do it justice."
"I also think the name is just dumb. Like, really fam? A pitbull?"
"Wait, explain to me again what that means?"
"The butt is supposed to simulate what a pitbull's nose does."
"That's pretty creative!"
"That's the epitome of hood shit, making something beautiful and poetic out of something like pitbulls."
"It's a partner dance but I wonder if each 'role' is flexible for gender..."
"I think it's a very queer dance. Anyone can really play each role."
"The best Red Nose I've seen is girls just doing it by themselves tbh."
8. Nae Nae
"Perfect."
"It's just so beautiful."
"And people get sooo creative. The things they do in between the yelling of 'Huaaa!'
which is like a joyous battle cry."
"Another great celebratory dance."
"We love this dance so much but it's already fizzled out."
"Yeah, it had its moment but it was a glorious one that we will always look fondly upon."
7. Cat Daddy
"I will never do the Cat Daddy because I know my limits."
"Good workout! There's also a lotta stylish points to be earned."
"I like the Cat Daddy because it looks like a really cool person jamming in a wheelchair."
"I bet it's mad that it was outshined by the Dougie."
"This is one of those songs that California people always put on 'cause they know they're good at it."
"Another skinny sk8er dude dance."
6. The Jerk
"The jerk is SURPRISINGLY HARD!"
"This is also a dance I would never attempt because I know my limits."
"It's like 'OK, just do the running man backward,' which sounds easy enough bc the running man is easy but it's sooo hard."
"It's like parkour but in a really contained space, which is wild."
"They're moving so much without going anywhere! How!"
"All I see is limbs. Limbs flying everywhere but somehow not hitting anyone."
"You have to be very self-aware to do the jerk successfully."
"And it takes a lot of skill to freestyle that and still look good."
"Yep. It's another highly customizable dance. Great for self-expression. Good for the spirit.
"It should be employed by behavioral therapists and yogis."
"An unsuccessful jerk can look disastrous. Must be approached with caution."
"It's like a tornado hit a human."
5. Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It
"Fun, fun, fun. And unifying because it's simple enough for everyone to do."
"This is the song that started it all. The snap rap wave. They inspired knock-offs like the Laffy Taffy."
"It could be super chill, super basic or taken to another level."
"I feel like Atlanta starts everything."
"It was the perfect dance for those giant tall tees and baggy pants. Everything was just rippling and flying everywhere."
"So iconic."
"It's also usually done by guys who would otherwise think they were too cool to dance, which is endearing."
"Yeah, and they would get really into it too."
"Tees waving like a flag in the breeze. So majestic."
4. Walk it out
"Best ever."
"And high energy!"
"If you can walk it out for the duration of the song, you're in great shape; calves just burning."
"I dare someone to watch the Walk it Out dance and not be filled with joy in their heart."
"It's also surprisingly difficult."
"But once you get it, you feel like a superhuman. And you are."
"Also, the remix to this song is a goddamn delight."
"---> Andre 3000 verse <---"
"He called out all the bamas: 'Your white tee well to me look like a night gown/ Make your momma proud and take that thing three sizes down'"
"And if you say real talk I probly wont trust ya!"
3. Cooking (Lil B "Wonton Soup")
"People got really creative with their imaginary skillets."
"It could range from completely jokey and hokey to, like, so elaborate."
"Another unifier that literally everyone can do to varying degrees of skill."
"Yeah, like some people were just reheating something and others were cooking a full course meal."
"I've seen a cooking circle, where like 10 dudes are preparing different foods, and passing the skillet back and forth."
"THAT'S WILD. BUT BEAUTIFUL."
"I love anything that gets men excited about dancing."
"And not afraid to look a little stupid <3"
"Yes! Especially rappers! Rappers used to dance ALL THE TIME."
2. The Dougie
"What did we even do before The Dougie??? You can Dougie to everything."
"Yeah! It's become the Default Cool Dance Move."
"I once Dougied to 'Dance With My Father' by Luther Vandross. I do not regret it, nor am I ashamed."
"The Dougie birthed so many other great moves!"
"And the beautiful thing is everyone has their own Dougie."
"You can Dougie at work functions, you can Dougie at church, you can Dougie anywhere. I need a Dr. Suess book, Oh, The Places You'll Dougie!"
"If you ever feel mad awkward anywhere, just start Dougieing."
"I bet someone has Dougied at a funeral and nobody was offended. They just took it as a sign of respect."
"LMAO. Dougieing to silence. Kind of beautiful."
1. The Wobble
"The Wobble came directly from Jesus."
"Jesus wobbled on water."
"The Wobble is cool because it's one you can do with literally anybody. Family members. Strangers. Friends."
"They played the Wobble before the Mrs. Carter show and I felt so close to everyone in that stadium. I felt our ancestors dancing above us."
"It's a great way to start a good freaking time because when the Wobble starts, EVERYbody gets up and together. And then when it stops its like, 'Well we're out here, might as well keep the party going.' Also, it's time that the Electric Slide was allowed to retire. It's old and weary and just wants a break."
"omg Wedding Wobble."
"So perfect."
"This video makes me smile :)"
"There's also this video of two girls doing the Wobble but they switched the moves up. They kill it."
"All big life congregations should have a Wobble component."
Honorable mentions...
Thizz Face and Ghostriding The Whip: Because we're all East-Coasters here, and these dances probably didn't move our spirits as much as they did for West-Coasters. But they are dope and deserve a little honorable mention.
Yung Joc's "It's Goin' Down": Because as much as that song is directly responsible for the motorcycle arms move (STRONG), it didn't inspire the same kind of momentum/movement the other ones on our list did.
The Cha Cha Slide: Important. Very important. But didn't quite fall into the other genres.
The Cupid Shuffle: Also very important. But, see: Cha Cha Slide.