BEST OF "I'M JUST KEN" DANCE TREND

Hi Barbie fans!

Can you feel the Kenergy? We just can’t get Kenough of the latest dance trend to this hot single from the 2nd highest grossing film of 2023 Barbie. As of August 21st, “I’m Just Ken” has generated over 47MM streams on Spotify and inspired over 100,000 TikTok video. The hashtag #kenergy has been viewed over 375MM times, #imjustken over 457MM times, and #kenough over 495MM times. It’s safe to say there’s never been more interest in Ken than now as indicated by the fanfare around Barbie brand owner Mattel’s roll out of the new “Faux Fur Coat Ken” doll inspired by Ryan Gosling’s portrayal of the character in the film.

The resurgence or perhaps first ever excitement for Ken dolls is largely due to the popularity and talent of Mr. Ryan Gosling. Star of blockbuster favorites like La La Land, The Notebook, and Drive, Ryan Gosling infuses sex appeal, humor and humanity into the longtime known but misunderstood Ken character. He also brings a skill few leading men in cinema can offer, and that is dance ability. Any title that’s tapped Gosling’s skills as a dancer has benefited from his talents, and Barbie is no exception.

Fans of Gosling and the Barbie movie have gone on to speculate that some of the iconic moves from “I’m Just Ken” (choreographed by London based choreographer Jennifer White) may have been inspired by the long time viral video of Gosling’s 1992 dance recital. In the video, Gosling, who was 12 years old at the time of the taping, wears a satin purple shirt, shiny hammer pants, and a confident smirk as he effortlessly executes the jazz meets hip hop routine. He performs front and center surrounded by a sea of girls in purple two pieces clearly undeterred by being in the spotlight when it comes to dance.

12 year old Ryan Gosling dancing in a 1992 dance recital

Since the release of the Barbie movie in July, creators have taken to TikTok and other platforms to put their own spin on the Ken dance routine. DanceOn combed through the many “I’m Just Ken” videos so you don’t have to, and we’re here to share our favorite renditions from the imaginations of some very special creators who are Ken enough for us!

Thanks for your Kenspiration:

@nathanlust

@rafayejazz

@fsacappella

@denniscoghene7879

@michaelquinnnnn

#M3GAN has arrived on TikTok... and her dance is going viral!

If you haven’t seen Blumhouse’s M3GAN yet, run don’t walk! The first smash hit of the year has not only surpassed box office expectations, but it has made its way onto TikTok with over 1B+ views since the film’s release.

“I wanted people to like her and get a kick out of her, but there’s no way I could comprehend the reaction that we got,” director Gerard Johnstone told NBC News in a recent Zoom interview. “It’s unbelievable. It makes my head spin.”

While the dance sequence was not originally intended for social media success,

Though he refers to himself as a “self-imposed social media exile,” Johnstone doesn’t spend time on video-sharing platforms like TikTok. That said, as a filmmaker, he understands the important role it plays in the lives of girls and how elements of TikTok, like dance, are bonding experiences for young women.

He said he wanted to incorporate that experience in the film’s narrative. “There’s a scene early on in the film where M3GAN and Cady are bonding and just dancing is one of the things they do,” says Johnstone.

Be it at shopping centers, or professional sports matches, M3GAN is sure to pop up near you soon!

Matilda The Musical's Viral TikTok Dance Trend

If you’ve seen Netflix’s Matilda the Musical, you’ve been treated to one of the best choreographed dance routines of the year! Since its release, this particular scene has spurred a TikTok challenge in which users from all over are trying their hand at the dynamic dance moves.

@workingtitlefilms Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical goes global! Revolting Children performed in SO MANY different languages ✨ #matildamovie #revoltingchildren #matildachallenge #matildathemusical #matildatok ♬ original sound - workingtitlefilms

The dance scene in question takes place as the school children revolt against their tyrannical headteacher, Miss Trunchbull, expertly played by Emma Thompson.

In an interview with Variety, the film's choreographer, Ellen Kane, said that she wanted the sequence to feel explosive – “like a flood, like dams bursting". She had no idea the dance would blow up in the way it has, saying “I know that dancing is popular on TikTok, but I didn’t really understand quite how popular." Now that same choreography is being replicated all over the app with impressive precision.

@sonypictures.uk Replying to @adalisset Here you go, we’ve slowed it down for you! ✨🕺Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical Only In Cinemas Now (Netflix UK & Ireland Summer 2023) #MatildaMovie ♬ original sound - Sony Pictures UK

Users are dubbing the dance sequence over different audio tracks, and even teaching tutorials on the choreography.

Try your hand at one of these posts and tag us @danceon !

Dance Community Mourns tWitch

The dance community has lost an icon with the passing of tWitch. Departing this realm Tuesday, December 13th, 2022, Stephen “tWitch” Boss will be remembered as a loving father, husband, and pillar of the dance scene here in Los Angeles. He is survived by his wife, Allison Holker, and their three children.

@twitchtok7 Love this dance by @shedancega & @Mr.animated ❤️❤️ Surprise cameos by @allisonholkerboss & #Zaia ♬ Lights, Camera, Action! - Remix - Instrumental - Mr.Cheeks

Widely recognized, in part, for his role as the DJ on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show ‘The Ellen Show’ — tWitch entertained millions of viewers globally across television, web, and social media. initially joining the show in 2014, his credits grew all the way to Executive Producer before the show ended in May of this year.

@twitchtok7 #AD @Fisher-Price We can’t help ourselves from bouncing with Zaia + DJ Bouncin’ Beats! From teaching ABCs to remixing your voice to bouncing, DJ Bouncin’ Beats is Zaia’s new fave companion. Show us your best moves and tag #DJBouncinBeats and #FisherPrice ♬ Freeze Dance with DJ Bouncin' Beats - Fisher-Price

Beautiful tributes have continued to pour out across socials, with friends, family, and colleagues sharing stories about Stephen Boss and the many ways he positively impacted all of those around him.

He will be missed by many, and remembered by all.

Rest In Peace, tWitch — thank you for sharing your gifts with us all while you were here.

Mae Muller Is Keeping Dancers Dancing

Since DanceOn’s “I Just Came To Dance” Masterclass with Brinn Nicole last month, dancers have continued to engage with the record in fun ways all over TikTok!

@oliviawong21 Even dancing on our break🤣 pick your fighter #CapitolPartner #IJCTD #IJustCameToDance @Mae Muller ♬ I Just Came To Dance - Mae Muller

Olivia Wong posted to TikTok along with her whole class at the studio!

Creators like Olivia Wong, Kent Boyd, Kelsey Cook, Kim Hale, and Amanda LaCount have all joined in on the fun.

@kentboyd_ Mom got mad at me 😡 #CapitolPartner #IJCTD #IJustCameToDance @Mae Muller ♬ I Just Came To Dance - Mae Muller

Kent Boyd dancing with Kim Hale

With Mae’s catchy hook and fun melody, we hope to see more and more variations across socials showing us how YOU came to dance!

Remember to tag @danceon so we can see what you’ve got —

Lil Uzi Vert Just Wants to Rock

One of the youngest — and brightest — stars of this new generation, Philadelphia-born MC Lil Uzi Vert is back with his latest single, “Just Wanna Rock.”

“Just Wanna Rock” is a stylistic departure from some of Vert’s past work. The upbeat, energetic anthem even comes with it’s own dance, which you can find plastered all over TikTok.

The incredible music video — directed by the one and only Gibson Hazard — finds Vert, along with Twitch phenom Kai Cenat, doing the “Just Wanna Rock” dance atop cars in the middle of Brooklyn with thousands of adorning fans flocking to get closer.

This is a dance worth learning the steps too, because we don’t see this song going anywhere anytime soon!

Honestly, Nevermind | Drake's got us Dancing

Thursday afternoon, Drake surprised his fans with a new album announcement via Instagram. His 7th studio album — Honestly, Nevermind — would be dropping in just a matter of hours.

Accompanying the album release, Drake simultaneously dropped the star-studded music video for featured single, “Falling Back” alongside his friends like NBA star Tristan Thompson, and a whopping twenty-three name IG Starlets.

Polarizing the internet immediately upon release, droves of rap fans who were hoping for hard-hitting bars and flows were shocked when they were confronted with the 14-track dance album.

The final track, “Jimmy Cooks”, is the only “traditional” Hip Hop offering on project, including the sole featured artist and verse from Atlanta’s own 21 Savage. The album was executive produced by Black Coffee, a grammy-award winning artist, whose Afrobeats and Dancehall roots can be felt and heard across the entire body of work.

With fans feeling strongly in either direction of the album, only time will tell where Honestly, Nevermind ranks in the Toronto-native’s catalogue.

Though we’ll continue to see different hot-takes and opinions pour out over the weekend, the one thing we’re sure about is you will not be able to avoid this album if you step outside anywhere, on any continent, this summer…

Find a dance floor, grab a friend, and cut loose — this summer we’re DANCING!!

Honoring 10-year-old Uvalde Victim's Dream

This past week saw one of the deadliest mass shootings in American History. So did the week prior. There has been so much tragedy in our news cycle recently, it can be hard to process.

One of the twenty-one victims at Rabb Elementary in Uvalde, TX was 10-year-old Tess Marie Mata. Mata’s family has shared that though she was too young to have an account, Marie had dreams of one day going viral on TikTok. Her parents, alongside notable figures like Paris Hilton and N*Sync’s Lance Bass, have taken it upon themselves to fulfill this dream… and they’re asking for our help!

Tess' uncle, Robert Hill, told reporters Monday that she had dreamed of having one of her dance videos go viral on TikTok. However, due to the fact that users on the platform must be at least 13 years old to create an account, Hill said Tess would make videos and save them to her mother, Veronica's account.

The family picked one of their favorites -- a video of Tess doing a popular dance routine to Don Toliver's song "No Idea" -- to share.

Veronica posted the video last week with the caption: "My sweet baby girl. She was taken from us because of a senseless act in a mass shooting. I never allowed Tess to post her videos because she was so young. But today I want to celebrate her by trying to fulfill her wish by becoming TikTok famous. #uvaldestrong."

As of Tuesday afternoon, the post has garnered 30k+ likes, 2k+ comments, and been shared thousands & thousands of times.

Please take a moment to honor the dream of this dancer taken too soon.

TikTok Star McKenzi Brooke Releases Debut Single, "17"

Rising TikTok superstar, McKenzi Brooke,  has an impressive knack for social media. She has grown her audience to a bolstering 13MM+ all before her 18th birthday!

On her debut single, “17”, McKenzi provides listeners with honest introspection into the societal expectations of teens today, as well as how and why she chooses to blaze her own trail.

Music is a natural next step for this gifted, multi-faceted performer, who will be able to leverage her devoted audience and digital marketing skills to bridge the gap between Millennial and Gen-Z listeners. With “17”, McKenzi gears up to re-introduce herself to the world as an artist and songwriter with something to say.  

Check out “17” by McKenzi Brooke HERE!

Check out McKenzi’s easy-to-learn choreography above and remember to tag @mckenzibrooke & @danceon in your posts!

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AMAZING DANCE VIDEO TO HALSEY'S I AM NOT A WOMAN, I'M A GOD

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Continuing the impressive content roll out for Halsey’s new album — If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power — DanceOn presents our latest Artist Request for lead single, “I am not a woman, I’m a god”. Nicole Kirkland’s exciting choreography comes to life as Director Ryan Parma takes us inside a boring office setting that’s about to get a whole lot more interesting. Nicole is joined by dancers Yai Ariza, Donovan Gibbs, Bailey Pina, and Tristan Edpao in this exciting, dance-fueled fever dream. Check out the video and exclusive interview with choreographer and featured dance influencer Nicole Kirkland.

What is the Artist Request video for “I am not a woman, I’m a god” about?

Nicole Kirkland (Choreographer and Featured Dancer): This video is about a woman being ignored and looked over in the workplace. She uses her new superpower to get the men at her work to do what she wants.

How did you use choreography to tell the story?

NK: I used choreography to tell the story. In the beginning we used simple hand movements to show the men not listening to me while a meeting was taking place. Towards the middle of the video the main female character is having fun with her powers as she controls the men. This is my favorite part of the choreography because it shows dancing mixed with “human” movement.

How did you find the dancers for this project?

NK: All the dancers I picked for this video I have used before on other projects. I trust them to get my vision across. Yai Ariza was in my viral “Wap” video. Donovan Gibbs, Tristan Edpao and Bailey Pina I have used on many different concept videos on my YouTube channel like “Whoopty” and my #SavetheChildren video.

What does the song “I am not a woman, I’m a god” mean to you?

NK: The phrase “I am not a woman, I’m a god” reiterates the power women have. Sometimes with all the pressures of society we can forget our power and our strength. This phrase reminds us of that!

If you could do any future collaboration with Halsey, what would it be?

NK: I would love to help create a music video or live performance for Halsey. I have always been a fan of her work, and I think we could make some really cool art together.

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF NICOLE’S CHOREOGRAPHY AND PERFORMANCE?

TELL US IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

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DUNCAN LAURENCE MAKES AN ARTIST REQUEST

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By now, you've probably heard the unforgettable song "Arcade" by singer-songwriter Duncan Laurence. Laurence first stepped onto the world stage when “Arcade” won the coveted 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. In the almost three years since, “Arcade” has gone on to rack up billions of streams worldwide, creating new fans of Duncan Laurence wherever it goes.

And now, the song has its own stunning contemporary dance video as part of DanceOn's "Artist Request" series. Directed by Ryan Parma and choreographed by Jan Ravnik, "Arcade" beautifully comes to life through the movement and storytelling ability of Jan Ravnik and dance partner Madison Alvarado. A beautiful, heart-wrenching glimpse into the dilapidated remains of a relationship past, the Artist Request for "Arcade" perfectly visualizes Laurence's poignant lyrics. The duet takes us physically and emotionally through what’s left of the home and life the couple once shared.

Check out the video below and let us know what you think!

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SNAKE EYES MOVIE DANCE BY THE KINJAZ

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DANCEON NEW RELEASE ALERT!

Paramount's new feature film SNAKE EYES: G.I. Joe Origins releases this Friday July 23, 2021 and they are KICKING off the premiere with an innovative vertical dance video featuring The Kinjaz. Check out the video here:

One of the most revered characters in the G.I. Joe franchise, Snake Eyes was last portrayed by Ray Park in the ’09 & ’13 live-action feature films. In the upcoming film, Henry Golding stars as Snake Eyes, a member of the G.I. Joe team who is known for his relationships with Scarlett and Storm Shadow, as well as his mastery of Martial Arts and hand-to-hand combat.

This newest installment of the franchise serves as an origin story. Centered around a mysterious, lone fighter —known only as “Snake Eyes“ — Golding is welcomed into and trained by an ancient Japanese ninja-warrior clan called the Arashikage. However, loyalties are tested when secrets from his dark past are revealed, which eventually leads him on the path to become the famous G.I. Joe hero fans around the world have come to know and love.

Check out the latest trailer for SNAKE EYES: G.I. Joe Origins

Who are The Kinjaz? A crew and "artist's brotherhood" founded in 2010, the Kinjaz are known for their signature intricate choreography style and creative storytelling through dance and new media. Kinjaz frequently release original dance videos across their channels on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Among their many viral successes, they created this concept video to Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble” which garnered over 9 million video views on YouTube:

The Kinjaz are made up of a number of well known dance influencers you can follow on Instagram and other social platforms. Check them out here:

Anthony Lee
Vihn Nguyen
Mike Song
Bam Martin
And more!

What's your favorite Kinjaz video? Let us know in the comments below:

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PERMISSION TO DANCE

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DanceOn trend alert! BTS dropped their new single PERMISSION TO DANCE July 8th 2021, and we are unapologetically grooving to it. If you are looking for a good time, look no further than the official music video:

The choreography includes international sign language signaling ‘fun’, ‘dance’ and ‘peace’. Check out the especially smooth execution of Jungkook’s pencil turn around 2:14. The original choreography to the full track can be viewed here in BTS’s official rehearsal dance video:

Despite the strong connection to dance in the song lyrics and music video, no choreographer is listed in the music video’s credits. Full credits in screenshots below!

We searched online and could find the name of nearly every talent involved but no mention of the choreographer in any press story or posting. We’ve reached out to the creative team and hopefully will update this post soon with information on the choreographer(s) identity and work!

If you are looking for a way to learn the official PERMISSION TO DANCE choreography, there’s an excellent breakdown and tutorial created by YouTube dance influencers Ellen and Brian. Check it out here:

Learn the dance and join the BTS Army by posting your own version of the routine. Shout out to @Chisaakiii for her joyful take of Permission to Dance on TikTok. Over 3 million views so far and counting! We’ll see you out there on the virtual dance floor!

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