How to do cool dance moves for kids

How To Do The Floss & Other Viral Dance Moves

By Jayme Kennedy

Published Aug 21, 2020

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Viral dances are all the rage now, but they can be hard to learn! Stay hip to what's cool with these viral dance tutorial videos.

The internet is great for so many different reasons. It allows us to stay in touch with people and form new connections. It gives us access to pretty anything we could possibly need or want, at the click of a button. It entertains us and keeps us informed. And lately, the internet has been turning an entire generation of kids into dancers. See, stuff goes viral on the internet all the time, and for all kinds of reasons. A funny meme or post, an interesting video, or someone saying or doing something really dumb - this kind of stuff all as the potential to go viral! But there's a whole new category of viral content that's really taken off in the last few years: viral dances or viral dance moves.

Thanks to apps like Instagram and TikTok and the ability to share video instantaneously, people busting a move can go viral within a day, and then suddenly everyone is trying to learn the newest viral dance craze so they can be part of the In Crowd. But you know what? Learning dances, especially if you're not a dancer, is not easy! This is why we're thankful for YouTube and the amazingly talented people who film and post tutorials for some of these videos.

If your kids (or you, let's be honest) are itching to learn some of the biggest viral dances of the last few years, these videos will help!

6/6 The Whip/Nae Nae

A classic! The whip/nae nae dance went viral on the heels of the song 'Watch Me' by Silentó, which was released in 2015. The accompanying music video gave us our first glimpse at the whip/nae nae, and pretty soon everyone was doing it. It's not a super complicated dance, but who better to learn it from than the man who created the song!

5/6 The Shoot

This is one of those dances that went viral for pretty interesting reasons. The dance craze originated from a song by BlocBoy JB called 'Shoot', which was released in 2017. But it didn't gain traction until the dance was featured on the super popular video game Fortnite. In the game, it's an emote called the Hype Dance. The dance itself requires a bit of coordination, but this tutorial breaks it down pretty easily.

4/6 The Floss, also known as The Backpack Kid Dance

In 2018, 15-year old Russell Horning shot to fame when he performed his signature dance move on an episode of Saturday Night Live. Horning was featured during a performance of Katy Perry's 'Swish Swish", and did the hip-centric dance wearing a backpack. And the rest, as they say, is history! Since that performance, The Floss (named such because the movements look like you're flossing) has gone mega-viral, even being featured as an emote on Fortnite.

3/6 The Git Up Dance

In 2019, country rap was kind of a thing, and 'The Git Up' by Blanco Brown was super popular. The dance came straight from Brown himself, too! To promote his song, he filmed himself doing a line dance. The video of the dance first got the meme treatment, then went viral as a dance craze. It even appeared in the video for the song. We'll admit, it's a really fun dance, and we love line dancing!

2/6 The Toosie Slide

We'll be honest, we weren't expecting a song and dance from Drake to end up on this list of viral dances, but here we are! In the spring of 2020, Drake released the lead single off his new album, a song called 'Toosie Slide'. The song is actually named after a social media influencer named Toosie, who originally helped the song go viral. In the video, Drake can be seen doing the Toosie Slide while quaratining in Toronto. TkTok quickly latched on, and pretty soon, the Toosie Slide was the newest viral dance challenge.

1/6 The Savage Dance

Chances are, you have at least seen a video of someone doing the Savage. If you have TikTok, there's absolutely no way you could have avoided it this long. This viral dance is EVERYWHERE on TikTok. It started as a dance challenge created by a 19-year TikToker from Ohio named Keara 'Keke' Wilson. She choreographed an original dance to a song by Megan Thee Stallion called 'Savage'. She shared the video on her account and encouraged her followers to participate in the Savage Challenge. And then it just sort of exploded. Pretty soon, everyone was doing the Savage - literally EVERYONE. Megan herself, Justin Bieber, Jennifer Lopez, and millions upon millions of TikTok users. If your kids learn one viral dance, let it be this one. The Savage has staying power, and it'll be around for a very long time.

READ NEXT: Teen’s TikTok Went Viral After Mom Shows Off Her Unique Dance Moves

Dance Moves for Kids - Dance Poise

The activity of dancing helps release the nervous energy in kids and channelizes it in a proper manner. The dance moves for kids described in the article below would help in learning few of the basic steps…

Kids love to dance and the activity of teaching them some easy steps can be fun. Simple movements of everyday life can be developed into dance steps with proper guidance.

One should start off by encouraging children and providing them with a safe environment needed for dancing. Initially, children may stumble/fall while learning to dance. Laying down a thick carpet or mat would prevent physical injury. Nowadays, even hip hop dance moves are taught to kids.

As stated earlier, improving the simple movements of day-to-day life leads to their refinement and the development of intricate steps. The different moves which can be taught to children in the beginning include hopping, marching, skipping, spinning, galloping, etc

These moves should then be sequenced for bringing some order to them. For example, a Bunny Hop can be performed by jumping back and forth. Similarly, an Electric Slide is performed by sliding from side-to-side. Various directional movements can be taught to kids and which include Eensy Weensy Spider, Hokey Pokey, etc.

Fun Dance Moves

Easy and innovative dance moves should be used for beginners to understand them easily. One such fun step is the Shopping Cart move. In this dance step, kids mime the action of pushing an imaginary cart and putting stuff into it. This dance step can be performed by two people with one of them pushing the cart and other putting things into it. The Sprinkler Dance involves children spinning around just like a sprinkler. One of the arms is stuck out while performing this step.

Chicken Dance

It is an interesting dance form that kids would enjoy. Steps of this dance are divided into 2 sections. The first section has 16 beats. In the first four beats, actions to be performed include ‘mouth talking’ done by snapping the thumb and fingers together. For the next four beats, wings should be formed by bending elbows and tucking the hands near armpits.

Flapping the wings four times during these four beats is followed by holding arms at the waist level. The waist is twisted 4 times during the beats, starting from 9 to 12. The final four beats from 13 to 16 involve four claps. Steps performed during these 16 beats should be repeated four times. The second section of this dance involves linking the opposite elbows with dance partners and skipping in a circular motion. Once the music changes, children should go back to the first section.

Patty Cake Polka

This dance move is performed by kids in pairs. The Patty Cake Polka dance incorporates steps like touching heel and toes to the floor, sliding from side-to-side, tapping the hands and finally, moving in circles. In the initial four beats of this dance, the heel and toe are touched to the ground one after other. Partners should touch the heels of opposite legs simultaneously; if the first partner touches the heel of left leg, the other partner should do it with the right leg. After performing the toe-heel movement twice, both the partners should slide in the direction of the foot being used; this movement should be performed 3 times. All the steps mentioned above should then be repeated with the other foot. After performing foot movements, the dancers should tap their right, left and both hands thrice; this action should be followed by tapping the thighs three times. The last step in this dance move is that of interlocking the elbows and moving them in circles for four continuous beats.

Left and Right

It is a simple dance move that allows a better coordination between hands and legs. One can start with either the left or right leg. For example, if you start with the left leg, first take a step to the left side. This step is followed by stepping with the right leg to the left side. After moving both legs to the left side, you should now step to the right side. While stepping to the right side, the left leg should follow the right leg.

Once you get used to performing these steps, a clap should be used for every beat. Although this dance seems too easy and simple, it prepares kids for learning the basic dance moves.

Turn and Twist

In this move, you have to twist your body below the waist. The first step is bending your arms and raising them up to shoulder height. The next step is that of twisting the waist in such a manner that the body faces the right side. The same action of twisting the waist should be conducted in the reverse direction to face the left. This whole set of movements should be repeated till you get used to them. You may also think of increasing the speed of these movements.

The different dance moves for kids mentioned in the article are quite easy to teach. It is advisable to start with the basic and simple steps, at least in the beginning. Mastering the basic moves should prepare kids for the advanced and complex steps of different dance forms.

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How to dance with a child at home.

Tips from experts on how to teach children to dance on their own

Contents

Dancing is a natural human state. Starting from the age of 6-8 months, babies begin to move with pleasure to the beat of music, and having learned to walk, they stomp to their favorite songs. Between these spontaneous movements and a real expressive dance is not such a big gap. But to dance really fully and physiologically correctly you need to learn. And dance classes are very useful for children, and, importantly, give the children pleasure. Consider when to start learning to dance and how best to build homework with young children.

The benefits of dancing for the development of the baby

First, let's figure out whether it is necessary to dance in childhood and whether regular dancing classes bring benefits to the development of the child. First of all, dance is a motor activity that is necessary for every person. Classes contribute to a harmonious load on all muscle groups, make the child more resilient and dexterous, improve his coordination and orientation in space.

In addition, dancing develops:

flexibility;
hearing;
sense of rhythm;
ability to understand music;
creativity;
formation of neural connections.

Dancing trains memory (the child has to memorize movements), helps to gain a beautiful posture and self-confidence. Classes contribute to the development of intelligence, the ability to concentrate on tasks, the ability to set goals and achieve them. All these skills will be useful to the child not only in further schooling, but also in adulthood.

We must not forget about social development. Even if you decide to study on your own at home, the baby has to interact with you, the child learns discipline, learns to listen and understand an adult, perform new tasks, and overcome laziness.

Even more benefits from teamwork. Here, kids learn to interact with each other, in practice they understand how important mutual assistance is, if the dances are paired, then they master the distribution of roles in the dance and gain communication skills.

At what age to start dancing with a child

It is possible to teach a child to music at an early age. You can play music for newborns, sing lullabies or funny nursery rhymes to your child. When the baby begins to coordinate his movements, add stomping, clapping, give the child a tambourine, spoons, bells or drums. You can also take the baby in your arms and move yourself to light music. Such joint exercises help to form a sense of rhythm.

As for regular classes, it depends on the individuality of the child. Some children are able to perform simple movements as early as 2-2.5 years old, and some find it difficult to concentrate on classes even at 4. . If you think that your baby is already ready, try some joint activities at home, if it doesn’t work out, put your attempts aside for a while. There is no need to rush things and force the child to do what he is not yet ready for. This can discourage not only dancing, but also other activities.

How to properly start learning and get your child interested

As already mentioned, the main thing is not to rush things and approach learning smoothly. It is also important to interest the child, because if the baby himself wants to learn to dance, then it will be much easier for him than if he simply fulfilled the desire of his mother.

At the conscious age of a child, you can start showing performances of professional dancers, children's groups or solo dances of his peers. Choose colorful and understandable numbers, try to choose not too long programs to watch with fairly simple choreography and clear rhythmic music.

Ask the child if he wants to learn to dance too, dance with him yourself. Even if he never managed to get into the rhythm, praise him, tell him that he will make an excellent dancer.

It is worth noting that here parents may encounter some difficulties. The fact is that most children are absolutely sure that they already know how to dance. Preschoolers are incapable of being critical of themselves. To them, antics and chaotic jumps in front of the mirror seem no less beautiful than the perfected pirouettes of a professional ballerina. In no case do not convince the child that he still knows nothing. Show him some more difficult movement and offer to practice more to learn. Offer to learn a specific little dance, etc.

Another incentive that can be used is professional clothing. Even with self-study at home, buy ballet shoes for a child, a swimsuit and a tutu for a girl, and beautiful dance pants and a T-shirt for a boy. Take a trip to a specialty store with your child, let him choose the right clothes for dancing for himself, do not argue, even if you get a completely wild combination of colors. The child will definitely want to wear a beautiful, self-chosen outfit and try it out in class.

Choose movements that children can do and gradually increase their difficulty. You can try the following items:

stomps and pops;
side steps;
squats.

The first dance moves should be clear and not multiple, gradually complicate the compositions.

How to choose music

Classes with a child should not be monotonous and boring. Small children cannot work for hours to the same melody, honing movements to perfection. Therefore, you need to pick up a whole collection of music suitable for classes.

Of course, you need to purposefully learn dance compositions and links, and not just move to the music (although the latter is also good), but try to diversify your classes. You can use different melodies:

for warm-up;
for musical breaks during class;
for coordination and stretching exercises, etc.

Be sure to consider your child's preferences, age and temperament when choosing music. If you have a fidget growing up, choose fast, rhythmic music. If the child is a little slow and thoughtful, calm smooth melodies will suit him.

It is also important that your baby likes music. You can try dancing to tunes from your favorite cartoons or to popular children's songs. Gradually diversify melodies, introduce classical music. This will allow not only to learn how to dance, but also to acquaint the child with a variety of genres of music. For example, five-six-year-olds are quite capable of mastering musical compositions to Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker or Shostakovich's Dancing Dolls.

Professional advice: how to properly dance with children and what not to do

All classes for preschoolers should be conducted in a playful way, all movements should be accompanied by words. Children have a well-developed figurative imagination, and if in the process of training you “walk like a duck”, “flap your wings”, jump like a grasshopper, then the baby will quickly remember all the necessary movements and postures.
Change your activity more often. Even a six-year-old cannot concentrate on one activity for more than fifteen minutes. Your lessons should be dynamic. You can, in addition to warming up and learning dance, include elements of finger gymnastics, outdoor games and arbitrary rhythmic movements to music, stretching exercises, etc. in your classes.
Never force a child to do something that greatly exceeds his current abilities. If something does not work out, do not scold the baby and do not focus on failure, just switch to another activity.
Never yell at a child, scold or make harsh remarks. If the kid does not succeed, he indulges or simply does not want to listen to the teacher, show patience and tact. This will give better results than criticism and swearing.
Do not make the lessons too long. With three-four-year-olds, you can practice for 45 minutes maximum. In this case, you should change the type of activity every 10-15 minutes. The older the child gets, the longer your lessons can be (but no more than an hour and a half) and the longer you can practice each movement or exercise.
Dancing for yourself is wonderful. However, you should also think about the audience. Public speaking is an important stage in a child's development. They teach not to be afraid of the public, give self-confidence, allow you to share your success with the audience. You need to not only learn dance compositions, but also think about where and how your child can demonstrate their art. Arrange concerts for grandparents, for other relatives. If the kid attends a kindergarten, arrange with the teachers so that he performs with a learned number at the next holiday. Invite your child to prepare a room for a family holiday or for the birthday of one of his friends. Such performances will allow the child to be liberated, determine the purpose of the classes, evaluate their progress, and maintain interest in training.
It is possible that sooner or later your little one will outgrow home workouts. Then it will be possible to find a good dance school for him. From a certain age, it is more interesting for children to work in a team, in addition to communication, the child is waiting for performances, preparing costumes and other pleasant moments associated with the life of a professional dancer.
Children learn the world by copying adults. Therefore, you should not just give instructions, but be a part of what is happening. This is especially important if you are practicing individual homework. Show your child the movements, repeat it with him, participate in games and do a warm-up.

To teach dance to your child, it would not be bad for you to be able to dance beautifully and know the basics of popular styles, and if you have already done choreography, upgrade your skills. Sign up for a trial lesson at the La Boca dance club. We offer training in various dance styles, and you can choose what you like: from classical choreography to hip-hop. Be sure that beautifully dancing mom and dad will be the best incentive for your child who does not want to be left behind!

What are modern dances for children like?

Children now have an interesting life! So many sections, so many possibilities. Try, don't try. We thought about it and decided that modern dances should be included in the list of these “trials”. They will definitely suit those who are crazy about fashionable Russian and foreign music.

We begin our review-analysis. Now let's break it down into “beats” and tell you what it is, what it is to dance in and when you can start.

What was the first thing that came to mind? Most likely, the association was not even the dance in general, but the music videos that so attract us with a bright picture and alluring movements of the dancers. That's right! Fashionable performers are given modern choreography for clips and performances on stage.

Such dances are saturated with our time, they bring freedom, diversity. You can show your mood, emotions, tell an important story of your life or the story that you want to convey to the soul of another person.

The motto of modern dance is individuality. And not only in movements and improvisation, but also in clothes, sneakers, hair. You can dance in any clothes. Sometimes it makes the dance even more spectacular.

Modern styles for a child are a flight of fancy, a million dance combinations, freedom in shaping their personal style and lifestyle.

What are the directions of modern dance.

These are styles that have gone beyond classical and ballroom dancing. And some originated on the street, when young people made dance their language of communication. Some styles have drawn plasticity from the former and power from the latter. Jazz funk, locking, waking, vogue, contemporary, jazz modern, high heels, dancehall, afro are the representatives of modern styles. Oh, and the list doesn't end there. This list is for guidance only.

Styles have no borders. They are danced all over the world, at different ages. They start with solos in schools and studios, and then they come to teams and competitions. By the way, some competitions and competitions are arranged specifically for one style. The most popular are international. In each country, the winner is revealed, and then they compete among themselves in the final. They are also carried out in Russia. Some are only in Moscow, and some come to several cities. Children's nominations are gaining momentum. We think your child will get a medal!

Dance studio 9 rooms teach children to dance:

Break dance.

When a child wants to make unrealistically cool movements, they bring him here. The dance borders on acrobatics - this experience is a must try!

Shuffle

Cheerful style for an energizer. The main emphasis on leg movements is sliding, the effect of running in place, quick shifts, low jumps. This is how those who heard the most pleasant news dance.

Vogue

Outrageous. Style. mannerisms. Fast movements alternate with viscous ones, and this makes the dance look impressive and unpredictable.

Modern Jazz

Tell with your body what is happening around or inside. This style is as free as hop and as graceful as ballet. And the musical style "jazz" has nothing to do with it.

Hip-hop

Bright, energetic and non-standard dance. Active children will throw out excess energy, and shy children will be able to liberate themselves. Some elements will require strength to complete, so classes will give a good physical load.

About teachers.

Children's dance talents will be developed by teachers in our studio. Each of them started dancing at a young age, tried different styles, looking for their favorite directions. They remember their enthusiasm from the first lessons and know what kind of atmosphere is best to create in the classroom. Teachers will be sensitive to ensure that the child performs the movements according to the correct technique. Classes are safe.

The comfort and interest of students is the key to good learning. From the first minutes, the children are passionate about the process - the lessons fly by wildly quickly, but the impressions are hoo. Get ready to listen to how your young talent will excitedly talk about new movements. And, of course, get ready to watch them. And even repeat.

Will modern dancing harm a child?

Let's get rid of this myth! No, dancing, on the contrary, has a positive effect on the development of the child. We have already talked about safety in the classroom, but here are other pluses.

They give juicy emotions and a charge of mood, and are also responsible for:

Ear development,
Improved coordination and sense of body in space,
Memory training,
Physical training,
Development of fantasy and originality
Communication and emancipation.

Children will become more self-confident, it will be easier for them to make friends in a new team. And in general, they will be the soul of their class. At discos they will be equal. And the child will be able to come up with his own choreography and put it on a holiday at school. It will bring the class together very well.

Dancing is the most fun and interesting sport in Moscow. The child will look forward to the next lesson on a par with how he is waiting for the holidays. By the way, during the school year we do not go on children's holidays, so you are welcome at any time!

What is the difference between choreography for children and adults?

Children are not yet accustomed to learning movements and repeating them after the teacher. They do not understand how the muscles work, how the body can move. They don't know their potential. But on the other hand, everything is easier and faster for them than for adults.

They gradually become familiar with the dance elements. In the classroom, everything is thought out from simple to complex. First, the base is learned, then the bundles are connected from these elements. Then you can try something "more abruptly". Physical training is, the feeling of dance - too. These are indicators that the body is ready for new, more complex movements.

Note that special physical training is not needed for dancing. But it is better for the child if he starts going to classes from the start of the group. So he will learn all the basics and will not have to catch up with the rest at a fast pace. Development will be more harmonious.

And adults immediately plunge "with their heads". Under cool tracks, the teacher gives choreography from a mix of movements. He tells and shows each, and by the end you are already dancing a full-fledged passage with the whole audience. There are also special classes in the dance base, where the coach shows all the elements and introduces the students to the basics of the styles.

About the studio and classes.

Children are taught to dance in Moscow in the very center - on Myasnitskaya, 15. The 9-room studio is an ideal place for all ages. Children love the beautiful halls that keep the spirit of modern dance alive. And it is convenient for parents to bring their children here and pick them up after classes. You can relax in the lounge area with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice or aromatic coffee. And also walk around the center and sit in a cafe.

At the lessons, all the students are absorbed in the process, the wave of energy captures. In all our classes, there is one more thing in common - the way they pass. Each session starts with a warm-up. Without a good warm-up, you can not start dancing. All muscles, ligaments and joints are carefully worked out. After that, the teacher teaches the children movements. At the end, there are runs to the music and, if desired, they shoot a video for memory.

9 halls - that modern dance school in Moscow, which follows the trends among the younger generation and changes with them. We have been teaching modern dance since the age of three! Bring the kids, let's grow and develop together.

Do you feel a pleasant sensation in your chest? We are sending you warm hugs!

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