How to do fresh dance

Alfonso Ribeiro Talks About Fans Asking Him to do Carlton Dance from 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'

The iconic dance is part of sitcom lore.

Sept. 30, 2022, 5:39 PM UTC / Source: TODAY

By Drew Weisholtz

It’s not unusual for people to ask Alfonso Ribeiro to do his signature dance from “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” — just don’t expect him to oblige.

Ribeiro says he has grown to understand that most people identify him with Carlton, his classic character from the equally classic sitcom, even if he’s not interested in dancing.

“You come to grips with the idea that that person existed and that reality for you existed and, for me, I’ve come to the realization that when people come up to me on the street and they’re like, ‘Do the dance,’ it’s like, ‘Really? You’re asking me to dance for you?’” he said Sept. 30 on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna.

Alfonso Ribeiro's dance as Carlton on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" is one of the most popular parts of the show that fans still love today.NBC / NBCUniversal via Getty Images

“But it’s really their experience and you learn to get that empathy where you can kind of say, ‘This is about you and what you had in your house and I can appreciate it.’ I’m still not dancing. But I get to appreciate other people’s experience with me as that character.”

The dance, of course, is part of sitcom lore. Ribeiro himself has performed it over the years with the likes of Justin Timberlake, as well as Hoda and Jenna.

But Ribeiro, 51, has gotten distance from Carlton since “The Fresh Prince” signed off in 1996, but he says the cast remains close to this day. He even says he spoke with Will Smith after he slapped Chris Rock at this year's Oscars, although he didn’t elaborate on what was said.

“I always like to say, I keep those relationships my own and not for the world to have,” he said. “But (I’m) always checking in on him. He’s a friend. He’s family. We do have an entire cast text chain and we all check in on each other and we are still that family that love each other, support each other and care for each other in the best way possible.”

Ribeiro can currently be seen hosting “Dancing with the Stars” with Tyra Banks on Disney+ and says the show gives him a chance to show fans that he and his most famous character are not one and the same.

“They made me play a character, and I was very different from Carlton. I grew up in the Bronx. When you, all of a sudden, you’re this guy, a nerdy guy from Bel-Air, it’s like that’s not my life. That’s not who I am. But I get to be me. I get to be my personality, myself. I get to go on there. Whatever comes out of my brain, I get to say.”

Drew Weisholtz

Drew Weisholtz is a reporter for TODAY Digital, focusing on pop culture, nostalgia and trending stories. He has seen every episode of “Saved by the Bell” at least 50 times, longs to perfect the crane kick from “The Karate Kid” and performs stand-up comedy, while also cheering on the New York Yankees and New York Giants. A graduate of Rutgers University, he is the married father of two kids who believe he is ridiculous.

Alfonso Ribeiro Says Carlton Dance Is 'Not Gonna Happen'

Alfonso Ribeiro rose to fame in the 90s when he starred as Carlton Banks, the cousin of Will Smith’s titular character on the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Carlton was known for being the preppy opposite of Will — and for his signature dance moves. Specifically, the “Carlton Dance,” which he performed when he listened to the Tom Jones hit “It’s Not Unusual.” Audiences went wild whenever he did it on the show. But Ribeiro won’t perform it anymore.

Alfonso Ribeiro performed the Carlton Dance on ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’

Alfonso Ribeiro as Carlton Banks in ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ | Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank

Actor Alfonso Ribeiro began portraying Carlton Banks when The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air premiered in 1990. Carlton is Will’s closest-in-age cousin, and the two begin to spend a lot of time together. They’re completely different, and much of the show’s humor comes from the two actors playing off one another, showcasing how the straight-laced Carlton guides his mischievous cousin (and vice-versa).

Fans came to love Carlton (and Ribeiro). But few things stand out quite as much as his famous dance. Fandom notes the dance, which first came about in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Season 2, was inspired by two others: Courteney Cox’s infamous moves in Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing With the Dark” music video and Eddie Murphy’s “White Man Dance” from his 1987 comedy special Eddie Murphy Raw.

Ribeiro performed the dance several times on the show, including in the series finale, with Smith by his side. Naturally, when Ribeiro appeared on Dancing with the Stars, he couldn’t avoid it. He showcased his classic moves in all their glory, leading to a perfect score from the judges.

What has Ribeiro said about the famous dance?

Dancing with the Stars was a special occasion. When Ribeiro meets fans, he won’t perform the Carlton Dance, even though many ask him. In May 2022, he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, expressing how he doesn’t enjoy the request.

“What makes you think that you just gonna ask a random person to dance for you, and they’re gonna be like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve been waiting for you to ask! Hold on a second, let me get into character,'” Ribeiro explained. “It’s not — I don’t get it. It’s not gonna happen.” Interestingly, Page Six reports that Ribeiro once tried to copyright the moves.

What is the actor up to now?

Though it remains his biggest role to date, Ribeiro’s career certainly didn’t end when The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air did. These days, he’s better known as a host, having worked with the Game Show Network for several years. Ribeiro currently hosts the revival of America’s Funniest Home Videos, as well as the spinoff Animal Edition. He’s continued to act here and there, primarily in voice roles. Additionally, Ribeiro has tried his hand at directing.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air celebrated 30 years since its premiere with a reunion special, which hit HBO Max in November 2020. Naturally, Ribeiro was in attendance to reflect on the role that made him famous. But while he was happy to celebrate with his former castmates, he stuck to his word, and didn’t do the Carlton Dance.

How to learn to dance: video tutorials for those who are not afraid to try

January 28, 2017 Likbez Sports and fitness

If you decide to learn how to dance, don't delay. Just repeat after the instructors the basic movements of modern, street, ballroom and social dances.

Iya Zorina

Author of Lifehacker, athlete, CCM

Answers to the main questions

Is it difficult to learn to dance?

It's really no more difficult than anything else you're new to. Dance directions are very different from each other. Even if you have mastered one of them, it will be unusual for you to do the other. nine0003

However, all dances are connected with the ability to control one's body. And if this is not new to you (for example, you were engaged in martial arts, gymnastics, swimming, and even more so dancing), it will be easier for you to adapt to new movements than a beginner who is not friendly with his body.

Even if you have a rather wooden body, you should not despair. The secret of success is constant practice.

Learning to dance from video lessons is more difficult than from courses. If your body is flexible and obedient, you can still do something similar to the movements of the instructor from the video. If not, you can quickly become disillusioned with dancing: the difference between what is shown in the video and what you will see in the mirror will be too strong. nine0003

Still worth a try. At least in order to determine the appropriate direction.

How many times a week do you dance?

Muscles may initially ache after exercise. But, unlike strength training or running, the body does not require a recovery period.

Therefore, you can safely practice dancing all the time. One of my teachers said to dance 25 hours a day. In any case, the more you dance, the more noticeable the progress. nine0003

How to learn to dance modern dances

From this direction we have chosen three types that can often be found in the schedules of fitness clubs and dance schools. And the first - plastic and insanely beautiful contemporary.

Contemporary

Abel M/Flickr.com

Contemporary combines elements of modern jazz, yoga and martial arts, seasoned with improvisation and attention to breathing. This is freedom and plasticity - the natural beauty of movement.

Here is a clip with a contemporary combination. Give it a try, just remember to warm up and stretch well before you teach. nine0003

And here is the second part:

By the way, about the warm-up. In the video below - a full lesson with a warm-up, stretching and analysis of the combination. In English, but everything is clear and without translation.

If you do not have time to repeat or consider how some movement is done, set the speed to 0.25.

If you like combinations but can't repeat them yet, here are some more videos of routine contemporary lessons.

You will most likely have to do the same in the dance school before you can perform beautiful combinations.

Strip plastic

imperiamarket.by

Many people confuse pole exercises and strip plastic. The second is just a sensual dance that can be performed without a pole.

Doing strip plastic, you will not stand at the barre and pull the toe. Everything here is based on the natural sexuality of the female body. Of course, many teachers diversify strip plastic with elements of contemporary or modern, Latin American dances and other areas, but it all depends on the teacher. nine0003

How beautiful your dance will look again depends on how well you know how to control your body, how mobile your joints are and how stretched your muscles and tendons are.

In the video below there is an analysis of the combination. Not too simple, but very sensual and beautiful. And you don't have to move on the floor, so your knees don't get hurt.

And here is a playlist with strip plastic lessons from different dance schools. There are both individual movements and combinations. nine0003

And one more, simpler combination. Try it if the first one doesn't work.

Belly dance (bellydance)

·júbilo·haku·/Flickr.com

This is a sensual and beautiful dance that, among other things, helps to develop plasticity and even get rid of some health problems.

There are a lot of belly dance lessons on YouTube. Below are some of them.

The basic movements are explained here very clearly:

And the second part:

Below is a playlist with five lessons for beginners from another teacher.

How to learn to dance street dancing

Hip-hop

pinterest.com

Hip-hop has only been around for about 50 years. But during this time, many trends and styles have appeared, with different elements, plasticity, and special features.

In addition, modern hip-hop is often complemented by movements from other dance styles, which provides even richer vocabulary and original combinations. nine0003

But before you come up with your own combinations, you need to master the basics. In the playlist below you will find basic moves, steps and many combinations. They explain everything in an accessible way. If you can't make it, slow down the video speed.

The videos in the next big playlist explain the concepts of inertia, manipulation and isolation in hip-hop. There's also a story about improvisation, battle behavior if you're up for it, and a few variations of ground hip-hop moves (on the floor) to diversify your combinations. nine0003

Breakdancing

Colonne/Flickr.com

Breakdancing consists of different elements: tricks and power movements on the floor, waves, fixations, and also changes in the levels at which the dance is performed.

Here on this channel there is training in different styles: Waving, King Tut, Robot, - analysis of the technique of power elements and basic movements at different levels.

Below is a video detailing the 6 steps element from Footwork.

And here you can see how the "turtle" is performed. nine0003

Here is a voluminous playlist, which contains quite a lot of breakdance elements with a detailed analysis of the technique of dance and strength elements.

Twerk

Lauren Wood/Flickr.com

Sexy dance in which you need to actively work the buttocks, hips, stomach and arms. In this playlist you will find several lessons with analysis of twerk movements.

How to learn to dance ballroom dancing

Waltz

vimbly.com

At least once in your life you will surely need a waltz. Moreover, it is not so difficult to dance it at an amateur level. nine0003

Here are four good lessons that will teach you how to hold your hands and do the basic waltz steps in pairs or individually.

How to learn to dance social dances

Social dances are not designed for competition, but for communication between partners and enjoyment. Improvisation is welcome here, through which the dancer can express himself, his feelings and emotions.

Bachata

pinterest.com

This dance comes from the Dominican Republic. He is very sensual and sometimes erotic. The basis of bachata is four steps with an emphasis on the last one. In the dance, there are rotations and throws of the partner, small lifts. nine0003

Despite the fact that bachata is a pair dance, solo combinations can also be taught. For example, if you don't have a partner yet.

In the video below - an overview of the main steps. Where to transfer body weight, how to hold hands, how to focus - everything is told in the most detailed way.

And here is a variation of bachata from the same teacher.

Below is a playlist for those who want to dance bachata together. These are Dominican bachata lessons from the Imagine dance school. nine0003

Kizomba

youtube.com

This is a passionate couple dance from Africa, more specifically from Angola. Now it is performed all over the world and is especially popular in France and Portugal.

Steps, lots of hip work and close contact with partner. Sometimes very tight. For example, in the style of tarraxinha, a slower and more sensual version of this social dance.

Here is a playlist of kizomba lessons.

And another playlist with videos from another dance studio. nine0003

That's it. If you have favorite tutorial videos, share them in the comments to the article.
*Activities of Meta Platforms Inc. and its social networks Facebook and Instagram are prohibited in the territory of the Russian Federation.

How to repeat a new dance from the creators of Skibidi

June 18, 2019 Reno5 Relaxation

A visual (and funny!) instruction from Lifehacker's editors and an educational program on k-pop.

The Khleb group presented a new clip - Opa. We have seen this somewhere. nine0003

The new images of Denis Kukoyaki, Alexander Shuliko and Kirill Trifonov are nothing more than cosplay on Korean idols - performers in the k-pop genre.

K-pop stands for "Korean pop". Signs of the genre: unusual choreography, dyed hair and bright clothes of artists. Part of the roots of k-pop lie in American pop music, hip-hop and R'n'B, but it is a genre in its own right. For us, a little outlandish, but the Koreans like it.

The same team worked on the dance in the clip as on "Skibidi": Alina Pyazok, the author of the Little Big clips, became the director, and Ilya Prusikin, the band's frontman, became the choreographer of the dance. The clip of Little Big - Skibidi - has collected more than 200 million views on YouTube, and even the hosts of "Evening Urgant" repeated the dance. nine0003

This time the group has launched #opachallenge - a competition in which everyone who repeats the dance and publishes it with the appropriate hashtag can take part. The winner will get a lot of likes and a smartphone from OPPO.

Some Korean idol moves can be easily imitated by a child, others require a lot of training and acrobatic skills. You're in luck: Khleb and Little Big Production came up with a simple dance for the challenge that can be learned in five minutes.

how to dance

First part

There are three simple movements.

Movement one: straight arms break to the left on the first and third beats of the measure. The feet do not come off the ground, the movement is made twice.

Second movement: the same, but straight arms move to the right. The movement ends with a 180 degree turn.

Third movement: look over the shoulder. The straight arm makes swinging movements.

Second part

It's a little more complicated. This part of the dance begins with the words "Oops!".

First move: take an imaginary selfie. Two times in each direction.

Movement two: slightly crouching, waving the palms up and down.

Third movement: throw one hand behind the head, keep the other near the stomach.