Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, TikTok became the main source of entertainment in 2020. Since then, it is clear how much the platform has changed. This change is especially apparent when it comes to dance trends.
Once a space where creativity and originality were a “stage” for users, TikTok has transformed into a short-form platform that is losing innovation. This lack of innovation is leaving many to question the sudden shift of originality on the platform. “Sometimes original ideas provide this break that people need when they are scrolling, and without original videos and dances it feels like a monotonous loop” says senior Sarah
During 2020, TikTok was one of the most accessible apps for people everywhere in the world. It brought a new form of social media that went beyond basic communication features other social media sites provide. TikTok was a place for connection and bonding, and TikTok dances were a form of communication among many people.
This allowed for original and unique dance content to be created. For example, the renegade, one of the most iconic dances on the platform, was choreographed during that time. This dance gained massive popularity and inspired many people to learn dance trends.
People learning these trends were typical people who were willing to learn and did not need any prior professional experience to learn them. These dances allowed people to learn how much technique and skill go into dance. What would seem like a simple dance from just watching it once proved to be quite a challenge.
Part of the reason it was a challenge was due to the moves having variety to them. Arms were moving in new ways, and hands had to repeat complicated patterns. It was no easy task, and that i what made it so fun.
Today, TikTok dances tell a different story. Dances now are redundant. The same three moves are being used, and the real difference is that the dances are being replaced by different audio. On top of this, the sequences of these steps have not changed either.
To put it simply, TikTok dances have become lazy. Low effort dances and posts get the same amount, if not more, attention compared to people who take the time to learn complicated dances or are actual dancers.
For many TikTok users, this shift is discouraging, after all, the main purpose of the app is to have fun, create and learn dances and go “viral”
Just ask any real dancer and they would share how much more dance can be if time, effort and genuine emotion are put into dance. “Dancing with emotions and passion for it is the most important part, this is not something that can be taught, it needs to come naturally and through passion” says senior Juha Kim, a local dancer.
Technique can and will always make a dance stand out. Technique is what separates a new dancer from a more experienced one. But that is not every user’s focus.
Some users of the platform genuinely use it for fun and studio dancers can agree to this concept too. “They’re still a fun way for people to express themselves, it might not be as physically challenging as ballet or other dance styles, it is still fun to see people indulge in something creative with their bodies” Kim ensures.
With this in mind, it can be agreed that both dancers and users have this hope that TikTok will return to its original purpose in. After all, the platform strived back during the pandemic and is the reason why users continue to use it to this day.
