Ding Dong-Inspired 8 ‘Dancehall Moves You Should Know’ TikTok Challenge Going Viral
Now trending is one of the best ‘tan a yuh yaad’ activities you can do right now – a TikTok challenge that tests your skill at 8 popular dancehall dance moves.
As much of the world is still in quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people are finding new ways to keep themselves entertained. TikTok, one of the most popular platforms for dance challenges and entertaining videos, has enjoyed significant growth since the pandemic began and the world embraced social distancing.
Recently, Toronto choreographer, Bizzy Boom, known for his soca and dancehall dance classes and routines, went viral on Twitter for his TikTok video inspired by dancehall’s number #1 dancing artiste, Ding Dong and his dance syndicate Ravers Clavers.
@bizzyboom Try and do every move with me! #duet #duetwithme #promplaylist #ravers #dancehall #dance #caribbean
In the video, Bizzy Boom showcases eight of Ding Dong and Ravers Clavers’s most popular dances, saying they are dancehall moves that everyone should know. The video, which was posted on Twitter by a fan, has received over 7,000 retweets and 23,000 likes so far.
Ding Dong, whose real name is Kemar Ottey, also reposted the video on his Instagram account, asking his fans to join in the challenge. “My bro @bizzyboom started this challenge of my songs which highlights dance moves from me and the ravers on TikTok… You should try it out. Let’s see if you know the moves”, he said.
There has so far been 61 video responses to Boom’s challenge.
Here’s a rundown of all the eight dances showcased.
1. Syvah
“Syvah” was released by Ding Dong in 2013. The artist said he came up with the dance randomly while at a party, but the term was inspired by his friends. Ding Dong said that he and his friends would always use the term “syv” meaning to “seek out” or “to look for”. When he started to develop the dance, he realized that “syv” was too short to use as a name. Shortly after, he heard Vybz Kartel reference “syvah” on a song and decided to use the term as the official name of the dance.
2. Lowe Mi Nuh
Lowe Mi Nuh was released by Ding Dong in 2015. The dance’s name is inspired by the Jamaican term “lowe me” which means “leave me alone”. Ding Dong has said this is one of the easiest dance moves he and the raver’s team have ever invented.
3. Gas
The “gas” dance was invented by Beer Ravers (also called Chicken & Beer) and Bravo Ravers in 2015. Both dancers are featured in the official video. There are different interpretations of the “gas” that they refer to, but many Jamaicans have assumed that its the “gassing” of a car or bike that was the inspiration.
4. Genna Bounce
The term “genna” was made popular by dancehall artiste Aidonia, as slang for “general” or a male who is highly respected. “Genna Bounce” created by Bravo Ravers in 2018 has been one of Ding Dong’s biggest party hits.
5. Fling Yuh Shoulda
The “Fling Yuh Shoulda” created by Kool Ravers was arguably the biggest dance of summer 2017. The dance was used by dancehall and Caribbean choreographers around the world, and is still a go-to-move in parties.
6. Flairy
“Flairy” was created by incoming choreographer Silent Ravers in 2017. Silent Ravers said the name of the dance was inspired by a term among his friends, “flairy” which is a compliment- meaning someone looks good. The official video with Ding Dong was released in 2018.
7. Snappin’
This dance move is one of the most recent by Ding Dong and the Ravers crew, released in 2019. The official video for the song initially received some buzz because it showcased rumored real-life couple Wiz Ravers and Desha Ravers at the alter. The nuptials were fake but it did give a great introduction for the catchy song and dance.
8. Ravers Rock
In this video, Ding Dong teamed up with Qraig Voicemail to rock out to the 2019 dance created by Donte Ravers. As Ding Dong says, “it coulda be dancehall or Calypso” explaining that anyone can do it.
Ding Dong also recently got some viral attention yesterday when popular Canadian comedian Lilly Singh sampled his dancehall anthem Badman Forward, Bad Pullup.
His last single Inside, released on April 5, encourages social distancing and frequent sanitization.