Here's What African DanceTok Got Up To in 2022
The continent delivered so much good music this year, some of us couldn't help but dance along.
Music-sharing video app TikTok continues to be a staple in how society shares its joy and builds community. This year made no exception as talented creators from across the continent shared their best moves, making their contributions to the many TikTok dance challenges burning through the interwebs. And, honestly, the music that came out of Africa this year made it impossible for us not to.
One example is Nigerian crooner Rema's global hit "Calm Down," which birthed the #calmdownchallenge on TikTok, and now boasts over 700 million additions to the popular dance trend. The singer took part in the challenge during an Australian concert in July, verifying how far the social media app can take music. We may have our difference, but no one can deny a good beat.
Here's our list of this year's contributions to the world of African DanceTok
@hansummalcolm_dances I look so mean without a hair cut 😩 waiting on my barber to come back from vacation 😩🇯🇲 I only go to Jamaican barbers
♬ Soweto - Victony & Tempoe
Nigerian singer Victony's hit Soweto captured the world's attention and hips. We loved the challenge so much that it was even cute when a random white man went viral for partaking. The spirit of Ubuntu is alive and well, friends.
*Sigh* African women, man.
This year, the ladies stayed on our radar with their hypnotic moves and trendy videos. All-girl dance troop CoolKidsDontDance takes on creator @cloutdipson1's Finesse dance challenge.
@loicreyel Répondre à @wanenamtolo tutorial coming soon fam 🙏🏿❤️ Dc: me #calmdownchallenge♬ Calm Down - Rema
Nigeria's lover boy Remahas figured out how to create a trending song, and the dance challenges just keep coming. This time around, his hit single "Calm Down" got the people moving and grooving.
@jayhovergh Forget all the hard dance #ghana_funny_videos#ghanafuodotcom#fypシ#fyp#chopdaily#afrodance#afrodaily#africandance#dance#🌍#afrovibe#jayhover♬ One Lege - Jay Hover
Ghanaian TikTok creator Jay Hover went viral for this energetic look into the dance moves gifted to us by East Africa. The king of the #OneLeg challenge broke down some of the basics for his 600K+ followers, of course gifting us with a giggle in the process.
@dreamcatchersda Dod we nail it? #africandance#africankids#ArtsAcademy#foryourpage#schoollife#nonprofit#dancechallenge♬ original sound - Dream Catchers Academy
The kids are alright! A group of Nigerian students from Dream Catchers Dance Academy, a local art Academy, take on South African dance moves in this precious display of the joy African dance brings.
@africanheritagecity @nissi_wilde • Zaouli: Originating in the Guro people of Ivory Coast (Côte D’Ivoire) The dance of Zaouli is a relatively new addition to the cultural landscape of Ivory Coast. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #africa#african#africanfashion#africanprint#africanart#asoebiafrica#africanbeauty#africanstyle#Ivorycoast#africanqueen#westafrica#africanfood#eastafrica#thisissouthafrica#africanamazing#africangirlskillingit#africans#thisisafrica#travelafrica#proudlysouthafrican#everydayafrica#africanprints#africanmusic#africanwedding#northafrica#meetsouthafrica#ig_africa#africandance#panafrican#africanfabric#africanwoman#african_portraits#madeinafrica#ankarastylesafrica#southafricaza#africaninspired♬ original sound - African Heritage City
A traditional performance from the Guro people of Côte d’Ivoire, the Zaouli dance is used to pay homage to feminine beauty, and shame the rest of the continent with their extraordinary dance moves.
@mooyamusunga Ngiyalaaa😮💨🔥 dc @Jaydiane Ephraim 🧨 #ngiyala#amapiano#dance♬ original sound - The_bwoy_small
South African-based Zambian dancer Mooya Musunga (@mooyamusunga) continues to wow the world with his fancy footwork. The dancer took on The Cool Guys' single 'Ngiyala' and gave his 4.9 million followers a new set of fiery dance moves to practice in the mirror.
@monosifon The bride, groom and bridal party did what needed to be done 🇬🇭🔥 | DC: @TheLady @BEVHILLS | #weddingtiktok#ghanatiktok#weddingentrance#africanwedding#sugarcanechallenge♬ suono originale - DJ R💗
We all know African weddings are typically spectacles, however, this Ghanaian reception captured by wedding videographer @monosifonmight have taken the cake. The bride, groom, and wedding party all broke it down in their take on the popular #sugarcanedancechallenge from Ghanaian crooner Camidoh.
@kie_kie__ MOOD UP! 😎😎😎😎😎. @mspepo ♬ Joha - Asake
Nigerian fashion designer and content creator Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilori aka Kie Kieis known for keeping it real and fun with her 1 million+ strong Tiktok audience. Her contribution to the #Johachallenge from Nigerian hitmaker Asake was nothing short of amazing—all while very pregnant!