Now more than ever, students, faculty and staff members have the chance to pursue a variety of hobbies with newfound free time. Some have turned to the hobby of learning viral TikTok dances. TikTok is a social media app on which users post videos of themselves with different music, sounds and visual effects. Many users create choreography and post it on the app for other users to learn and post as well.

Senior Meghan Judd said she posted her first TikTok in January with a friend, but still thought of TikTok as a rip-off of the old social media app Vine. Once she gave in and downloaded TikTok, Judd said she began to realize how easy the dances could be to learn. 

“Seeing everyone learn the same dances, even though we are all separated, is really cool,” Judd said. “It’s kind of like we’re all still together.”

Heath Carpenter, associate professor of English, has made a couple of TikToks with his family since he started spending more time at home due to COVID-19. Carpenter said his wife Hannah tried to get him to make some TikToks with her before the COVID-19 outbreak, but he never thought he would cave and actually record one.

“I have spent 30 seconds learning TikTok dances,” Carpenter said. “My kids loved learning them, and I wanted to have fun and connect with them, so I hung out in the back of the video behind all of them and did whatever goofy movements I wanted.”

Regarding new TikTok content from Carpenter, he said if his fans want it, they shall get it.

Sophomore Caroline Slater has been an active TikTok user since August but has begun to learn more TikTok dances now that she is off campus and has more downtime. 

“I knew some of the more iconic dances, like “Renegade,” but now I have time to learn many more and be more creative with my videos,” Slater said.

Slater said learning TikTok dances gives her a chance to be more physically active during the day. Getting your body up and moving is an important part of staying mentally healthy while being at home. Judd said she likes to also make up her own dances to engage her brain and be more mindful.

“I can fall into the trap of sitting on my couch for 15 hours per day, so having something fun to do that makes me want to get up and groove is nice for me,” Judd said. “[Later,] I may not have as much time to keep up with trends and learn dances, but I definitely want to keep dancing as much as I can.”

Interested in taking up the hobby of TikTok dances? Try searching online for “easy TikTok dances,” or simply open up the app and start scrolling. Find one that looks fun, and go for it. And don’t worry — your TikTok profile even has a “private” setting, so you can record all the dances you want to be seen and saved for your eyes only.