Download Article
All about the popular Assumption dance and where it came from
Download Article
Maybe you've seen this viral TikTok on your feed: a fabulously suave man in a blue shirt working his hips to a hypnotic synth. And if you haven’t seen that video, you've probably seen one of the thousands of other TikToks imitating him! This dance is called the Samba Whisk (also known as the Assumption on TikTok). We’re here to give the full scoop, including how to do the dance yourself. We'll also fill you in on a little Samba history!
What’s the deal with the blue shirt guy dance?
The “blue shirt guy dance” is a viral TikTok that shows a dance instructor in a blue shirt demonstrating the Samba Whisk dance move set to the song “Assumption” by Sam Gellaitry. The original video has since inspired thousands of users to post their own imitations and parodies of the dance.
Steps
Section 3 of 5:
Learning the Assumption or Samba Whisk Dance
Download Article
-
1Step to your right, then step your left foot behind you. Let’s start just by learning the footwork, and the hip whisks will come after. To begin, take a step to your right with your right foot, then lightly touch your left foot to the floor just behind your right foot. [2] X Research source
- When you put your left foot down, take the weight off your right foot, and lift your right foot slightly off the floor to introduce a small bouncing motion.
- When you bring your left foot behind you, pretend like you’re dragging your toes across the floor for a smoother motion.
-
2Step to your left, then step your right foot behind you. Now, do the same step, but to your left. Once you’ve placed your left foot down, gently touch the floor with your right foot, just behind your left foot. Lift your left foot a little off the ground, with your weight on your right foot. This is the basic back-and-forth motion of the Samba Whisk! [3] X Research source
- As you step, stay elevated on the balls of your feet—the broad, flat parts just before your toes. This helps you stay nimble, and also emphasizes your hips and butt, which is important in a Samba.
- As you step side-to-side, count, “1 and 2,” with your foot stepping to the side on “1,” and your back foot lifting you slightly on “2.”
-
3When you step to the side, bend that knee slightly, then straighten. Now we add a little knee action to give the dance that signature bounce. When you step to the side, bend the knee of the leg you’re stepping with. Then, straighten that knee as you step the other foot behind you. [4] X Research source
- For example, when you step to the right, keep your right leg bent. Once the step is finished, straighten your right leg as you step onto your left.
- Keep the leg that follows straight until you step that foot behind you, so it looks like you’re dragging it behind you.
-
4Start rotating the leading side of your hips forward each step. Now we inject the hips into the dance! Keep stepping back and forth. Now, though, when you make a large step to the side, rotate the “leading” hip forward as you step. For example, when you step with your right leg to the right, rotate your right hip forward. [5] X Research source
- This makes it look like all the action is coming from your hips, and like you’re using your hips to “drag” your following leg into position. Eventually, it won’t just look like it—that’s what will be happening!
-
5Whip your hips in the other direction when your foot is behind you. When you finish the step to the side, your hip will be rotated forward and jutting out to that side. Now, when you step with your other foot behind you, give your hips a little flourish . As you shift your weight to your back foot, rotate the hip on that side backward. [6] X Research source
- For example, after you step to the right and rotate your right hip forward, step behind you with your left foot and swivel your left hip backward, so now your hip is jutting out and back on the other side.
- Give your hip a little upwards pop at the end of this back swivel to really emphasize the motion and add some pizzazz.
-
6Keep your elbows up and point your hands in the direction you step. All that’s left is the arms! Your arms add some flair to your upper body while your lower body does the work. Keep your elbows up and to the side as you dance to help you balance. To add more pizzazz, extend your corresponding arm in the direction you’re stepping, moving it smoothly. [7] X Research source
- For example, when you step to the right, extend your right arm in that direction. Then, when you start to step to the left, extend your left arm while retracting your right hand back near your chest.
- When you move your arms, move them in a circular, windmill motion, rather than just side to side.
-
7Practice in the mirror to perfect your moves. Of course, practice makes perfect. Unless you’re a dance pro, it’ll take a few tries to really get it down. That’s why the original Samba Whisk blue shirt guy video shows him teaching a class: it’s not your average TikTok dance, but with a little practice, you’ll get it down in no time!
Advertisement
Expert Q&A
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement
Video
Tips
Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Name
Please provide your name and last initial
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
References
- ↑ https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/blue-shirt-guy-dancing-salsa-video
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPexT93vhK4&t=30s
- ↑ https://youtu.be/cPexT93vhK4?si=y4SGReephFXqG1Kb&t=37
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqAqg2r4M-Y&t=175s
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku2t4mtRl0M&t=209s
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku2t4mtRl0M&t=213s
- ↑ https://youtu.be/Ku2t4mtRl0M?si=CLFNpNXMLEF_6P_L&t=426
- ↑ https://www.ballroomdancers.com/dances/info.asp?sid=300
- ↑ https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/renegade-dance
About This Article
Advertisement
