TikTok has added a new skill to its résumé: serving as a disco time machine. The social platform, known for its endless scroll of Gen Z-ers dancing in choreographed routines, has recently seen a surge in videos featuring their Gen X parents grooving to the beat of 80s classics.
In these viral videos, adult children challenge their parents to dance as they would have back in the day to hits like “Smalltown Boy” by Bronski Beat. The posts, tagged with #momdancechallenge, #daddancechallenge, or #80sdancechallenge, have garnered millions of views and sparked a wave of nostalgia.
What sets these videos apart is the genuine joy and cool factor exuded by the parents, who dance with a sense of freedom and spontaneity reminiscent of a bygone era. Instead of poking fun, viewers are uplifted by the heartwarming performances and transported back in time.
For participants like Valerie Martinez and her mother Yeanne Velazquez, the challenge was a chance to bond over shared memories. Velazquez, who used to dance to “Smalltown Boy” in Puerto Rico as a teenager, found the experience nostalgic and rewarding.
The overwhelmingly positive reactions to these videos have bridged generational divides online, bringing families closer and spreading joy during challenging times. As Giselle DeLaney and her mother Sandy Cervantes discovered, the simple act of dancing together can create lasting memories and bring a sense of positivity to families.
These viral videos serve as a reminder that everyone, regardless of age, has a youthful spirit within them. As older individuals take center stage on platforms like TikTok, they prove that age is just a number and that dancing knows no bounds.
Perhaps in a few decades, today’s TikTok dancers will look back on these videos with fondness, realizing how they have evolved over time. As DeLaney aptly puts it, these videos bring a full circle moment, reminding us of who we once were and who we have become.
