Independent Research | Ethnographic Deep Dive
12 weeks
The quick pitch:
With the launch of TikTok, I've watched amateur dance transcend stages and studios, from out of bedrooms and beyond phone screens. Even as I write this, the slippery phenomenon considered “TikTok Dance” continues to shapeshift.
So, over four months, I conducted an ethnographic deep-dive to understand what drives the trend that has bonded a generation by getting them on their feet.
My role:
Interviewed the dancers, microinfluencers, and choreographers who define “TikTok Dance.”
Found a story from analyzing patterns in 230 TikTok dance moves.
Surveyed 383 TikTok dancers across nine countries. Recruited them by doing some dancing myself (150,000 views later…).
Stayed true to TikTok’s spirit of participation by writing/designing an interactive report.
Summary of Findings
TikTok Dance, Decoded.
By endlessly adapting TikTok Dance, TikTok’rs have curated a slang-like phenomenon that is uniquely their own—continually out of reach of the parents, celebrities, and curious ‘olds’ who strive to understand it.
Check out my findings in the interactive microsite below (desktop only, please!). The project is still a work in progress, but if you want an update on the finished product or care to discuss the research, drop me a line.
click to view report-in-progress (desktop only)