dab (dance)
{{short description|Physical gesture}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{redirect|The dab|other uses|Dab (disambiguation){{!}}Dab}}
Dab, or dabbing, is a gesture in which a person leans forward into the bent crook of a slanted, upward angled arm, while raising the opposite arm out straight in a parallel direction. It appears to be similar to someone sneezing or coughing into an elbow.{{cite news |last1=Fumudoh |first1=Ziwe |title=Your guide to dabbing, a 'new' dance craze that already peaked |url=http://www.dailydot.com/lol/guide-to-dabbing-dance/ |access-date=January 4, 2016 |work=Daily Dot |date=November 20, 2015}} Since 2015, dabbing has been used as a gesture of triumph or playfulness, becoming a youthful fad and Internet meme.
Origins
The move has been seen in mainstream music videos and used in pop performers' dance routines, such as in singer Janet Jackson's music videos for "The Pleasure Principle" (1987), "Escapade" (1990), and "If" (1993). On her MDNA World Tour (2012), singer Madonna and her backup dancers incorporated a quick dab move into the opening dance routine to her song "Girl Gone Wild".{{Cite web |date=February 25, 2016 |title=Madonna – Girl Gone Wild (Live from France) MDNA Tour pro shot |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWGyfqDwY54 |website=Daniel Baluch (YouTube channel)}}
Some Quality Control artists had claimed the dab was invented by rapper Skippa Da Flippa, and that its origins were within the Atlanta hip-hop scene of the 2010s. However, the Migos—who subsequently released a single entitled "Look at My Dab" (2015)—claimed to have invented the move,{{cite news|last1=Fumudoh|first1=Ziwe|title=Your guide to dabbing, a 'new' dance craze that already peaked|url=http://www.dailydot.com/lol/guidetodabbingdance/|access-date=January 4, 2016|work=Daily Dot|date=November 20, 2015|quote=There’s a great deal of controversy surrounding the pioneers of the dabbing dance, with the credit going to various members of Quality Control label (including Migos, Skippa Da Flippa, and Peewee Longway). Migos has gotten the bulk of credit for the trend since releasing the song 'Dab' on Sept. 3, 2015.}} but later stated that Luca Prodorutti was the true creator (after criticism from another member of that label, OG Maco).{{cite web|url=https://www.bet.com/article/2378ax/migos-and-og-maco-aren-t-getting-along-right-now|title=Migos and OG Maco Aren't Getting Along Right Now|publisher=BET|date=August 6, 2015}}
American rapper Bow Wow attempted to explain the origin of the dab, saying it derived from the cannabis dabbers community, which started in and around 2012, before the dance move was created, a statement which earned the artist opposition from other rappers who immediately took to Twitter to insult Bow Wow and disprove his claims.{{cite news|last1=Robertson|first1=Iyana|title=Bow Wow Attempts To Explain The Origin Of "The Dab," Gets Clowned By Migos|url=http://www.vibe.com/2015/12/bow-wow-migos-dab-twitter/|access-date=February 3, 2016|work=Vibe|date=December 8, 2015}} The rappers Peewee Longway, Jose Guapo and Rich the Kid also contributed to popularizing the dab dance.{{cite web|url=https://www.bet.com/article/fth2wg/deconstructing-the-dab|title=Deconstructing the 'Dab'|publisher=BET|date=December 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151224042528/http://www.bet.com/news/music/2015/12/21/deconstructing-the-dab.html|archive-date=December 24, 2015|access-date=November 29, 2016|url-status=live}}
An Indian dance includes a wingtip-hand version of dabbing; Bollywood dancers can be seen performing the move in the song "Tamma Tamma Loge".{{Cite web |last=Bisht |first=Himanshu |date=February 9, 2017 |title=Bollywood Invented 'Dabbing' Way Before it Became Popular in the West! |url=https://www.campustimespune.com/bollywood-dabbing-invention/ |access-date=2022-05-11 |website=Campus Times Pune |language=en-US}}
Popularity
As XXL magazine reported in August 2015, "What started as a regional down South adlib is quickly becoming a masterful maneuver in clubs and on street corners. It’s called dabbin’."{{cite news|last1=Madden|first1=Sidney|title=Atlanta's Dabbin' Dance Craze Is Taking Over Scial Media|url=http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2015/08/dabbing-dance-craze/|access-date=January 4, 2016|work=XXL Magazine|date=August 5, 2015}} Jason Derulo and Ella Honey taught James Corden how to dab during the November 4, 2015, edition of "Carpool Karaoke" on The Late Late Show with James Corden.{{cite web |title= Jason Derulo Carpool Karaoke |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fJ-TdyZtKE |publisher=The Late Late Show with James Corden |via= YouTube |access-date= June 7, 2016}}
The dab gained popularity in American sports following an eight-second celebratory dab by Cam Newton, football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League, during a game against the Tennessee Titans on November 15, 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/schedules/2015/REG10|title=2015 Week 10 Schedule|publisher=National Football League|access-date=February 10, 2016}}{{cite news |last1=Peters |first1=Micah |title=Titans linebacker takes offense to Cam Newton's dancing, Newton keeps dancing in his face |url=http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/11/cam-newton-styles-on-titans-linebacker-dances-all-up-in-his-face-video |access-date=January 4, 2016 |work=USA Today |date=November 15, 2015 }} According to a Sports Illustrated account of the incident, "[w]hen two Titans players confronted [Newton] about the celebration, he continued to dance in their faces, even as he backed away."{{cite magazine|last1=Ducey|first1=Kenny|title='Dab on Them Folks': A Brief History of the Dab Dance in Sports|url=https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2015/11/16/nfl-nba-dab-dance-cam-newton-lebron-james|access-date=January 4, 2016|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=November 16, 2015}} Newton explained the incident by crediting a 16-year-old for instructing him to "Dab on them folks":
I'm a firm believer that if you don't like me to do it then don't let me in ... I just like doing it, man. It's not to be boastful, and from the crowd's response they like seeing it. ... Tell me what to do "Dab on them folks," so I tried "Dab on them folks," in that tone too. "Dab on them folks." He's only like 16, but he's got an Adam's apple out of this world.{{cite news|last1=Dator|first1=James|title=Cam Newton danced like that because a 16-year-old told him to|url=https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2016/2/7/10920766/cam-newton-dab-dance-celebration-why-super-bowl-50|access-date=February 10, 2016|work=SBNation|date=November 16, 2015}}
It was later confirmed that the 16-year-old was Newton's younger brother Caylin.{{cite news|last1=Sandritter|first1=Mark|title=Cam Newton is the NFL's king of the Dab|url=https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2016/2/7/10920766/cam-newton-dab-dance-celebration-why-super-bowl-50|access-date=February 10, 2016|work=SBNation|date=February 7, 2016}} The dab was preformed by multiple members of the Denver Broncos during Super Bowl 50, mocking Newton's signature celebration as they went on to beat his Panthers 24-10.{{Cite web |date=2016-02-11 |title=So. . . Von Miller did 'dab' after his (first) strip-sack of Cam Newton - DNVR Sports |url=https://thednvr.com/so-von-miller-dabbed-after-his-first-strip-sack-of-cam-newton/ |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=thednvr.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Andre Caldwell catches first down, dabs |url=https://www.denverbroncos.com/video/andre-caldwell-catches-first-down-dabs-16797914 |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=www.denverbroncos.com |language=en-US}} On June 9, 2016, Cam Newton announced that he would no longer perform the celebration. However, he dabbed again on November 13, 2016, after a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs, nearly a year after his initial dab against the Titans.{{cite web|url=http://pantherswire.usatoday.com/2016/11/13/cam-newton-bowls-over-chiefs-for-td-resurrects-the-dab/|title=Cam Newton resurrects the dab after bowling over Chiefs for TD|date=November 13, 2016|work=USA Today}}
File:Andrew Scheer at McGill University - 2017 (38701651881).jpg, former leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, dabbing with a university student]]
Dabbing has made its appearance in politics, as well. In January 2016, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton dabbed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. In October 2016, Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez dabbed at the end of a Senate debate against Attorney General Kamala Harris.{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/06/politics/california-senate-race-debate-dab-loretta-sanchez-kamala-harris/index.html|title=Loretta Sanchez dabs in California Senate debate, Kamala Harris not amused|first=Deena|last=Zaru|publisher=CNN|date=October 6, 2016}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2016/10/06/496864737/a-u-s-senate-candidate-just-dabbed-at-the-end-of-a-debate|title=A U.S. Senate Candidate Just Dabbed At The End Of A Debate|work=NPR.org|access-date=2017-12-01|language=en}}{{Cite magazine|url=https://time.com/4521054/loretta-sanchez-dab-debate/|title=Yes, a U.S. Senate Candidate Dabbed at the California Debate|magazine=Time|access-date=2017-12-01}} On January 3, 2017, Cal Marshall, 17-year-old son of Rep. Roger Marshall (R-Kan), dabbed at his father's swearing in as a Congressman, confusing House Speaker Paul Ryan.{{cite news|last1=Schmidt|first1=Samantha|title=The 'dab' makes an awkward comeback and Paul Ryan learns it is not a sneeze|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/01/04/the-dab-makes-an-awkward-comeback-and-paul-ryan-learns-its-not-a-sneeze/|access-date= January 4, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 4, 2017}} On February 22, 2017, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Tom Watson dabbed in the UK's House of Commons.{{cite web|url=http://metro.co.uk/2017/02/22/labours-tom-watson-dabbed-in-the-house-of-commons-6465644/|title=Labour's Tom Watson has just done the dab in the House of Commons|first=Jimmy|last=Nsubuga|date=February 22, 2017|work=Metro|location=UK}} French presidential candidates Emmanuel Macron,{{cite web |url= http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2017/03/13/le-dab-demmanuel-macron/ |title= Le dab d'Emmanuel Macron |language= fr |date= March 13, 2017 |work= The Huffington Post |access-date= March 14, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170516095225/http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2017/03/13/le-dab-demmanuel-macron/ |archive-date= May 16, 2017 |url-status= dead }} Benoît Hamon and François Fillon dabbed on TV in March 2017. In May 2017, Prince Sverre Magnus of Norway dabbed at the Royal Palace in Oslo during his grandparents' King Harald V and Queen Sonja's official appearance for their 80th birthday.{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/4776317/norway-prince-dab/|title=This Playful Little Prince Just Stole the Royal Show|magazine=Time}} In October 2017, Australian Labor Party leader Bill Shorten dabbed as part of a diss track criticising members of the Liberal Party.{{cite news|last1=Butler|first1=Josh|title=Bill Shorten Just Had A Radio Rap Battle With Kenyon Puls, And Oh God|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/10/05/bill-shorten-just-had-a-radio-rap-battle-with-ray-hadley-and-oh-god_a_23234371/|newspaper=Huffington Post|access-date=March 25, 2018|language=en-AU|date=October 6, 2017}} He later alluded to the dab's infamy, stating that his children had been "humiliated" by it.{{cite web|last1=Craw|first1=Victoria|title=Bill Shorten reveals children 'humiliated' by rap battle dab in radio stunt|url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/books-magazines/magazines/bill-shorten-reveals-children-humiliated-by-rap-battle-dab-in-radio-stunt/news-story/395fb8dd1842dc6fd6aedf4a8f0f062b|website=News.com.au|date=February 27, 2018|access-date=March 25, 2018}}
In July 2016, Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton dabbed in celebration of his win at the Hungarian Grand Prix.{{cite news |last1=Wood |first1=Will |title=Hamilton dabs his way to championship lead in Hungary |url=https://www.racefans.net/2016/07/25/hamilton-dabs-way-championship-lead-hungary/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |date=July 25, 2016}}
In January 2017, an Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja dabbed in celebration of his half-century score in a Test match against Pakistan in Sydney. His move received mixed reactions, with some praising it and others accusing him of disrespecting his opponents.{{cite web|last1=Ferris|first1=Sam|title=Khawaja's celebration ignites debate|url=https://www.cricket.com.au/news/usman-khawaja-dab-celebration-half-century-video-highlights-third-test-australia-scg-pakistan/2017-01-06|website=cricket.com.au|access-date=August 11, 2018}}
In February 2017, the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, invited a dance group to State House to perform the dab dance move with him.{{cite web |title= Uhuru danced as critical issues in the country went unattended |url= http://www.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/DN2/-Uhuru-danced-as-critical-issues-in-the-country-went-unattended/957860-3821944-44u3tf/ |work=daily Nation |access-date= February 23, 2017}} The president was doing the dab dance in a bid to appeal to the youthful population of Kenya to come out and register as voters. Some critics found this move to be in bad taste since there were other pressing issues like the doctors and lecturers strike that the president should have been dealing with rather than dancing.{{cite web |title= Kenyan President's #DabChallenge Backfires After Critics Create #DabOfShame |url= https://globalvoices.org/2017/02/15/kenyan-presidents-dabchallenge-backfires-after-critics-create-dabofshame/ |website= Global Voices |access-date= February 23, 2017 |date= February 15, 2017}}
Today, the dab is both a dance move and a statement. The culture behind it has been propagated by celebrity use and memes. Many dancers incorporate the move in their repertoire as a minor addition to a set; a dab is usually used to mark a drop. In addition, the dance move has become notorious around the world and has gained the significant attraction and attention from media in many countries.
Manchester United footballers Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard also popularised the dab by performing the dance as their goal celebration.{{cite web|url=https://talksport.com/football/watch-manchester-united-duo-paul-pogba-and-jesse-lingard-unveil-new-celebration-replace-dab|title=WATCH: Manchester United duo Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard unveil new celebration to replace the dab|last=talkSPORT|date=February 1, 2017|website=talksport.com}} Wrestler T. J. Perkins often uses the move as a taunt or a sign of disrespect after a headstand headscissors takedown.{{Citation needed|date=September 2017}}
On December 24th during 2017 the dance move was added to the hit game Fortnite.https://fnbr.co/emote/dab When it was released it cost 500 'vbucks', which was equivalent to $5 USD at the time. Since then, they have added many other varieties like the 'Infinite Dab' and the 'Gentleman's Dab.'{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}
Illegality in Saudi Arabia
In Saudi Arabia, dabbing was made illegal by the National Committee for Drug Control, as it was deemed that it alludes to cannabis and other illegal substances. In August 2017, Saudi singer and actor Abdallah Al Shaharani was arrested for performing the move at a music festival in Ta'if, and afterwards he apologized in a tweet.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-dab-arrest-singer-abdallah-al-shaharani-dance-move-onstage-taif-festival-anti-narcotics-a7885686.html|title=Saudi police arrest singer for on-stage 'dab' dance move|newspaper=The Independent|first=Bethan|last=McKernan|date=August 10, 2017|access-date=2017-08-13}}{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-40886288|work=BBC News|title=Saudi singer arrested for dabbing|date=August 10, 2017}}
See also
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
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- {{cite news|last1=Diaz|first1=Angel|title=Og Maco and Migos Got into It on Twitter Over the Dabbin' Dance|url=http://www.complex.com/music/2015/08/og-maco-migos-twitter-dabbin-dance|access-date=January 4, 2016|work=Complex|date=August 6, 2015}}
{{Hip-hop dance}}
{{Street dance}}
{{Generation Z slang}}
Category:Novelty and fad dances
Category:2010s fads and trends