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The dab is a cool looking, easy dance move that you can learn in just a couple of minutes. It’s a great move to bust out at a club or at a school dance. After you’ve mastered the dab, you might also want to try hitting the Quan or doing the shmoney. You can combine these moves with the dab or alternate them to create a hybrid dance of your own!

Things You Should Know

  • Start by lifting both arms. Then, bend 1 arm towards you body at the elbow and tilt your head towards it.
  • Bring your head down against your elbow, banging to the beat if you’re listening to music.
  • Repeat this motion with the other arm, extending the arm that was previously bent.
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Starting the Dab

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  1. How.com.vn English: Step 1 Lift your arms out to your sides.
    Raise up both of your arms so they are going straight out from your shoulders. Then, bend one arm in towards your body, as if you are preparing to sneeze into your hand.[1] Keep the other arm straight.
  2. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Dab
    Next tuck your forehead down towards the arm that is bent and touch your forehead to your elbow area as if you are sneezing into your sleeve or dabbing sweat off of your brow.[2][3] Keep the other arm straight.[4]
    • Straighten out your arm after you dab your forehead on it.
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  3. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Dab
    After you bring your head in towards your elbow, you can do a quick head bang motion (or two) before you straighten out your arm and switch sides.[5] Just quickly jolt your head forward towards your elbow.
    • Head banging is generally considered safe, but keep in mind that is can cause injuries if you do it too hard.[6] You can always skip the head bang motion if you have concerns.
  4. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Dab
    You can repeat the dab multiple times on one side or switch sides. If you switch sides, then repeat the same dab movement on the other side with your other arm. For example, if you started by dabbing on your left side, then switch over to your right side.
    • Keep switching back and forth along with the music.
  5. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Dab
    You can do the dab movement with your upper body and move your lower body however you like. You can hop around, walk around, or wiggle your hips.
    • You can also do other moves in between dabs, such as waving your fists in the air or moving your arms from side to side in front of you.[7] Add your own flair and just try to have fun!
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Hitting the Quan

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  1. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Dab
    Hitting the Quan requires lots of movement in your lower body, so squat down a bit to give your legs and hips more room to move. Bend your knees so that you are squatting down a little bit.
    • Keep in mind that you do not have to get really low to the ground to do this dance move. A slight bend in your knees is all you need.
  2. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Dab
    Next, let your arms go a little limp at your sides and then use your shoulders to move your right arm in front of you and your left arm behind you. Then, switch your arms so that your left arm is in front of you and your right arm is behind you.[8]
    • Keep rotating your arms back and forth like this.
    • You can hold your arms up higher or down low.
    • You can also bend your arms slightly at the elbows or keep them out straight.
  3. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Dab
    Next, start to move your hips back and forth in a slow rolling movement. Keep rolling your hips forward and backwards. Try to move your body like a worm.
    • You can also move your abs if you are flexible enough to do so.
    • Some people use a thrusting movement when they hit the quan.[9] Do whatever feels natural to you.
  4. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Dab
    Take baby steps forwards and backwards or move side to side as you continue to wave your arms back and forth and move your hips.[10] You can also do little hops or just stay in one place if you prefer.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Trying the Shmoney

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  1. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Dab
    The Shmoney is a really simple dance and it is great for slower songs. You can do it standing in one place, by yourself, or with a partner. You will need to start by standing with your feet shoulder width apart and bending your knees slightly.
    • You don’t need to get super low to the ground for this dance, but you can if you like. It is up to you.
  2. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Dab
    To generate movement for the shmoney dance, you will need to start rotating and twisting your hips back and forth. Allow your knees to move along with your hips. Move to the music and just relax.[11]
    • Try moving one side twice and then move the other side once to add a little variation. Or, come up with your own pattern to follow.
  3. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Dab
    You can raise your arms over your head or just raise them slightly above your chest. Move your arms however you like as you do the Shmoney.[12]
    • Try swaying your arms back and forth over your head or twist them back and forth in front of you.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    If I break a quadruple dab, how do I stop people from cringing?
    How.com.vn English: Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You don't. You have to live with it for the rest of your life. If you manage to pull of a sextuple dab, however, you will be congratulated.
  • Question
    How do I dab without dropping my fidget spinner?
    How.com.vn English: Cool⚡️KID
    Cool⚡️KID
    Community Answer
    Either put the fidget spinner in your pocket, or hold it tightly in your hand while dabbing.
  • Question
    What if my teacher bans dabbing? Should I dab on her?
    How.com.vn English: Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Weigh the risks and benefits before trying to dab on your anti-dab teacher. Do you think you will be punished, or do you think your protest dabbing might cause her to change her position? Think it over and proceed with caution.
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      Tips

      • Remember that you can combine these moves or alternate to create your own unique dance. For example, try doing shmoney hip moves with the dab arm and head movements.
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      About This Article

      How.com.vn English: How.com.vn Staff
      Co-authored by:
      How.com.vn Staff Writer
      This article was co-authored by How.com.vn Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. How.com.vn's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 401,865 times.
      213 votes - 72%
      Co-authors: 143
      Updated: March 21, 2024
      Views: 401,865
      Categories: Fun Dances
      Article SummaryX

      To dab, bend your left arm at the elbow so your hand is close to your chin while simultaneously holding your right arm straight out to the side and slightly upwards. At the same time, tuck your chin into your elbow, as if you're sneezing. Make sure to keep your hands flat as you dab! Then, switch sides and do the same thing. This dance move has actually been around since the 1990s, when it started showing up in Japanese anime and manga like Dragon Ball Z. The dab surged in popularity across the U.S. starting around 2015, spread first by hop hop artists such as Migos, after which it was adopted as a signature celebration by Carolina Panthers quarterback and NFL MVP Cam Newton in late 2015. Since then soccer players, cricket players, musical artists and even some politicians have used to dab to celebrate their successes and show up their opponents.

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      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 401,865 times.

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