How to Do the Floss Dance

The floss dance first went viral after 15 year-old Russell Horning, also known as Backpack Kid, performed it on Saturday Night Live, and now it’s even featured on the wildly popular video game Fortnite. Meant to look like you’re literally flossing, the dance involves swinging your hips and arms in opposite directions at a super fast pace. Practice it at home, then hit the dance floor to show off your new moves.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Mastering the Move

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1
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hands fisted at your sides. Face the front of the room and square your shoulders. Keeping your hands in fists makes it look like you’re holding a large piece of floss.^{[1]XResearch source}
- Keep your knees slightly bent. This helps you stay loose, so you can move around easier.
2
Sweep your arms to the left, with your left arm in front and your right one behind your body. Keep your arms straight and your hands fisted as you do this. Sweep your arms in one fluid motion across your body.^{[2]XResearch source}
- You can start with your arms out to the right before swinging them to the left for a more dramatic movement.
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3
Push your hips to the right while swinging your arms up to the left. As your arms sweep out to the side, swing your hips through them to the right. Do this in one fluid motion, so your arms and hips cross in the center and then continue swinging in opposite directions.^{[3]XResearch source}
- Your hands can come out to about halfway between the side of your body and shoulder-height. Think of your arms forming a 45 degree angle with your shoulders.
- Your hips should only move side to side in the floss dance. Don’t push them forwards or backwards.
- Push your hips as far out as you'd like. The closer you keep them to the center, the faster you can go. But the further out you jut them, the more dramatic the movement is.
Need Extra Help Learning the Dance?
Watch free video tutorials online that show you how to do the floss dance step by step.
Browse videos on Instagram or Twitter of other people doing the dance and try to imitate them.
Ask your friends to teach you.
4
Pull both arms back to the right and swing your hips through. This is the same motion that you just did, but going in the other direction. Your hips will now be back to their original position and your arms will be slightly to the right.^{[4]XResearch source}
- Keep your left hand in front of your body and your right hand behind it as you move your body back through them.
5
Sweep both arms down in front of your body to the left. Your arms should stay straight, with your hands in fists. This motion gets you in position to repeat the swinging move on the other side.^{[5]XResearch source}
- Think about drawing a half circle with your fists as you move your arms to the left. Keep them close to your body, so they almost brush your hips.
6
Swing your arms to the right with the right one in front of your body and the left behind you, while pushing your hips to the left. You're doing the same movement that you did before, but going in the other direction. This time, your right arm will go in front of your body and your left arm will go behind.^{[6]XResearch source}
- You can swing your arms and hips as far out to either side as you’d like.
- Imagine your hands are holding floss and your body is the gap in your teeth that you’re pushing the floss between.
7
Repeat swinging your hips and arms, increasing speed. The entire dance is simply moving your hips and arms to each side. Once you’ve learned that motion, practice speeding it up. The faster you can do it, the better it looks!^{[7]XResearch source}
- It requires a lot of coordination, so be persistent and patient with yourself if you’re struggling.
- Start with small movements, and work your way up to larger, more dramatic motions, like pushing your hips out further, for instance.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Performing the Dance

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1
Play fast-paced music to help you keep the beat. The floss dance has a lot of sharp, fast movements, and it’s important to stay in a rhythm for the dance to look right. Turn on upbeat music with defined beats, like techno, dubstep, or pop, that will act as a metronome for your moves.
- The original floss dance was performed to “Swish Swish” by Katy Perry. Listen to that song, then find songs with similar beats and rhythms.
- Check out dance playlists on Spotify or browse popular charts, like Billboard, to get inspiration for new tunes.^{[8]XResearch source}
2
Dress up like a Fortnite player if you want to get into character. Since Fortnite helped popularize the floss dance, it only makes sense to dress up like the players when you do the dance. Pick any character, whether it’s Skull Trooper, Brite Bomber, or Cuddle Team Leader, and slip into that “skin’s” costume.^{[9]XResearch source}
- Find Fortnite costumes at a Halloween store or online retailer, or make your own at home.
- For example, to dress like the Bandolier or the Tower Recon Specialist, wear camouflage cargo pants, a tank top, and combat-style boots.
- Have each of your friends dress up as a different character to perform the dance as a group.
3
Do the floss dance at parties once you feel confident enough. After practicing for hours in front of your mirror, you’re ready to show off in front of your friends. When a fast song comes on at a party, or if there’s a dance-off, break out your floss dancing skills to impress everyone.
- Ask your friends to record you doing the dance. Upload it to Instagram or YouTube, and maybe you’ll go viral!

Community Q&A

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Question
What if I still can't do it?
Community Answer
Slow it down, and maybe ask someone who can do the floss to help you, as sometimes watching someone in real life can be very helpful. Ask them to do it very slowly so you can see exactly what they're doing.
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Question
Can I still floss if I don't play Fortnite?
Community Answer
Yes. Most of the people in my class don't play Fortnite, but they still do the dance because it's fun.
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Question
If I do it wrong, will people hate me?
Community Answer
They shouldn't, no. It's just a silly dance. If people "hate" you for doing it wrong, they are not worth your time.
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