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Thriller Dance: History, Moves and Your Own AI Version
By the TrendMe team · Updated
The Thriller dance is the zombie routine from Michael Jackson's 1983 "Thriller" music video, built on stiff shoulders, clawed hands, head snaps and a side-to-side shuffle. It returns to TikTok every fall. On TrendMe you can make your own Thriller-style dance video from one full-body photo, then add the official song inside TikTok or Instagram.
The Thriller dance is one of the few dance routines almost everyone recognizes in two seconds: a line of zombies, shoulders locked, hands clawed, moving in eerie unison. It comes back on TikTok every October, and increasingly year-round as a remix format.
Where the Thriller dance comes from
The dance comes from the music video for Michael Jackson's "Thriller", released in December 1983 and directed by John Landis. The choreography, created by Michael Peters with Jackson, turned a horror-movie parody into a full dance number with Jackson leading a crowd of zombies. The video became one of the most famous music videos ever made, and the routine has been copied at weddings, flash mobs and school events for decades.
The moves people copy
You don't need the full routine for a TikTok. Most clips use three or four signature moves:
- The zombie shoulders: shoulders raised and locked, arms hanging, walking stiffly toward the camera.
- Claw hands: hands up beside the face, fingers curled like claws, swiped to one side on the beat.
- Head snaps: quick head turns left and right with a blank stare.
- The side shuffle: a shuffling step to one side with hips and shoulders moving together.
The joke in most modern versions is contrast: someone in everyday clothes, in a kitchen or an office, suddenly committing to full zombie energy.
How to make your own Thriller dance video with AI
- Open the Thriller Dance trend on TrendMe.
- Upload one full-body photo: standing, arms visible, even light. For a group version, everyone should be fully in frame.
- Pick a direction: a midnight alley, a living room "haunt", or a group shuffle.
- Choose 8 seconds (10 credits) or 15 seconds (20 credits) and generate.
- Download the vertical MP4 and add the official "Thriller" sound inside TikTok or Instagram when you post.
The AI animates a Thriller-style performance from your photo. It is inspired by the zombie choreography rather than a frame-by-frame copy, and it never uses anyone else's face.
Ideas that stand out
- The office zombie: start at your desk, then turn to the camera and break into the claw hands.
- The pet zombie squad: a dog or cat leading the shuffle is instant contrast.
- Grandparents' night out: an older relative doing perfect head snaps is the kind of clip people share.
Post it with #thrillerdance and, in October, #halloween. Turn on the AI label: here's how to label AI videos.
Read next: how to make an AI dance video from one photo.
Frequently asked questions
- Who choreographed the Thriller dance?
- The routine was choreographed by Michael Peters together with Michael Jackson for the 1983 music video, which was directed by John Landis.
- What movie has Jennifer Garner doing the Thriller dance?
- 13 Going on 30 (2004). Her character starts the Thriller routine at a party, which is one reason the dance keeps coming back as a meme.
- How long does it take to learn the Thriller dance?
- The full group routine takes most people a few practice sessions. If you only want a short clip for TikTok, an 8-second AI version from one photo takes a few minutes.
- Can I use the Thriller song in my video?
- Add it inside TikTok or Instagram from their licensed music library when you post. TrendMe videos come with AI-generated sound, not the original recording.
- Does it work with a group photo?
- Yes. Use a photo where everyone is fully visible and pick the group direction on the Thriller Dance trend page.