*The “Confuse the Enemy” TikTok dance challenge has reached the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, where four professional dancers joined a trend celebrating Black rhythm and creativity.
TikTok creator Sai launched the dance with his younger brother in a video that has surpassed 3 million views. The choreography mixes elements of the Camden Bop. Black TikTok users embraced the challenge’s playful name, suggesting its unusual rhythms make the moves difficult for less-skilled dancers to imitate.
The Root reports that some white creators have attempted the routine, with results that haven’t impressed everyone watching.
The challenge eventually caught the attention of Alvin Ailey performers Corrin Rachelle Mitchell, Isabel Wallace-Green, Shawn Cusseaux and Ashley Kaylynn Green. The dancers filmed their version backstage before performing Ailey’s celebrated work “Revelations.”
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“Did someone call for us?” the company captioned its video.
Tiara Nock, Ailey’s senior social media manager, told The Root she discovered the challenge on her personal social media feeds and wanted the company involved.
“Mr. Ailey, he created this company to give dance back to the people,” Nock explained.
She described social media as another way to share Black culture beyond traditional theater audiences.
“Social media is giving Ailey an opportunity to provide an experience of dance, an experience of Black culture beyond the walls of the theater. Even if it’s a 30-second trend, being able to put that dance back into the hands of the people who want to see it is really, really awesome,” Nock added.
The moment also recalls the controversy surrounding Jalaiah Harmon, whose “Renegade” choreography spread widely before she received proper recognition. EURweb previously covered Harmon’s subsequent brand partnership.
Unlike earlier dance trends where Black creators struggled for credit, Sai remains central to the conversation surrounding his choreography. With Alvin Ailey dancers joining the challenge, his creation has found an audience that extends from TikTok feeds to one of Black dance’s most respected institutions.
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