20 celebrities who popularized iconic dance moves

Few dance moves created by celebrities are as iconic as the Moonwalk. The difficult move came to the public via the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, who was equally talented at dancing. He made up a few other moves during his career, too.

Michael wasn’t the only Jackson to create some incredible moves. Janet Jackson has left her own imprint on the dance world, popularizing choreography thanks to her music videos for hits like “Rhythm Nation,” “The Pleasure Principle,” and “If.”

Even though he’s not really known for being a great dancer, Drake has popularized some iconic moves. His most notable contribution to the world of dance has been his moves from the “Hotline Bling” video.  

When Shakira dances, her body moves in truly unusual ways. And that is meant as a compliment. The singer and dancer popularized hip rolls and chest circles that many have tried and only a few have successfully done. 

In 2009, everyone was doing the "Single Ladies" dance. After Beyoncé’s iconic music video for the song premiered, the entire country latched onto the accompanying dance. And it was parodied about as much as it was done in earnest. 

Bruno Mars doesn’t have official names for his dance moves, but he’s created plenty. He can move with the best of them, and his hip sways and two-steps are moves that you might not be able to name, but you definitely recognized. 

Madonna is so well-known for her music that many people forget she started her career as a dancer. Madge gave the world the "Vogue" dance move, which doesn’t require much talent to do, but does require plenty of talent to make it look good. 

Back in his time, Elvis Presley was about as controversial as Madonna was in hers. Presley paved the way for people to polarize by making iconic dance moves with his gyrating hips and rubber legs. 

Sometimes it’s the simplest dance moves that make the biggest impact. Psy had the world at his feet the year the "Gangnam Style" dance move went viral. 

James Brown popularized a number of dance moves, many of which are still part of the movement lexicon today. Among his creations were the Mashed Potato, the Funky Chicken, and the Camel Walk. 

Many have tried, but no one can truly imitate Mick Jagger. The rock icon has popularized dance moves of his own creations: Unique hip swivels, high knees, and, of course, his legendary strutting. 

If you’ve ever walked like an Egyptian (and let’s face it, you probably have), you have The Bangles to thank for it. Songwriter Liam Sternberg is credited with the steps themselves, and the band popularized them through their “Walk Like an Egyptian” music video. 

Only the most iconic people have their original dance moves named after them. Tina Turner popularized the Tina Step after debuting it in her video for “Proud Mary.” An absolute legend. 

If there’s anything Usher can do better than he can sing, it’s dance. The R&B superstar is a wildly talented entertainer thanks to his dual talents, and his dance ability has popularized moves like the Air Walk, among others. 

Justin Timberlake’s dance moves are subtle but effective. His dance style mirrors his music, and some of his most popular moves include the Slide-and-Boom and the body rolls from his “Like I Love You” music video. 

MC Hammer is an under-recognized icon. The man deserves all the praise in the world for popularizing the Hammer Time dance. 

The youth of today might not know it, but Ciara is one of the best dancers from her era. She can dance as well as any celebrity, and some of the moves she’s popularized, thanks to her immense talent, include isolations from the “Body” video and the gestures from the “Level Up” video. 

You might not know their name, but you know the dance they created. Cali Swag District is who we have to thank for the iconic Cat Daddy dance.

Another celebrity you might not be super familiar with, DJ Casper, gave us the "Cha Cha Slide." This song and dance live on in American weddings, and everyone can participate thanks to instructions embedded in the lyrics. 

Every kid who grew up in the 2000s knows the iconic dance moves from the “We’re All in This Together” number in High School Musical . Director and choreographer Kenny Ortega created the moves and taught them to Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, and others who popularized them.