The kid behind the viral boat race dance has revealed that his now-legendary moves were spontaneous.
In a new interview with BBC Indonesia, Rayyan Arkan Dikha explained the origin of the dance that’s spread like wildfire across the internet.
“I came up with the dance myself,” he said. “It was just spontaneous. Every time my friends see me, they say, ‘You’re viral.’”
Dikha is a fifth grader from a village in Kuantan Singingi Regency. The viral video comes from an annual event in his province called Pacu Jalur, which means something akin to "boat race." He was a Togak Luan, meaning that his role was to motivate the boat’s rowers.
Standing at the head of a boat while wearing black sunglasses, he blew kisses to the audience and began doing the dance that the world has come to love.
The dance's popularity comes in large part from the fact that it's easy to do. First, you extend an arm forward while your other hand is down in a sweeping motion. Next, you spin both fists like wheels while transitioning from left to right. Another move involves extending an arm forward while pointing the other one backwards.
In the time since the clip has gone viral for being considered the perfect example of “aura farming,” the dance has been copied worldwide — especially on TikTok. Celebrities have even put their spin on the move, with NFL player and Taylor Swift boyfriend Travis Kelce and F1 driver Alex Albon joining in.
In his interview with BBC Indonesia, Dikha gave some advice for anyone interested in following in his footsteps.
"Stay healthy, friends, so you can be like me,” he said.
