# Kakalika Dance AI: Do the Kakalika Trend From One Photo > The Kakalika dance is the TikTok dance challenge to "Kakalika" by the Ghanaian duo DopeNation: bouncy steps, big side kicks, a lean far back and a point at the sky. Canonical: https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/kakalika-dance-ai-trend Updated: 2026-11-11 Published: 2026-11-11 Author: MakeViral Team (https://www.makeviral.ai/about) Publisher: MakeViral (https://www.makeviral.ai) The **Kakalika dance** is the TikTok dance challenge to "Kakalika" by the Ghanaian duo DopeNation: bouncy steps, big side kicks, a lean far back and a point at the sky. From one photo, MakeViral plays the whole routine with you in your own place, or puts your pet into the trend's dance reel. No dance lessons needed. Bouncy steps, big side kicks, a far lean back and a finger to the sky: the viral dance to DopeNation's "Kakalika". Add one photo of you or your pet and get the whole dance with the song. Also called: DopeNation Kakalika dance, Ghana Kakalika dance, Kakalika kalika dance. **Make it now:** [Make this video](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/kakalika-dance-ai-trend/create). 1 photo · 24 s · 9:16 with sound · 97 credits, charged once · ready in a few minutes · no prompt to write. Keyword: kakalika dance. Also answers: kakalika dance trend, kakalika dance challenge, kakalika trend, kakalika challenge, kakalika dance tiktok, kakalika song, dopenation kakalika, kakalika meaning, kakalika dance ai, kakalika ai video, kakalika tiktok, kakalika dance steps, kakalika dance tutorial, kakalika dance moves, kakalika choreography, kakalika dance ghana, kakalika dog, kakalika cockroach, kakalika meme, kakalika dance meme, kakalika original dance, kakalika dance origin, kakalika dance song, kakalika dance video, kakalika dance challenge tiktok, kakalika dope nation, kakalika dance ai trend, kalika dance. ## What is the Kakalika Dance trend, and where did it start? "Kakalika" is a song by DopeNation (also spelled Dope Nation), the Ghanaian twin duo, and its official video came out on 5 November 2025. The title is Ghanaian slang for a cockroach, which is the Kakalika meaning most people search for. The Kakalika dance, also spelled Kalika dance, spread on TikTok in January 2026: the creators credit @TooRisky07, @Fidelis and @chrissy.com for the Kakalika choreography. @emily.112056 posted it on 10 January (2.0 million views) and @miss1_2step with a group on 20 January (5.9 million views). The Kakalika dance trend kept growing all year. A solo take by @besishalilaj on 13 February reached 14.9 million views and 1.36 million likes, AI creators made a dancing cockroach in sneakers in March, and a dance battle crew performed it on stage in September (11 million views). Many people film it alone with the phone low on the ground, so the kicks and the baggy trousers look huge: @aimee.alwright's take of 23 June, the one this template copies, had 2.3 million views by 10 November. On that day #kakalika had 55,702 TikTok videos and 884 million views. In early November 2026, AI video sites added Kakalika dance AI templates. ### Kakalika Dance trend timeline - **2025-11-05**: DopeNation release the official video for "Kakalika". Source: [3Music](https://www.3music.tv/section/news/article/dopenation-unleashes-visuals-for-their-new-anthem-kakalika-2025-11-05). - **2026-01-20**: @miss1_2step posts the dance with a group; the reel has 5.9 million views by 10 November 2026. Source: [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@miss1_2step/video/7597530546591354134). - **2026-02-13**: A solo Kakalika take by @besishalilaj reaches 14.9 million views and 1.36 million likes by 10 November 2026. Source: [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@besishalilaj/video/7606456495290584342). - **2026-06-23**: @aimee.alwright dances it alone in a square, filmed from a phone on the ground; the take has 2.3 million views by 10 November 2026. Source: [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@aimee.alwright/video/7654627749008592150). - **2026-09-18**: A dance battle round to "Kakalika" posted by @afrodance.1 gets 11 million views. Source: [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@afrodance.1/video/7686951455399480609). - **2026-11-10**: #kakalika has 55,702 TikTok videos and 884 million views, and #kakalikadance 6,474 videos and 86.4 million views. ## What the Kakalika Dance video looks like This is the creator's own Kakalika reel. Human plays these moves with the person from your photo, in your photo's place, and Pet puts your pet into this reel itself. No two runs come out the same. - **Example 1** (25 s, 9:16 MP4 with sound): The original reel by @aimee.alwright: one unbroken take from a phone on the ground, as she does the Kakalika dance alone in a square under a blue sky, with bouncy steps, side kicks, a lean back and a point at the sky, then walks up to the camera. Human copies these moves, and Pet puts your pet into this reel. - Video: https://www.makeviral.ai/media/templates/kakalika-dance-ai-trend/original-main-v2.mp4 - Poster: https://www.makeviral.ai/media/templates/kakalika-dance-ai-trend/original-main-v1.jpg ## How to make the Kakalika Dance video on MakeViral Everything runs in the browser. No editing app, no watermark. ### The one-tap way (no prompt to write) 1. **Add your photo.** Press "Make yours" and add you, head to toes. Take it with the camera or pick it from your library. Start here: https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/kakalika-dance-ai-trend/create 2. **Press Generate.** The button shows the price. Kling 3.0 Motion Control takes the moves of the Kakalika dance clip and plays them with the one in your photo, in your photo's own scene, for about 24 seconds, with the reel's original sound. You write no prompt. 3. **Download or share.** The video is ready in a few minutes as a 9:16 MP4. Download it, share it from your phone, or find it later in My videos. ### The by-hand way, with the exact prompts The one-tap flow runs this prompt for you. The video prompt animates your own photo directly. To change it, copy it and edit it in AI Video. #### Variant: Human Settings: 1 photo (you, head to toes) · kling-3-motion · 24 s · 720p · 9:16 · no sound · 97 credits in one tap. 1. The video prompt is filled in. Settings: kling-3-motion, 24 s, 720p, 9:16, sound off. The video prompt: ```text Use the reference image as the sole character identity reference and the reference video as the motion reference. WHO IS WHO: THE DANCER, the person from the reference image, is the only figure on screen, the figure in every frame, in the place from the reference image. Preserve THE DANCER's exact identity (face, hair, skin, eyewear and clothing) exactly as in the reference image; THE DANCER keeps their own head, hairline, hairstyle, facial hair, build and outfit, and a hat, headphones or glasses appear only if the reference image shows them. From the reference video take ONLY the PERFORMANCE: every step, kick, lean, arm move and hand move, at full size, at exactly the same moments. One unbroken take, a fixed camera that never moves, with NO CUTS. Keep the entire body visible from head to shoes, with enough space around both hands and feet for the big side kicks. Natural balance and stable ground contact. FACE: there are no words and nobody sings; the mouth never makes talking or singing movements. A confident, happy face for the whole take, chin up, in a relaxed smile with the lips sometimes parted. Avoid: a hat, headphones or glasses that are not in THE DANCER's photo, a change of clothes, camera movement, cuts or jump cuts, talking or singing mouth movements, extra people, text, captions, subtitles, logos, watermarks, extra limbs, morphing, facial distortion. No white crop top, no wide black tracksuit bottoms and no long light brown hair unless the reference image shows them. ``` 2. Press Generate, then download the 9:16 MP4. One-tap version of this variant: https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/kakalika-dance-ai-trend/create #### Variant: Pet Settings: 1 photo (your pet, whole body) · Seedance 2.5 · 15 s · 720p · 9:16 · no sound · 228 credits in one tap. 1. The video prompt is filled in. Settings: Seedance 2.5, 15 s, 720p, 9:16, sound off. The video prompt: ```text Recreate the reference video [Video 1] shot for shot: the same paved square in front of a tall grey glass apartment building with balconies, the small tree and the hedge on the left, the blue sky with white clouds, the same daylight. THE TAKE: one unbroken shot from a phone resting low on the ground and looking up, a fixed camera that never moves, with NO CUTS, the same framing, timing and dance moves. The ONLY change: the dancer who dances alone in the middle of the square is now the pet in [Image 1]. WHO IS WHO: THE DANCER = the pet in [Image 1], whole body, in every frame, the only figure on screen: the same species and breed, head shape, muzzle, eyes, ears, fur colors, fur length, markings and body shape as in [Image 1], with the natural body volume and proportions of that animal: never flattened, squashed, stretched or merged with anything, so its owner instantly recognizes it. It stands upright on its hind legs like a person the whole time. Never drift back to the dancer of the original video: NO human body, no human face, no long hair, no white top and no black trousers. If [Image 1] shows a cat or another animal, that animal dances in the same place with the same moves. From [Video 1] take ONLY the PERFORMANCE: every step, kick, lean, arm move and hand move, at full size, at exactly the same moments, done with the pet's own legs and paws. Matching the reference second by second: 0-2.5 s: bouncy steps on the spot, the front legs held out to the sides, chin up. 2.5-3 s: one hind leg kicks out to the side. 4-5.5 s: a high side kick, then it turns side-on and leans far back, and comes upright again. 5.5-10 s: bouncy steps facing the camera, the front paws at chest height, then up near the head. 10-12.5 s: front paws on the hips, the hips rocking. 12.5-15 s: wide lunging steps with the front legs spread, and one more kick out to the side. FACE: there are no words and nobody sings; the mouth never makes talking or singing movements. A confident, happy face for the whole take, chin up. Anatomy rules: one head only, one tail. Two hind legs on the ground and two furry front legs ending in round paws covered in its own fur, never human hands, no bare skin, no fingers, no extra legs or paws. No dialogue throughout the entire video. No background music. Avoid: a human chest, shoulders, waist or arms, bare skin or fingers on an animal, a hat, headphones or glasses that are not in the pet's photo, camera movement, cuts or jump cuts, talking or singing mouth movements, extra people, any animal other than THE DANCER, text, captions, subtitles, logos, watermarks, extra limbs, morphing. ``` 2. Press Generate, then download the 9:16 MP4. One-tap version of this variant: https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/kakalika-dance-ai-trend/create?variant=pet ### Which photo works best? You need **one photo**: of yourself for Human, of your pet for Pet. - **Human:** stand up, with your whole body in view from head to shoes, the face turned to the camera and your arms away from your body. The video keeps the place and the frame of your photo, so a vertical photo with some room around you works best: the kicks need room. - Your clothes stay. Wide baggy trousers or tracksuit bottoms give the trend's look, because the kicks make them swing. No sunglasses, no hat that hides the face, no beauty filter, and nobody else in the photo. - **Pet:** a sharp photo with the whole animal in view and the face clear. Fur colors and markings come from the photo. - Use a photo of yourself, of an adult who agreed, or of your own pet. Never a celebrity or a stranger. ## How many credits does it cost? You pay per video in credits, and the create page shows the exact price on the Generate button before you spend anything. The one-tap price covers the scene photo and the video, charged once. The cheaper models are there if you run the prompts by hand in AI Video. | Video model | Settings | Credits | | --- | --- | --- | | Kling 3.0 Motion Control (this template) | 24 s, 720p, copies the moves of the trend clip, one tap | 97 | Credits come with a plan; see [pricing](https://www.makeviral.ai/pricing). A failed video gives its credits back. ## What happens in the Kakalika dance TikTok video? The Kakalika dance is one unbroken take with a camera that never moves. These are the Kakalika dance steps your video plays: | Part | What you or your pet do | |---|---| | The groove | Bouncy steps on the spot, the arms out to the sides, the chin up. | | The kicks | Big kicks out to the side between the steps, so the trousers swing. | | The lean | A turn side-on and a lean far back, then upright again. | | The hands | Hands at the chest, near the head and on the hips, the hips rocking. | | The finish | Both index fingers point up at the sky. | **Human:** the moves of the trend's solo take, about 24 seconds, with the person from your photo in your photo's own place, at 720p in your photo's frame. It copies the dance moves, not the dancer's look: your face, hair and clothes stay. **Pet:** your pet stands up on its hind legs in the trend's own reel, on the same paved square under a blue sky, filmed from the same low phone, and dances the steps, the kicks and the lean back. 15 seconds, vertical 9:16 at 720p. It can take up to several minutes. Both come with the Kakalika song, put back on after the run. Press "Create your own" and pick Human or Pet; the exact price shows on the Generate button before you spend anything. Every run is a new take, so results differ. ## Who should do the Kakalika dance challenge? The Kakalika challenge works best with someone you would never expect to dance it. These casts fit: - **You.** The classic: you in your street, your garden or your living room, kicking like the TikTok dancers. - **Your dog.** A Kakalika dog standing up and kicking on a city square is the twist people share. - **Your cat.** A cat on its hind legs doing a lean back is even less expected. - **A friend or your partner.** With their OK, for a birthday or a running joke. **Caption ideas** from the Kakalika meme posts: "Kakalika virus got me too", "When the Kakalika song comes on", "My dog learned the Kakalika dance before me", "Kakalika means cockroach and I still dance it". Or write your own. Want more dance trends? The [Toc Toc dance](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/toc-toc-dance-ai-trend) has hops and knocks, and [Gangnam Style](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/gangnam-style-ai-dance) the horse dance. ## Which sound and hashtags should you post it with? Your clip comes with the Kakalika song by DopeNation, the same part of it that the original reel is cut to, so it is ready to post. You can turn the song off on the result screen and add the TikTok sound when you post instead. The song belongs to its owners, and MakeViral gives you no rights to it. Music rules differ from platform to platform, so check them before you use the clip in an ad or a paid post. **Hashtags:** #kakalika is the big one, with 55,702 TikTok videos and 884 million views on 10 November 2026, then #kakalikadance (6,474 videos, 86.4 million views) and #kakalikachallenge (431 videos). The same tags work on Instagram Reels. Keep the platform's AI label on. ## What goes wrong, and how do you fix it? | Problem | Fix | |---|---| | The face looks less like you (Human) | Use a sharp photo with the face turned to the camera and good light, then run it again. | | A white top, black wide trousers or long light brown hair show up (Human) | The dancer in the trend clip wears them. The prompt bans them unless your photo has them; run it again. | | The feet or the kicks leave the frame (Human) | Use a photo with room around you, head to shoes in view. A tight crop gives the kicks no room. | | The hands blur or get extra fingers | Common in fast moves. A second run comes out different. | | A paw looks like a hand (Pet) | The prompt asks for real furry paws. Run it again, ideally with a photo where the paws are in view. | | Your pet looks stiff on its hind legs (Pet) | Common with long-bodied pets. Run it again; a dog or a cat photo from the front works best. | | The video model refuses the photo | Some photos get refused. The credits come back; try another photo. | ## Kakalika Dance trend questions ### What is the Kakalika dance trend? It is a TikTok dance challenge to the song "Kakalika" by the Ghanaian duo DopeNation. It took off in January 2026: bouncy steps, big side kicks, a lean far back and a point at the sky, often filmed alone with the phone low on the ground. By 10 November 2026, #kakalika had 55,702 TikTok videos and 884 million views. ### What does Kakalika mean? Kakalika is Ghanaian slang for a cockroach. In the song it stands for something small that keeps going whatever happens, which is why AI creators made a Kakalika cockroach that dances in sneakers. The dance itself has nothing to do with insects. ### What is the origin of the Kakalika dance and the song? The song is by DopeNation, the twin duo from Ghana; the official video came out on 5 November 2025. For the Kakalika original dance, the creators credit @TooRisky07, @Fidelis and @chrissy.com in their captions. The early big reels were @emily.112056 (10 January 2026) and @miss1_2step (20 January 2026, 5.9 million views). ### How do I make the Kakalika dance AI video? Press "Create your own", pick Human or Pet, and add one clear photo of yourself or your pet. Press Generate; the button shows the price first. You get a Kakalika AI video of about 24 seconds (Human) or 15 seconds (Pet) with the song. You write no prompt, and the video waits in My videos when it is ready. ### Do I have to learn the Kakalika dance steps? No. You do not need a Kakalika dance tutorial: the Kakalika dance AI plays the moves for you from one photo, the steps, the kicks, the lean back and the finish, so you never film yourself. ### Can my dog or cat do the Kakalika dance? Yes. Pick Pet. Your pet stands up on its hind legs in the trend's own dance reel, on a city square under a blue sky, and does the steps, the kicks and the lean back. A Kakalika dog is the classic, and cats work too. Use a sharp photo with the whole animal in view. ### Where does the background of my video come from? Human keeps the place from your photo: it takes only the moves of the dance clip, so your own street, garden or room stays. Pet keeps the square of the original reel, because your pet goes into that reel itself. ### Will the dancer from the original reel be in my video? No. Human takes only the moves of the dance and plays them with the person in your photo, in your photo's place. Pet replaces the dancer with your pet. Use a photo of yourself or of an adult who agreed, never a celebrity or a stranger. ### Is the Kakalika song in the video? Yes. The Kakalika song goes back on after the run, the same part of it the original reel uses, and you can turn it off on the result screen. The song belongs to its owners, and MakeViral gives you no rights to it. ### Which AI models make the videos? The best AI video models available, including Seedance 2.5. Human copies the moves of the trend's dance clip onto the person in your photo, in your photo's own place. Pet puts your pet into the trend's dance reel itself and can take up to several minutes. ### What prompt does the Kakalika dance AI trend use? No creator of the trend shared a prompt. Both versions here use the words of a published Kakalika dance template prompt (one dancer, one unbroken take, a fixed camera, only the moves copied), changed for our models, plus a few lines that keep your own look. You write no prompt yourself. ### How long is the video and what format is it? Human makes about 24 seconds at 720p in the frame of your photo, so a vertical photo gives a vertical 9:16 clip. Pet makes 15 seconds, vertical 9:16 at 720p. Both are MP4 files with the song, with no watermark. ## Other AI video templates and tools - [Toc Toc Dance AI: Do the Viral Jean Phil Dance From One Photo](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/toc-toc-dance-ai-trend): One-foot hops with a knee up, a fist that knocks on an invisible door, kicks and a wide-arm finish, all on the toc toc beat. Add a photo of you, of you and a friend, or of your pet, and get the dance with the sound. - [Gangnam Style Dance AI: Put Your Face in the Viral Trio Reel](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/gangnam-style-ai-dance): Three friends, one selfie camera, a sunset street in Seoul: the 2026 Gangnam Style trend, where each friend gets a solo to the chorus. Add one photo to take the middle, or bring one or two friends. - [Bad Times AI Trend: Argue With the Camera From One Photo](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/bad-times-ai-trend): Hands on the head, a hand on the hip, stop palms and a long stare at whoever is filming: the viral routine to Imael Angel's "Bad Times". Add one photo of you or your pet and get the clip with the song. - [AI TikTok Video](https://www.makeviral.ai/tools/ai-tiktok-video-generator): Eight native TikTok formats, one prompt or product URL, a finished 9:16 video with captions burned in. - [AI Reels](https://www.makeviral.ai/tools/ai-reels-generator): Pick a format, give it a topic or a product link, and get a finished vertical reel with voice and captions. Nothing to film, nothing to edit. - [AI photo generator](https://www.makeviral.ai/ai-photo-generator) - [All AI video templates](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates) ## New AI video trends this week - [Tiger Fight AI: Beat the Tiger on CCTV](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/cctv-tiger-fight-ai-trend): A security camera on a forest path. A tiger leaps out of the bushes, and you fight it and pin it to the ground. Add one photo of yourself or your pet, and the trend's phonk sound comes with it. - [The Office Parkour AI Trend: You Shout "Parkour!" in the Office](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/the-office-parkour-ai-trend): Dive over the couch, land upside down and shout "Parkour!" into the camera, then jump off the reception counter while the crew leaps over the desks. The whole office parkour scene, 24 seconds, with its own shouts. - [Huell Money AI: The Breaking Bad Money Pile Scene, Starring You](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/huell-money-ai-trend): A storage unit, a bed-size pile of cash, and you fall back onto it with your eyes closed while your friend tells you to quit it. Then they give in and lie down next to you. With the scene's own lines. - [Peaky Blinders Explosion Scene, Starring You](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/peaky-blinders-explosion-ai-trend): A flat cap, a long black overcoat, a match at your lips. The red-brick manor blows up behind you and you walk slowly toward the camera through the smoke, never looking back. One photo, 15 seconds, with the clip's song. - [Mbappe Run vs Argentina AI: The Mbappe Sprint, Starring You](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/mbappe-sprint-ai-trend): A sunny pitch, one long sprint with the ball, a defender in a striped shirt crashing into you, and you sitting on the grass complaining while the commentator shouts "It's a penalty!". In your own clothes. It is an AI video, not real match footage. - [Perfume Transition AI Trend: Spray, Flame, Gangster Look](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/perfume-transition-ai-trend): Sniff the perfume, spray it at the camera, and a lighter turns the spray into a fireball. Add one photo, and you or your pet step out of the flame in a flat cap, dark sunglasses and a long magenta coat, with the trend's song. ## Make your own Kakalika Dance video Add one photo and press Generate. No prompt to write. 97 credits, charged once. [Make this video](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/kakalika-dance-ai-trend/create)