# Smooth Criminal Dance AI: The Viral Routine From One Photo > The Smooth Criminal dance is a short TikTok routine to a remix of Michael Jackson's 1988 hit: a flick at the hat brim, sharp arm swings, side glides, kicks and spins, done solo or with a friend. Canonical: https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/smooth-criminal-dance-ai-trend Updated: 2026-11-01 Published: 2026-11-01 Author: MakeViral Team (https://www.makeviral.ai/about) Publisher: MakeViral (https://www.makeviral.ai) The **Smooth Criminal dance** is a short TikTok routine to a remix of Michael Jackson's 1988 hit: a flick at the hat brim, sharp arm swings, side glides, kicks and spins, done solo or with a friend. Add one photo of you or your pet, or two photos for a duo, and MakeViral puts you into a real take of it. Arm swings, a flick at the hat brim, side glides, kicks and spins: the Smooth Criminal dance challenge is all over TikTok. Add one photo for Solo or Pet, or two for Duo, and skip the rehearsal. Also called: MJ Smooth Criminal challenge, Smooth Criminal remix dance, Smooth Criminal duo challenge. **Make it now:** [Make this video](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/smooth-criminal-dance-ai-trend/create). 1 photo · 15 s · 9:16 with sound · 60 credits, charged once · ready in a few minutes · no prompt to write. Keyword: smooth criminal dance. Also answers: smooth criminal dance challenge, smooth criminal trend, smooth criminal dance trend, smooth criminal lean, smooth criminal dance tutorial, smooth criminal dance moves, smooth criminal tiktok dance, michael jackson smooth criminal dance, smooth criminal ai, smooth criminal ai dance, smooth criminal challenge, smooth criminal dance lean, smooth criminal dance tiktok, smooth criminal tiktok trend, smooth criminal dance video, smooth criminal dance routine, smooth criminal dance choreography, smooth criminal dance easy, smooth criminal remix dance trend, smooth criminal dance remix, michael jackson smooth criminal trend, smooth criminal ai trend, smooth criminal ai video, smooth criminal dance ai, michael jackson smooth criminal ai dance, smooth criminal dance costume, smooth criminal lean forward, smooth criminal lean meme, smooth criminal tiktok dance tutorial, smooth criminal dog, mj dance trend. ## What is the Smooth Criminal Dance trend, and where did it start? "Smooth Criminal" is Michael Jackson's 1988 single from *Bad*. Its film in *Moonwalker* made the fedora, the white suit and the famous forward lean, the **smooth criminal lean**, part of pop culture. The TikTok routine is not the Michael Jackson Smooth Criminal dance of that film, and it came much later. The dancer @charliewakey_ posted his own "Smooth Criminal" choreography on 12 July 2025. In June 2026 the Canadian dancer @carlowrush, who also started the Billie Jean dance trend that summer, posted his takes on 3 and 10 June; they had 5.1 and 4.5 million views by 31 October. Dancers copied it with "dc: @carlowrush" in the caption, and tutorials slowed it down and mirrored it. In August the **smooth criminal trend** turned into a duo and friends challenge: @larosi.222 posted a duo take on 16 August (5.2 million views), @isabel_jasmine one on 18 August (2.9 million), and a friend group, @thesixpack.sl, one on 6 September (2.2 million). @carlowrush and Ryan Hoffmann followed on 13 September (4.2 million). AI accounts made pet versions, and on 31 October takes were still going up every day. ### Smooth Criminal Dance trend timeline - **1988**: Michael Jackson releases "Smooth Criminal" as a single from the album Bad; its film segment in Moonwalker shows the famous forward lean. Source: [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smooth_Criminal). - **2025-07-12**: The dancer @charliewakey_ posts "Smooth Criminal 👑 Choreo by me" on TikTok; it has 338,500 views by 31 October 2026. Source: [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@charliewakey_/video/7526230730494496022). - **2026-06-10**: @carlowrush posts "SMOOTH CRIMINAL", his second take in a week; it has 4.5 million views by 31 October, and copies credit him with "dc: @carlowrush". Source: [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@carlowrush/video/7649845486970506514). - **2026-08-16**: @larosi.222 posts a duo take on a path in front of the trees; it has 5.2 million views and 77,700 likes by 31 October. Source: [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@larosi.222/video/7674669978695617825). - **2026-09-13**: @carlowrush and Ryan Hoffmann post their duo take at night; it has 4.2 million views and 734,600 likes by 31 October. Source: [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@carlowrush/video/7685102640497184018). - **2026-09-30**: @austintaylorrrr posts a solo take in a Los Angeles parking garage with "dc @carlowrush"; it has 247,100 views and 48,500 likes by 31 October. Source: [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@austintaylorrrr/video/7691194449132801300). ## What the Smooth Criminal Dance video looks like The first two clips are real dancers' own reels, credited to them: your video takes their moves and puts your face and body in, never theirs. The pet clip is AI-made. - **Example 1** (15 s, 9:16 MP4 with sound): The original reel by @larosi.222: two dancers do the routine in sync on a path in front of the trees, on the Smooth Criminal remix. Duo copies this reel. - Video: https://www.makeviral.ai/media/templates/smooth-criminal-dance-ai-trend/original-duo-v2.mp4 - Poster: https://www.makeviral.ai/media/templates/smooth-criminal-dance-ai-trend/original-duo-v1.jpg - **Example 2** (15 s, 9:16 MP4 with sound): The original reel by @austintaylorrrr: one dancer does the routine in a parking garage, filmed from the floor. Solo copies its moves. - Video: https://www.makeviral.ai/media/templates/smooth-criminal-dance-ai-trend/original-main-v2.mp4 - Poster: https://www.makeviral.ai/media/templates/smooth-criminal-dance-ai-trend/original-main-v1.jpg - **Example 3** (15 s, 9:16 MP4 with sound): The original reel by @armasdogworld: an AI-made chihuahua in a black fedora tilts its hat, tosses it and dances next to a kitten. Pet copies this reel. - Video: https://www.makeviral.ai/media/templates/smooth-criminal-dance-ai-trend/original-pet-v2.mp4 - Poster: https://www.makeviral.ai/media/templates/smooth-criminal-dance-ai-trend/original-pet-v1.jpg ## How to make the Smooth Criminal 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, standing. Take it with the camera or pick it from your library. Start here: https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/smooth-criminal-dance-ai-trend/create 2. **Press Generate.** The button shows the price. Kling 3.0 Motion Control takes the moves of the Smooth Criminal Dance clip and plays them with the one in your photo, in your photo's own scene, for about 15 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: Solo Settings: 1 photo (you, standing) · kling-3-motion · 15 s · 720p · 9:16 · no sound · 60 credits in one tap. 1. The video prompt is filled in. Settings: kling-3-motion, 15 s, 720p, 9:16, sound off. The video prompt: ```text Track the exact camera movement, framing, facial expressions, and body movements from the video. Keep the face, hairstyle, body, clothing, and overall appearance exactly the same as in the reference image, with no changes or distortion. The performer is the person from the reference image instead of the man in the video, standing upright in the place from the reference image. Keep every move of the dance routine in time with the beat: the hat-brim tilt, the side glide, the kick and the spin, from the first count to the final pose. Output in 9:16 vertical format. The person keeps natural human anatomy: two arms and two hands with five fingers each, two legs, no extra limbs, even in the fast spins and kicks. No cuts, no text, no captions or labels on screen. No light gray cap, no white T-shirt and no baggy light blue jeans unless the reference image shows them. Exactly one person, no extra people. ``` 2. Press Generate, then download the 9:16 MP4. One-tap version of this variant: https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/smooth-criminal-dance-ai-trend/create #### Variant: Duo Settings: 2 photos (you (18+), on the left + your friend (18+), on the right) · 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 path in front of a row of green trees under a blue sky, the same low fixed phone camera that films both dancers' whole bodies from the front, the same framing, timing and dance moves, one continuous take with no cuts. The ONLY change: the dancer on the LEFT is now the person in [Image 1], and the dancer on the RIGHT is now the person in [Image 2]. Use [Image 1] as adult Person A, on the left, and [Image 2] as adult Person B, on the right. Keep each person's face, hairstyle, outfit and body proportions consistent; do not swap sides or merge identities. Person A: [Image 1] replaces the woman on the left with long brown hair, in EVERY frame: copy the exact face from [Image 1] (the face shape, eye color and eye shape, eyebrows, nose, mouth, skin tone, age, hair color, hair length and hairstyle, and any beard, moustache, glasses or freckles). They wear the clothes from [Image 1]. NO navy tank top, no wide white trousers and no long brown hair unless [Image 1] shows them. Person B: [Image 2] replaces the woman on the right with long blonde hair, in EVERY frame: copy the exact face from [Image 2] (the face shape, eye color and eye shape, eyebrows, nose, mouth, skin tone, age, hair color, hair length and hairstyle, and any beard, moustache, glasses or freckles). They wear the clothes from [Image 2]. NO navy top, no wide white trousers and no long blonde hair unless [Image 2] shows them. Both change: no one from the video stays, also in the spins and when only the back of a head shows. The same real people from the first second to the last, so their friends recognize them at once. Never morph, never swap the two faces, never drift back to the original dancers' faces. If [Image 1] or [Image 2] shows only the head or the upper body, invent the rest so it matches naturally. The two dance the same routine in sync, move for move as in the reference: the hat-brim tilt (a quick hand flick at the forehead), sharp arm swings, the side glide, hip and knee pops, the kick to the side, quick spins, and the pose at the end. One head on each person, five fingers on each hand, no extra limbs. Exactly two people. No text, no captions, no logos, no watermark. ``` 2. Press Generate, then download the 9:16 MP4. One-tap version of this variant: https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/smooth-criminal-dance-ai-trend/create?variant=duo #### Variant: Pet Settings: 1 photo (your pet) · 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 cozy living room with a beige carpet, wooden doors, framed pictures, potted plants and warm lamp light, the same low camera at the pets' height, the same cuts, light changes, framing, timing and dance moves. The ONLY change: the small dog in the black fedora who dances upright in front, on the right, is now the pet in [Image 1]. The small cat in the white fedora behind it, on the left, stays exactly as in the video. The lead dancer = the pet in [Image 1], whole body, in EVERY frame: 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, also in the close-ups. It stands upright on its hind legs like a person the whole time. Never drift back to the dog of the original video: not the coat, not the big upright ears and not the face of the dog in the video, unless [Image 1] shows them. If [Image 1] shows a cat or another animal, that animal dances in the same place with the same moves. The dance, matching the reference shot by shot: 0-1.6 s: both stand upright in their fedoras, front paws at the chest, small hip sways. 1.6-3.5 s: the light dims; the lead pet raises one front paw to the brim of its black fedora and tilts it. 3.5-5 s: the light comes back; the lead pet holds the brim, then throws the fedora up and away; both hats come off. 5-15 s: without hats, both dance side by side: paw swings, side steps, hip sways and turns; the lead pet leans in close to the camera and back. The pet keeps real animal anatomy: furry forelegs ending in round paws covered in its own fur, never human hands, no bare skin, no fingers. One head only, two hind legs and two front legs, no extra legs or paws. Exactly two animals: the pet from [Image 1] and the cat of the video. No people, no text, no logos, no watermark. ``` 2. Press Generate, then download the 9:16 MP4. One-tap version of this variant: https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/smooth-criminal-dance-ai-trend/create?variant=pet ### Which photo works best? You need **one photo** for Solo and Pet, or **two photos** for Duo. - **Solo and Duo:** one adult per photo, standing, head to shoes if you have it, face to the camera, sharp and in good light. Your clothes come from the photo, so baggy trousers and a cap or a fedora look closest to the trend. - **Duo:** photo 1 dances on the left, photo 2 on the right. Each photo shows one person. - No sunglasses, no hat that hides the face, no beauty filter. - **Pet:** a sharp photo of your pet with the whole animal in view, from ears to paws. 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, a stranger or a child. ## 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) | 15 s, 720p, copies the moves of the trend clip, one tap | 60 | Credits come with a plan; see [pricing](https://www.makeviral.ai/pricing). A failed video gives its credits back. ## What happens in the Smooth Criminal dance video? Each version starts from a real take of the **smooth criminal dance challenge** and puts you or your pet into it. All three are vertical and 15 seconds long: | | Solo | Duo | Pet | |---|---|---|---| | The take | @austintaylorrrr's solo take in a parking garage | @larosi.222's duo take on a path by the trees | @armasdogworld's AI reel of a chihuahua and a kitten in a living room | | Who you replace | The dancer. On Standard you dance in your own photo's place; on Best you dance in the garage. | Both dancers: photo 1 on the left, photo 2 on the right. | The chihuahua in the black fedora. The kitten stays. | | The moves | A flick at the cap brim, arm swings, side glides, knee pops, kicks and spins | The same routine in sync, side by side | A hat tilt, the hat tossed away, then paw swings, side steps and turns | | Sound | The take's Smooth Criminal sound | The Smooth Criminal remix of the reel | The Smooth Criminal remix of the reel | **Which version?** Press "Create your own" and pick Solo, Duo or Pet, or press the button under a reel on this page. **Which quality?** Solo has two. Standard costs fewer credits: the best AI video models available copy the dancer's moves onto the person in your photo, in the place of your photo. Best puts you into the take itself, garage and camera included, with top-quality AI video models, including Seedance 2.5. Duo and Pet have one quality, the reel copy. The exact price shows on the Generate button before you spend anything, and the reel copies can take up to several minutes. ## Who should do the Smooth Criminal challenge? The trend is a routine you show off, so the fun is in who does it: - **You, with no rehearsal.** Skip the smooth criminal dance tutorial and the mirror practice: the moves come from a real take. - **You and your best friend.** Duo is how most of the 2026 takes look: two people, in sync, side by side. - **The friend who swears they can't dance.** Ask them, then send them the clip of themselves gliding on every count. - **Your dad, the old fan.** He knew the song in 1988; now he does the TikTok version. - **Your dog or cat.** Pet puts your pet into the AI fedora reel. A small dog looks closest to it; a cat works too. Want more 80s pop moves? Try the [Billie Jean dance AI trend](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/billie-jean-dance-ai-trend) from the same creator's summer, the [Thriller dance AI trend](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/thriller-dance-ai-trend), or the [Bad Times AI trend](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/bad-times-ai-trend). ## Which sound and hashtags should you post it with? Every version comes with the sound of the take it copies: the trend's Smooth Criminal edit on Solo, the Smooth Criminal remix on Duo and Pet, so the clip is ready to post. You can turn the song off on the result screen and add a sound when you post instead. The song belongs to its owners, and MakeViral gives you no rights to it. Check the music rules of each platform before you use the clip in an ad or a paid post. **Hashtags:** #smoothcriminal is the big one, with 156,305 TikTok videos and 4.7 billion views on 31 October 2026. #smoothcriminalchallenge had 7,002 videos and 81 million views, and #mjtrend, the tag of the wider MJ dance trend, 4,125 videos on the same day. Keep TikTok's AI label on. ## What goes wrong, and how do you fix it? | Problem | Fix | |---|---| | The face looks less like your photo | Use a sharp, front-facing photo in good light, then run it again. | | A cap, a white T-shirt or baggy jeans show up (Solo Best) | The dancer in the take wears them. The prompt asks for them only when your photo has them. Run it again. | | The two faces swap sides (Duo) | Photo 1 is always on the left. Swap your photos if you want the other side. | | Your pet comes out black and white with big ears (Pet) | The reel dog is a black-and-white chihuahua. Use a photo where the fur is clear, then run it again. | | A hand or a paw blurs in a spin or a kick | This is common in fast moves. A second run comes out different. | | The video model refuses a photo | Some photos get refused. The credits come back; try another photo. | ## Smooth Criminal Dance trend questions ### What is the Smooth Criminal dance trend? It is a 2026 TikTok routine to a remix of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal": a flick at the hat brim, arm swings, side glides, kicks and spins. @carlowrush's takes of 3 and 10 June 2026 made it big, and from August most people did it as a duo or with a friend group. On MakeViral you put your own photo into a real take of it. ### Who started the Smooth Criminal TikTok dance? The dancer @charliewakey_ posted his own Smooth Criminal choreography on 12 July 2025. The 2026 wave grew from @carlowrush's takes in June, which copies credit with "dc: @carlowrush". The best-known duo takes came from @larosi.222 (16 August), @isabel_jasmine (18 August) and @carlowrush with Ryan Hoffmann (13 September). ### What are the Smooth Criminal dance moves? The TikTok routine mixes a flick at the hat brim, sharp arm swings, side glides, knee pops, kicks to the side and quick spins, in about 15 seconds. The famous smooth criminal lean, the forward lean with a straight body, comes from the 1988 film and is not part of most TikTok takes. The smooth criminal dance moves come from the take you pick, so you do not have to learn the routine. ### How do I make a Smooth Criminal AI dance video with my photo? Press "Create your own", pick Solo, Duo or Pet (Solo also has Standard or Best), and add one clear photo, or two for Duo. Press Generate; the button shows the price first. You get a vertical clip of 15 seconds with the trend's sound. You write no prompt, and the video waits in My videos when it is ready. ### Can I do the Smooth Criminal dance challenge with a friend? Yes. Pick Duo and add two photos, one adult per photo: photo 1 dances on the left, photo 2 on the right. Duo copies @larosi.222's take, with 5.2 million views the most viewed duo take we found, so both of you do the routine in sync. ### Can my dog or cat do the Smooth Criminal dance? Yes. Pick Pet: your pet takes the place of the chihuahua in the black fedora in an AI-made reel, tilts the hat, tosses it and dances next to a kitten. The kitten stays as it is. A small dog looks closest to the reel; a cat or another pet works too. ### How do you do the Smooth Criminal lean? In the 1988 film the dancers lean forward about 45 degrees with straight bodies, held by a trick, and on stage Michael Jackson used special shoes for it. Do not try the smooth criminal lean forward at home without that trick. In the TikTok trend people mostly skip it, and our versions copy the takes as they are, without the big lean. The lean also lives on as a smooth criminal lean meme. ### Is there a Smooth Criminal dance tutorial or an easy version? Yes, TikTok has slow and mirrored tutorials, for example by @kekke_star and @kaylortor, and a smooth criminal tiktok dance tutorial is the fastest way to learn it. If you want the smooth criminal dance easy, with no learning at all, this page makes the clip from your photo. ### Will Michael Jackson be in my video? No. Every version starts from a real dancer's take or an AI-made pet reel, and your photo takes the dancer's place. It is no Michael Jackson Smooth Criminal AI dance of the singer himself: he does not appear in your video, and his estate has nothing to do with MakeViral. Do not use photos of him or of other celebrities: a fake video of a real person can break platform rules and that person's rights. ### Is the Smooth Criminal AI trend the same as the TikTok challenge? It is the same smooth criminal challenge, made with AI: the smooth criminal ai trend puts a new face into a real take instead of filming your own. You may also see AI covers of the song and AI videos of the singer; those are different things, and this page makes neither. ### Do I need the Smooth Criminal dance costume? No. Your own clothes come from your photo. For the classic look, take your photo in a white jacket and a fedora, or in baggy trousers and a cap like the TikTok takes. The Pet reel adds a black fedora for the first seconds. ### Is it the Smooth Criminal remix dance trend? Yes. Most 2026 takes use a remix or an edit of the song, not the 1988 original. The smooth criminal dance remix on Duo and Pet is the same sound as the @larosi.222 reel, and Solo uses the edit of the @austintaylorrrr take. ### How long is the video and what format is it? All three versions make 15 seconds of vertical 9:16 MP4 video, with the sound of the take they copy. You can turn the sound off on the result screen. ## Other AI video templates and tools - [Billie Jean Dance AI: Do the Famous Moves With One Photo](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/billie-jean-dance-ai-trend): A granny in white socks and loafers, a dachshund in a black fedora, a puppy in a sequin jacket on a concert stage: the Billie Jean dance trend puts anyone into the famous 80s moves. Add one photo of you or your pet. - [Thriller Dance AI: Do the Zombie Dance With a Friend or Your Pet](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/thriller-dance-ai-trend): Arms swung out with a deep lean, head rolls, claw hands and shoulder shrugs: the Thriller zombie dance. Add two photos to dance it as a duo, or one photo of your pet, and get a 15-second clip with the song. - [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) ## Make your own Smooth Criminal Dance video Add one photo and press Generate. No prompt to write. 60 credits, charged once. [Make this video](https://www.makeviral.ai/templates/smooth-criminal-dance-ai-trend/create)