‘In My Feelings’ dance challenge provides valuable lesson about enjoying the moment

Three months later, and the only good thing that has come out of rapper Drake’s fifth studio album, Scorpion, is the Shiggy dance challenge. The songs on the album are lackluster and completely overhyped — this could constitute an entire article in itself — but the Shiggy dance challenge that accompanies the song, “In My Feelings,” is exempt from my condemnation.

Unlike other internet trends that have popped up over the years, the Shiggy challenge has captured my attention for one major reason: People are literally jumping out of cars and dancing. On the side of the road. In the middle of the highway. The videos typically showcase someone dancing alongside a slowly moving car while the recorder films from the front seat in settings ranging from quiet streets to busy highways.

This challenge can be credited to social media influencer Shaquille “Shiggy” Mitchell, who posted a video of himself jamming out to the “nice and smooth” beat that “just made [him] move” on Instagram in June. After New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. posted his own rendition to Shiggy’s dance, it circulated around the internet with multiple celebrities, including Will Smith, J-Hope and Ciara, creating their own versions as well.

So, naturally, being an individual who was not allowed for the entirety of her childhood to even stick so much as a finger out the backseat window, I grabbed this chance to defy the rules of the road and ran with it.

On a recent afternoon, I shoved my wriggling brother into shotgun and climbed in alongside him while my mom, from the wheel, warned about the challenge’s dangers. Rounding the corner, we spotted my neighbor’s grandmother in the garage, and upon learning what I was about to do, she only smiled. It wasn’t a smile of warm regard, but one of anticipation: She knew I was going to faceplant and was already reaching for the popcorn.

To everyone’s surprise, I didn’t actually do as bad as I thought I would, nor did anyone sustain a serious injury. This was due in part to my mom’s refusal to start driving until both my feet were planted on the street, but regardless it only took three or four attempts before I got a recording I was content with.

Afterwards, while watching the recordings, I realized it looked like someone was putting a hairdryer to my head, and my complexion was not too different from that of a tomato. Despite this, and the fact that I had (un)wisely chosen to wear flip flops, I exceeded my own expectations.

Before attempting the challenge, I had watched a myriad videos on YouTube trying to discern the sequence of particular dance moves most people follow. After trying again and again to mirror the celebrities performing the challenge online, and failing to do so, I became hesitant as to whether I was even qualified to shiggy it up.

However, while the camera was recording, all the memorized steps I had planned to follow slipped from my mind, and I unconsciously left behind my insecurities about my dancing abilities. Going with the flow, I found that enjoying the moment meant more than adhering to a specific set of moves and that there really was no right or wrong way to going about anything — to say the least a viral challenge.

I’m thankful to my mother for being willing to be seen with me in public. I’m also thankful for my brother for agreeing to be squished between me and the front compartment. That must have been difficult. Most of all, I would like to thank Drake for teaching me that not everything has to be precise, that improvisation in the moment can yield results just as good, if not better.