Why ‘subject three’ dance has swept across world

为何“科目三”舞蹈风靡全球

Short clips of the "kemusan" - or "subject three" dance - has become a latest internet sensation on social media platforms at home and abroad. By December 10, the dance, which is widely believed to originate from a wedding dance in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, had garnered more than 8.88 billion views on short video platforms.

“ kemusan ”（即“主题三”）舞蹈的短片已成为国内外社交媒体平台上最新的网络热点。截至12月10日，这种被广泛认为起源于中国南方广西壮族自治区婚礼舞蹈的舞蹈在短视频平台上的观看次数已超过88.8亿次。
The catchy dance centers on performers showing off some swag dance moves, like swinging their knees sideways as they perform a snappy series of hand actions, including fast wrist-twisting moves, accompanied by music that sounds like a mix of Western disco beats and traditional Chinese folk songs. The dance went viral quickly and has been adapted into various versions - people of all colors and from different walks of life have sprung into the mesmerizing dance.

这种引人入胜的舞蹈以表演者展示一些时髦的舞蹈动作为中心，比如在表演一系列敏捷的手部动作时侧摆膝盖，包括快速的扭腕动作，伴随着听起来像是西方迪斯科节拍和中国传统音乐混合的音乐民谣。这种舞蹈迅速走红，并被改编成各种版本——来自不同肤色、各行各业的人们纷纷加入到这令人着迷的舞蹈中。
Why has "subject three" dance become an instant hit? The dance is a kind of "Meipai shake," a freestyle disco dance that swept across the globe in 2014. Nowadays, young people seek to express themselves in personalized and diverse ways. This free and easy swag allows young people to release mental and physical fatigue in routine life and enjoy original delight and pure happiness.

《科目三》舞蹈为何能火爆？这种舞蹈属于“美拍摇”，是2014年风靡全球的自由式迪斯科舞种。如今的年轻人追求个性化、多样化的表达方式。这种洒脱的潇洒让年轻人释放日常生活中的身心疲劳，享受原始的愉悦和纯粹的幸福。

Even without personal participation, holding a mobile phone to shoot or watch someone do this dance is enough to connect emotionally and feel a spiritual resonance. "Subject three" dance meets the emotional needs of young people, provides them with an outlet to elicit their feelings and reflects a pleasant sharing of beauty. Its unique perspective and expression blur the boundary between mainstream and non-mainstream aesthetics.

即使没有个人参与，拿着手机拍摄或观看别人跳这支舞蹈，也足以产生情感上的联系，感受到精神上的共鸣。“科目三”舞蹈满足了年轻人的情感需求，为他们提供了抒发情感的出口，体现了对美的愉悦分享。其独特的视角和表达方式模糊了主流与非主流审美的界限。
Besides, the recognition and popularity of the dance stem from establishing identity, especially from the young group. When they enjoy and spread this catchy and crazy style, they form a circle in which like-minded people can get together, ignore how others look at them, and have confidence in their taste. To a certain degree, the craze indicates that the main body of social dissemination has changed and involves both consumption trends and the cultural tide.

此外，舞蹈的认可和流行源于身份的确立，尤其是年轻群体的认同。当他们享受并传播这种朗朗上口且疯狂的风格时，他们就形成了一个圈子，志同道合的人可以聚集在一起，忽略别人如何看待他们，并对自己的品味充满信心。热潮在一定程度上表明社会传播主体发生了变化，既涉及消费趋势，也涉及文化潮流。

The new generation has a louder voice, more open and diversified vision, higher degree of acceptance and more vital determination in their choices. Their roles have expanded from consumers to producers. A growing number of people have begun to form dance troupes and participate in competitions, which shows that "subject three" can serve as a form of entertainment and a means of constructing youth pop culture.

新一代的声音更加响亮，视野更加开放多元，接受程度更高，选择决心更加坚定。他们的角色已经从消费者扩大到生产者。越来越多的人开始组建舞团、参加比赛，这说明“科目三”可以作为一种娱乐形式，作为构建青少年流行文化的一种手段。
In addition, the dance belongs to no specific type, and the movements are not set, leaving space for everyone to create their own style. From this perspective, the "subject three" dance is an original work that is close to life, available to ordinary people, open to adaptation, embodies hobbies and interest and bears happiness and sorrow.

另外，舞蹈没有特定的类型，动作也没有固定，给每个人创造自己风格的空间。从这个角度来说，“题材三”舞蹈是一部贴近生活、老百姓可以接受、可以改编、体现爱好兴趣、承载喜怒哀乐的原创作品。

Despite different cultural backgrounds and languages, there exist similarities in the passion for life and emotional expression of young people from various countries around the world, explaining its global popularity. Unlike the spread of guangchangwu, or the square dance, which prevails mainly in Chinese-speaking areas, "subject three" has set off a round of overseas imitation that shows popular Chinese elements, which signifies a brand-new cross-cultural communication and interactive practice among people.

尽管文化背景和语言不同，但世界各国年轻人对生活的热情和情感表达却存在相似之处，这也是其在全球流行的原因。与主要流行于华语地区的广场舞的传播不同，“科目三”在海外掀起了一轮模仿热潮，展示了流行的中国元素，意味着一种全新的跨文化交流和互动。人与人之间的实践。
The dissemination of "subject three" dance has been blessed and empowered thanks to the advancement of short videos. The 52nd Statistical Report on Internet Development in China, released in August by the China Internet Network Information Center, shows that by June, the number of internet users in China had reached 1.079 billion, including 1.026 billion short video users. Short videos are not only a form of online content production but also a way of communication.

“科目三”舞蹈的传播因短视频的进步而得到加持和赋能。中国互联网络信息中心8月发布的第52次《中国互联网络发展状况统计报告》显示，截至6月，我国网民规模达10.79亿，其中短视频用户10.26亿。短视频不仅是一种在线内容生产形式，也是一种交流方式。

It has become a vehicle for the development of culture and art with its huge capacity and means of aesthetic expression. A short video can become a catalyst, planter and amplifier for online content production in literature and art. Many vloggers who have shot to fame should give credit to short clips, such as Li Ziqi, who witnessed her followers skyrocket after her short video works were put online. Nowadays, the popularity of "subject three" has also followed a similar route, which uses mass-participation and stars ordinary bloggers. Further, short videos have also stimulated people's enthusiasm for creation, allowing "subject three" to derive more versions and encouraging people to spread it even farther.

它以其巨大的容量和审美表达手段成为文化艺术发展的载体。短视频可以成为文学艺术线上内容生产的催化剂、播种机和放大器。很多走红的视频博主都应该把功劳归咎于短视频，比如李子柒，她的短视频作品上线后，粉丝数量猛增。如今，《科目三》的火爆也走着类似的路线，采用大众参与、由普通博主主演。此外，短视频还激发了人们的创作热情，让“题材三”衍生出更多版本，鼓励人们将其传播得更远。
All fads or hot trends online will eventually diminish. Still, the discussion on the aesthetic interests of the internet era, youth trends and other topics will move on. The instant sensation of "subject three" around the globe owes a good deal to short video platforms, reflects the diversity of mass culture and serves as an example of China's charm and influence.

网上所有的时尚或热门趋势最终都会消失。尽管如此，关于网络时代审美趣味、青年潮流等话题的讨论仍将继续。“主题三”的火爆全球，很大程度上得益于短视频平台，体现了大众文化的多样性，是中国魅力和影响力的典范。