The practice of face dancing is going viral on social media as videos by face dancer and influencer Miny Naranja spread outside of TikTok and Instagram Reels.

Face dancing has been growing across social media for years, but now it's inspiring discourse, as some viewers doubt the talent that goes into the videos and find it cringe.

So, what exactly is face dancing and why is it going viral right now? Here's what you need to know.

@minynaranja El regreso del popopo #kawaii #cute #minynaranja #facedance #アイランドフィール ♬ Commando – Mavokali

What Is 'Face Dancing' And How Did The Trend Start?

"Face dancing," or "facedancing," is a trend that started as early as 2017 as a social media challenge. The original challenge involved striking specific faces as shown on screen to the beat of a song. In 2020, it was further popularized outside of the challenge as an extension of lip-syncing.

Basically, face dancing is dancing with your face by striking different and highly exaggerated facial expressions, often while lip-syncing, to the beat of a song.

One of the most popular examples of this, which helped spread the trend across social media, is Bella Poarch's notorious "M to the B" video.

In the video, she lip-syncs to the song "Millie B ( Soph Aspin Send )" while making some specific facial expressions. This video became one of the most-liked on the app.

How Is 'Face Dancing' Used Online, And Why Do Some Find It Cringe?

Face Dancing has become increasingly viral as a trend on sites like TikTok and Instagram Reels throughout the 2020s.

In face-dancing videos, the participant typically dances with their facial expressions, often while lip-syncing to music. Some of the most popular of these videos gain millions of views.

One of the most viral and well-known face-dancing influencers is Miny Naranja, a TikToker with millions of followers.

Her expressive face dances have proven to be highly viral in the 2020s, despite many critics finding it weird or cringeworthy due to the goofy nature of the moves.

One was posted to X / Twitter in August 2026 and inspired discourse about whether or not face dancing takes talent, further spreading the term and practice online.

@minynaranja My popopo #cute #minynaranja #waifu ♬ Commando – Mavokali

What Are Some More 'Face Dancing' Examples?

@x..rayray..x this is one of my favourites 🤣 @❤RayRay❤ #entertainment #facialexpressions #facialcontortion #facedancing ♬ Mambo Nº 5 – Grupo Golosina

@samantha.lynxx gtfo of here 😓 #wormslo #sam #caras #gestos #facedance ♬ iny weeny teeny weeny – ꩜

@f0xy_amy Make this trend great again🚀 ##recomendation #rec #fyp #bellapoarch #energy #foruyou #facedance ♬ M to the B – Millie B

@minynaranja Mavis facedance #kawaii #cute #facedance #minynaranja ♬ Commando – Mavokali

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For the full history of Face Dancing, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.