All you wanted to know about the Harlem Shake

It didn’t take long for another online fad to fill the void in the virtual world created after the Gangnam Style fever died down. That dance is the Harlem Shake, started by a bunch of boys dressed in masks and space suit-like costumes, shaking to a catchy track as if they are being electrocuted.

Who started it?
The Harlem Shake track was conceptualised by electro musician and American music producer Baauer in May 2012. But it only spread like wildfire on the net after a video of teenage boys from Queensland dancing crazily to the track went viral in early February 2013. That inspired copycat videos between 30-35 seconds long. The rest, as they say, is history.

The madness
People all across the world have come up with their own versions of the Harlem Shake. Students, firefighters, military personnel and even basketball team videos have surfaced on the net with their own version of the shake. Our favourites? The washing machine Harlem Shake, a bunch of Lhasa puppies doing the shake and the Harlem Shake (Grandma Edition) where a man dances with his octogenarian grandmothers.