How to Nae Nae

Last Updated: June 20, 2021 References Tested

Want to learn a new dance move that's been taking social media by storm? The Nae Nae is sweeping the nation, and it's really fun to do. It was created by We Are Toonz, an Atlanta based hip hop group, and is named after a character from the 1990s sitcom Martin. Although it started in clubs around Atlanta, it has spread through social media sites such as Vine and Instagram, and now everyone from Jennifer Lopez to Miley Cyrus is doing the Nae Nae.^{[1]
X
Research source} It might look hard, but the Nae Nae is easy to learn if you follow a few simple steps.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Learning the Basic Moves

1
Warm up. To perform the Nae Nae perfectly, the muscles in your legs and arms need to be loose and warmed up. Do some shallow squats, bending your knees slightly before standing back up. Rock your shoulders side to side. You can also rock your shoulders forward and back, loosening up your back.^{[2]
X
Research source}
2
Bend your knees. To make the base stance of the Nae Nae, stand with your knees shoulder width apart. Bend your knees slightly, making a shallow angle with your knees. This is called the defense pose.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- You don't want to bend your knees too much. This will overextend your knee muscles and will make your movements stiff. You will also tire out more quickly.
Advertisement
3
Rock your body. Once you've bent your legs, start rocking back and forth. Engage your legs muscles, moving yourself from side to side at a moderate pace. You can also move your arms and shoulders in time with your rocking motion, making it a whole body movement.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Don't rock too fast. This will cause you to lose your balance or hurt yourself.
4
Position your arms. Hold one arm above your head and the other down at your side. It doesn't matter if you have your right or left arm raised. You can start with either arm in this position.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Remember to keep your arms loose. You don't have to lock your elbows, and you can bend your arms slightly if you like.
5
Do the Nae Nae. Once you master the steps, it's time to incorporate them all together. First, pick a song with a good tempo. Once you have your song on, do all the steps together. Bend your knees and hold your arms in position, rocking back and forth to the beat.
- Hip hop songs work great for this dance. Try the song "Drop that #Nae Nae" by We Are Toonz. They wrote the song specifically for this dance.^{[6]
  X
  Research source}
- Try this dance in front of a mirror if you can't seem to get the moves right. This way, you can see how you are moving your body and change any move you are doing incorrectly.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Incorporating the Freestyle Elements

1
Loosen up your basic move. Don't worry so much about sticking strictly to the basic steps. Once you've gotten the hang of the basic steps, you can incorporate a swagger to your moves, swinging your hips more as you rock back and forth. You can also move your arms and shoulders around, shimmying your shoulders back and forth as you rock your body.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Feel free to switch your arms back and forth as well, holding your right arm up for three or four counts and then switching arms.^{[8]
  X
  Research source}
2
Decide your freestyle move. While you are doing the basic Nae Nae, think about some dance moves you can do during the freestyle portions, which are called the Four Counts. You can incorporate any dance that you want, as long as it lasts the four counts that are dedicated to freestyle moves.^{[9]
X
Research source}
3
Incorporate your freestyle. Once you've done the Nae Nae for awhile, it's time to break into your freestyle. Start your freestyle, do the moves for four counts, and then move back into the Nae Nae. You can do the freestyle as many times as you like, moving from the basic move to the freestyle and back every few counts.
- Try doing another dance move you love, such as the Dougie or Macarena. You can create new dance moves of your own. You can even amp it up a notch by doing a head stand or back flip.^{[10]
  X
  Research source}^{[11]
  X
  Research source}^{[12]
  X
  Research source}
- There is no one way to do freestyle. This portion is all about you and doing whatever dance move you feel you want to perform. Just listen to the music and trust your instincts.
4
Have fun with it. Although there are specific moves that are considered the Nae Nae, it is meant to be a social dance that you can enjoy doing in large groups. Try it out with some friends, feeding off their energy and excitement. You can also take turns doing freestyle, incorporating their moves into yours.^{[13]
X
Research source}

Community Q&A

Question

How many nae naes can be done in a day?

Community Answer

Unless you're at least a level 10 savage, only attempt around 3-5 nae naes a day. Higher level savages can perform a nearly unlimited amount of nae naes.
Question

Will the Nae Nae help me succeed in life?

Community Answer

If you would like to become a professional SoundCloud rapper, yes, it will help you become successful.
Question

Is this dance from Fortnite?

Community Answer

Not originally, no. There are a few hip hop songs that reference the dance from many years before Fortnite came out (it's based on a character from the 90s show "Martin"), but it does look like a dance from Fortnite.