Latest news with #Macarena
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
What is the ‘woke' Macarena? And what makes it ‘woke'?
Sam Morris has had videos blow up on TikTok before, but he still didn't expect this to happen. In the weeks since he posted choreography to a snippet of the song 'Take a Sexy Picture of Me' by Irish singer CMAT, the dance he created has emerged as a full-fledged trend. Creators are using the moves on social media, and crowds are performing them at CMAT's concerts. 'It's not my first, first rodeo, but I wasn't expecting it,' said Morris, 37, a writer and content creator based in Brighton, England. The actual dance is simple and straightforward. Following along with the words of CMAT's song, ('I did the butcher / I did the baker / I did the home and the family maker / I did schoolgirl fantasies,') Morris's dance has participants miming chopping and baking on their way, hopefully, to TikTok fame. The dance kicked around for several weeks, but took on new relevance when it was given a catchy (and, for some, confusing) nickname: the Woke Macarena. CMAT, an emerging star, released 'Take a Sexy Picture of Me' last month. She said on social media that she wrote the song, which is about the different phases you go through as a young woman, after receiving a flood of 'nasty comments' on her physical appearance. Morris's dance made the song a TikTok hit, with scores of people attempting to recreate it in their own videos, many of which had captions with proclamations about how this will be a 'CMAT summer.' Reached by email, CMAT, whose full name is Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, said when she first saw the dance, she thought Morris may have misunderstood the song's message about how a woman contorts herself in various ways to gain acceptance. 'I thought it was a great dance, and I also thought it was hilariously incongruous with the message of the song,' CMAT said, adding later, 'I think he's getting the song and doubling down on the irony of bodily performance.' Whether or not the dance slightly missed the message of the song, it has taken hold of creators and celebrities alike, with people like Julia Fox, Lola Young and Noah Cyrus giving it their best effort. CMAT has done it as well, calling it a 'hee hee ha ha' moment. A post shared by cmat (@cmatbaby) There's no clear answer as to how the dance got its catchy nickname, with its reference to a 1990s dance craze, beyond a steadfast belief that it was first called that on the social platform X. But Morris, and some of the creators who have emulated his dance, have their own theories as to why it has stuck. 'What CMAT sings about is very much like strong female empowerment, so that and then a clearly very gay man creating a dance for it — it's giving woke,' Morris said. Katherine Pfost, a 33-year-old in New York City who made a video doing the dance, said she thinks the woke label stems from the lyrics of the song itself, which focus on the struggle of the female experience. And the use of Macarena is a nod to the simplicity of the choreography. 'I think people probably gave it that name because it's an easy dance to do, like the 'Macarena,' and the song has that same earworm type of quality, and then the lyrics are very powerful,' Pfost said. Jessica Chisnall, 24, who lives in England and did a video of the dance before it was given a name, said she thinks calling it 'woke' may have originally come from a place of negativity, but it has now been embraced by the people dancing along. 'I've seen people from all walks of life doing the dance, and it's really nice that men, women, nonbinary people can all relate to the song and do the dance,' Chisnall said. Despite gaining traction on TikTok, CMAT said she didn't think the dance alone would change her career, although it may lead to other opportunities down the road. 'I don't necessarily think that my song being famous equates to me being famous because of the extremely, extraordinarily ephemeral nature of something like TikTok,' she said. Morris, who loves the message of the song, said when creating the choreography he was conscious of the fact that he's a man and that the song is from a woman's perspective. 'I'm just happy to be involved,' he said. 'I'm happy to just be here.' Whether it can have the lasting power of the original Macarena remains to be seen. Pfost said she thinks the fact that the dance doesn't match up perfectly with the message of the song is a strength, not a weakness. 'There is something to be said for taking a song or a message like that and making it joyful and fun and distilling it down to an easy-to-do dance that's fun for people to do,' she said. 'I think that gives it more reach and more power.'
Glasgow Times
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
André Rieu to perform at Glasgow OVO Hydro - here's when
The globally-renowned musician, who is best known for creating the waltz-playing Johann Strauss Orchestra, will be performing at the West End venue on September 10, 2026. READ NEXT: André Rieu talks love affair with Scotland ahead of Glasgow gig (Image: Image by Janita Sassen) It comes after Rieu performed in the city earlier this year on April 5. The Glasgow Times previously reported that one-hit wonders Los del Río took joined Rieu during the city show. The Spanish band, who rose to fame in the 90s with their hit Macarena, delighted the audience with a performance of their classic track. READ NEXT: 90s one-hit wonders surprise Hydro audience at André Rieu show Tickets for the upcoming city show will go live on June 6 at 12pm. To purchase tickets, click HERE OVO Live will be running a pre-sale on June 4 at 12pm. To sign up, visit
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
nyt strands puzzle today: NYT Strands answers for May 14, 2025: Today's full puzzle breakdown, theme clues, and explained step-by-step
What is today's NYT Strands theme? Which clue words unlock hints in today's puzzle? ADVERTISEMENT CARE SANE LEAN BOLT BOLTS LOAN COLT MOLT SOON LOOT TOOL MALT NOOSE What are all the theme answers in the May 14 NYT Strands puzzle? HUSTLE WOBBLE MACARENA FOOTLOOSE LOCOMOTION ADVERTISEMENT What is today's NYT Strands spangram? ADVERTISEMENT Why was today's NYT Strands puzzle tricky? How does Strands work and why is it getting so popular? What are some of the hardest NYT Strands puzzles so far? Jan. 21 – Dated slang Hardest word: PHAT Hardest word: PHAT *Jan. 15 – 'Thar she blows!' (Marine theme) Hardest words: BALEEN, RIGHT Hardest words: BALEEN, RIGHT Jan. 9 – Sea creatures Hardest words: BIGEYE, SKIPJACK Today's Strands puzzle (May 14, 2025) FAQs: If you're trying to solve today's NYT Strands puzzle for May 14 (#437), you're not alone. Many players found it tricky, especially if dance terms aren't your strong suit. But don't worry—this guide breaks everything down for you. We've got the full list of Strands answers, today's spangram, helpful hints, and bonus words that can unlock the in-game main keyword here is: 'Boogie woogie woogie.'If that doesn't immediately give it away, here's another clue: 'Everybody dance, now.'Yes, this puzzle is all about dance-related words—from popular moves to classic party steps. Even if you're not a dancer, we'll walk you through playing NYT Strands, discovering any three words with four or more letters will trigger a free hint. Here are some clue words that worked in today's puzzle:These words don't tie into the theme but help unlock the answers. Feel free to try similar words if you're still Strands puzzle answers include iconic dance moves from pop culture and party history. These are the theme words you need to complete the board:Each word fits the theme of dancing, with some being the name of actual songs and others being popular moves across spangram is the long theme word that spans across the board, touching opposite sides. For May 14, the spangram is:To locate it, start from the 'L' four letters in from the left on the top row, then move downward to complete the path. This word connects all the other dance terms together, tying in perfectly with the players found this puzzle tougher than usual because not all the terms are instantly recognizable unless you're familiar with a wide range of dance trends—from classic line dances to quirky moves like the 'Wobble.' According to the source, the Macarena and Locomotion were easier to guess due to their mainstream popularity, but terms like WOBBLE or FOOTLOOSE might throw off non-dancers or international NYT Strands game is one of the newest daily puzzles from The New York Times. It challenges players to find words hidden in a letter grid, all centered around a single theme. When you guess three unrelated four-letter words, you get a free theme word hint. The catch? You need to find every themed word and use all letters in the grid by the end of the puzzles from previous months have really challenged the community. Here are a few notable tough ones, as listed by CNET:These puzzles tested specific knowledge, making them difficult unless players were familiar with niche you didn't know all the dance terms, don't worry—you're not alone. The NYT Strands answer for today required a mix of cultural knowledge and some puzzle-solving luck. With practice and a few strategic guesses, you'll be dancing your way through these puzzles in no spangram is, running across the board in today's theme is, titled 'Boogie woogie woogie.'
West Australian
12-05-2025
- Health
- West Australian
Bianca Panetta Academy of Dance encourages dancing for sick kids with Nutbush and Macarena this week
The Bianca Panetta Academy of Dance is calling on people from Harvey to 'rock up and be ready to dance' for a reason this week. The dance for sick kids is part of a week-long nationwide fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House, but this is the first time it has been brought to Harvey. Dance academy owner and event coordinator Bianca Meese said she would be hosting a community dance day this Thursday featuring the Nutbush and Macarena dances to help raise funds while having fun. 'I've been wanting to do it for a few years , but I just haven't gotten around to it,' she said. 'You log your hours the week you dance and the main thing is to get people to sponsor or donate because all the money goes towards the Ronald McDonald House. 'We've opened up a couple of classes to the public so they can come in and have a dance and donate.' Ms Meese said she wanted to take part after learning more about the importance of the charity for people in the regions. 'I've just spoken to so many people who have used the Ronald McDonald House, and just how important it is for those families to have that, especially when you live in the country,' she said. 'I just think it's definitely a cause that needs to be supported. 'The money goes towards the house for those families who do need to stay there with their kids, and that can be for a long time as well.' The chosen dance classes encourage every community member to get involved, no matter their skill level, and the academy's usual classes will continue. 'All of our classes we will still be dancing and we're doing crazy socks and pyjama day with our students so they can come along and be a part of it with their classes,' Ms Meese said. 'The open classes anybody can join, there's no experience needed.' Harvey community members can attend a hip hop class at 6pm Wednesday or 6.30pm Friday. Alternatively, the dance students have invited community members for the Macarena and Nutbush dances, with emergency service workers and business owners at 5.30pm and 6pm Thursday.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trans activists push measure to issue ‘predator' warning to schools if Cuomo wins mayoral race
Lefty activists pushed a resolution this week to issue a predator warning to schools if Andrew Cuomo is elected mayor. The bizarre political stunt happened Wednesday at the Community Education Council meeting for District 2. The motion called on the city to protect students and staff, specifically from Cuomo. It referenced his 2021 resignation following a report by state Attorney General Letitia James into allegations that he sexually harassed 11 women. 'Given the extremely serious nature of the allegations against Cuomo . . . CEC2 urges the City Council to institute protocols to safeguard students and school staff from a predatory mayor,' read the proposal, which failed in a 4-4 vote. 'I think this is one of the worst resolutions I've ever seen by District 2,' said Vice President Leonard Silverman, 'This one is just horrific.' 'If you have opposition to Andrew Cuomo becoming a mayor, I suggest you don't vote for him,' said the veep for District 2, which covers most of lower and Midtown Manhattan and part of the Upper East Side. Cuomo has adamantly denied all sexual misconduct allegations, and district attorneys concluded that there were insufficient legal grounds to bring criminal charges against him. Cuomo's campaign referred to a statement from Bishop Orlando Findlayter, pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship in Brooklyn. 'This is why people are so distrustful of politics — especially the politics of the far left that appears to be fueled by underhanded, transparent tactics and division,' Findlayter said, adding that Cuomo is a man of 'integrity.' 'Those attempting to engage in vile gutter politics for their own personal gain should really reflect on their actions going forward,' he added. Over 50 activists with the groups Trans Formative Schools and Aunties & Friends for Liberation flooded the meeting in support of the resolution and others including one opposing President Trump's executive order ending 'radical indoctrination' in schools. 'Diversity, equity and inclusion make our kids better people and there is evidence that it improves educational outcomes,' one mom claimed during public comment. They awkwardly danced the 'Macarena' and 'YMCA' in opposition to supporters of Resolution 248, a now-moot measure calling on the city Department of Education to review its policy allowing students to play on sports teams according to their gender identity. 'I would like to protect the right of women who were born biologically as women to have a fair environment in which to compete,' argued one father.
