Witney Carson and Danny Amendola speak out about viral 'Dancing with the Stars' move
"Dancing with the Stars" pro Witney Carson and star Danny Amendola are speaking out after a lift move from their contemporary dance went viral on TikTok with over 11 million views.
The move involves Amendola slowly lifting Carson from the floor by one leg as she arches her back, and it has since inspired countless imitations.
"That leg move was very unique and special to Danny and I, and we just, we had no idea," Carson told "Good Morning America."
"I didn't know what viral was. I thought my algorithm was freaking out," Amendola added of the move's quick popularity.
The move earned Amendola and Carson the top scores of the night on "Dancing with the Stars" and even inspired fellow pro Alan Bersten and star Ilona Maher to give it a go.
"Good Morning America" meteorologists Ginger Zee and Sam Champion, who both previously competed on "DWTS," along with "GMA" co-anchor Michael Strahan also joined the fun -- but proved it's not as easy as it looks.
"You guys, we need like a week!" Zee said, after attempting the move.
The viral trend, which might look simple, now also comes with a warning label on TikTok that reads, "Participating in this activity could result in you or others getting hurt."
"The hardest part is for the male in that regard is to keep her balanced coming up," Amendola explained. "The main thing is really for the females [is] to keep that bottom leg straight."
Carson urged anyone attempting the move to watch her and Amendola's behind-the-scenes tutorial video first.
"We actually did a tutorial. It's on our TikTok. So, if you do want to try it, you should go look at the tutorial and just really know the proper things before you try it," Carson said.
In the tutorial, Carson went on to explain that the person on the floor should make sure to keep their bottom leg straight during the move and their feet close together.
"For the ladies, you want to make sure your bottom leg is straight, kind of counterweight, and balance yourself with an arch," Carson explained.
Amendola added, "Make sure, ladies, your foot is at the very base, bottom of my foot, on the ground."
