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Toc Toc Dance AI: Make the Viral Jean Phil Dance From One Photo

Hop on one foot with your knee raised, knock with your fist on a door that isn't there, kick and finish with both arms out wide, all to the toc toc rhythm. Upload a photo of yourself, you plus a friend, or your pet, and the dance comes with its sound.

The original Toc Toc Dance reel by @shalunts_artOriginal reel
  • 1 photo you add
  • 10 to 11 s clip with sound
  • 9:16 for TikTok, Reels, Shorts
  • No watermark

No prompt to write: Add your photos and tap once

Create your own

Ready in a few minutes · From 40 credits

The Toc Toc dance went viral on TikTok in autumn 2026: a straight-faced dancer hops on one leg, knocks at a door that isn't there and kicks their way across a room to a French party track. It's often called the Jean Phil dance. Upload one photo, or two if you want a pair, and your clip includes the sound.

Also called Jean Phil dance · Toc Toc Toc dance · Jean Philanthrope dance

Example

What the Toc Toc Dance video looks like

Here's the original reel. Your photos swap in for its characters, so your clip matches these shots with your own faces. Every run is unique.

Original reel by @shalunts_art, 11 s
The original reel by @shalunts_art: an AI tabby cat approaches the camera, then hops, knocks and kicks through a white room to the toc toc rhythm. Pet mimics this reel.
Use this reference
Step by step

How to make the Toc Toc Dance video on Smew AI

It all runs in your browser. No editing software, no prompt required, no watermark.

  1. Add your photo

    Tap "Create your own" and upload yourself, full body. Snap it with the camera or choose from your library.

  2. Press Generate

    The button displays the cost. Kling 3.0 Motion Control copies the Toc Toc dance movements and applies them to your photo's subject, keeping the scene from your photo, for roughly 10 seconds, with the original sound. No prompt needed.

  3. Download or share

    Your video arrives in a few minutes as a 9:16 MP4. Download it, share from your phone, or access it later in your Library.

Which photo works best?

You need one photo for Human and Pet, and two for Duo.

  • Human: you alone, standing, head to toes in view. The dance is all hops and kicks, so a full-body photo gives the best legs. You dance in your photo's own place, in the clothes you wear in it.
  • Duo: photo 1 is the one who starts the dance, photo 2 the one who joins in. One person per photo, face sharp and to the camera; your clothes come from your photos.
  • Pet: a sharp photo with the whole animal in view, from ears to paws. Fur colors and markings come from the photo.
  • Good light, no sunglasses and no hat over the face.
  • Use your own photo, a photo of an adult who said yes, or your own pet. Never a celebrity or a stranger.

Where did the Toc Toc Dance trend start?

The dance took off in late September 2026 through a series of AI-generated clips showing deadpan characters dressed in oversized wigs and retro suits. Jean Phil, also known as Jean Philanthrope, became the most recognizable of these AI characters after his debut video appeared on Instagram on 17 September, which explains why it's frequently called the Jean Phil dance.

On 28 September, the French account @castinggastro shared the clip that most people copy: a solo dancer in white hops, knocks and kicks through an empty room. By 14 October it had drawn 3.4 million views, and 2,378 videos used its audio. A group performance by @jeancultouw surpassed 9.5 million views.

Actual people and animals got involved. On 4 October, @shalunts_art posted an AI tabby performing the routine, which hit 1.6 million views. The college crew @4thfloorboys danced through their dorm corridor on 6 October, and their clip reached 24.1 million views and 3.1 million likes by 14 October. BBC News featured the character on 7 October. By 14 October, the hashtag #toctoc contained 36,674 TikTok videos with 510 million views total.

  1. Jean Phil, also known as Jean Philanthrope, an AI character sporting a bob and retro suit, shares his debut video on Instagram. Viddo AI

  2. @castinggastro shares the solo Toc Toc dance in an empty room that becomes the template for most copies; by 14 October it reaches 3.4 million views with 334,900 likes, while 2,378 videos use its audio by 13 October. TikTok

  3. @shalunts_art creates an AI tabby that performs the routine in a white setting; by 14 October it accumulates 1.6 million views and 73,700 likes. The Pet option replicates this reel. TikTok

  4. College crew @4thfloorboys performs the routine through their dorm hallway as "professional upstairs neighbors"; by 14 October their video reaches 24.1 million views with 3.1 million likes. TikTok

  5. BBC News inquires of its TikTok audience "Have you seen Jean Philanthrope on your feed?" through a BBC Verify video. BBC News on TikTok

  6. A CapCut template version of the dance accumulates 2.8 million views by 14 October, with tutorial posts for single-photo Toc Toc templates continuing to appear daily.

Copy and paste

The Toc Toc Dance prompts

These aren't necessary: the one-click process handles them automatically, along with the trend clip. [Image 1] and [Image 2] represent your two photos, while [Video 1] is the trend clip your video replicates.

Human

1 photo: you, head to toesKling 3.0 Motion Control10 s · 720p · 9:1640 credits
Video prompt

Use the reference image as the sole character identity reference and the reference video as the motion reference. Animate exactly one adult dancer, in the place from the reference image. Preserve the person's recognizable face, hairstyle, skin tone, body proportions, outfit, shoes, and accessories throughout the video. Follow the reference dancer's movement order and timing, including the rhythmic one-foot hops, raised bent leg, fist-knocking gestures, and any turns visible in the clip. Do not invent additional moves. Keep the entire body visible from head to shoes, with enough space around both hands and feet. Follow the reference framing and camera movement. Maintain natural balance, believable landings, stable ground contact, and consistent shadows. Keep the face recognizable during turns. No extra dancers, duplicate bodies, extra limbs, fused fingers, outfit changes, new camera cuts, text, or watermark. Use a vertical 9:16 reference and output when supported. No big platinum wig, no round gold glasses, no goatee, no white suit and no white shoes unless the reference image shows them.

1104 characters

Duo

2 photos: you, who start the dance + your friend, who joins inSeedance 2.511 s · 720p · 9:16168 credits
Video prompt

Recreate the reference video [Video 1] shot for shot: the same bright living room with the light grey stone floor, the white walls, the grey slatted wall panel, the TV and the dried pampas grass, the same fixed phone camera, framing, timing and dance moves. The ONLY change: the man in black with the big yellow boots who starts the dance is now the person in [Image 1], and the woman in the snake-print top and brown flared trousers who skips in and dances beside him is now the person in [Image 2]. Dancer 1 = the person in [Image 1], in EVERY frame: copy the exact face from [Image 1] - face shape, eye color and eye shape, eyebrows, nose, mouth, skin tone, age, hair color, hair length and hairstyle, and any beard, moustache, glasses or freckles exactly as in the photo. They wear the clothes and shoes from [Image 1]. NO big yellow boots and no all-black outfit unless [Image 1] shows them. Dancer 2 = the person in [Image 2], in EVERY frame: copy the exact face from [Image 2] - face shape, eye color and eye shape, eyebrows, nose, mouth, skin tone, age, hair color, hair length and hairstyle, and any beard, moustache, glasses or freckles exactly as in the photo. They wear the clothes and shoes from [Image 2]. NO snake-print top, no brown flared trousers and no hair band unless [Image 2] shows them. The same real people in every frame, from the first second to the last, so their friends instantly recognize them, also when they swap places and turn. Never morph, never drift back to the original dancers' faces, never add or remove facial hair. Do not mix the two faces: [Image 1] is only dancer 1, [Image 2] is only dancer 2. Both change: no one from the video stays, also when only the back of a head shows. The dance, matching the reference second by second, on the beat: the rhythmic one-foot hops, raised bent leg, fist-knocking gestures, and any turns visible in the clip. Do not invent additional moves. 0-1.5 s: dancer 1 hops toward the camera alone, one knee raised high, arms loose. 1.5-4 s: dancer 2 skips in from behind and both dance side by side, swapping front and back. 4-5.5 s: dancer 1 dances in front with the arms spread, dancer 2 behind. 5.5-7.5 s: dancer 2 comes to the front with high knee lifts, dancer 1 behind. 7.5-11 s: both dance side by side and swap places on the beat until the end. Anatomy rules: one head per person, on that person's own shoulders. A face never appears on knees, legs, hands or clothes. Exactly two people. Natural balance, believable landings, stable ground contact. No extra dancers, duplicate bodies, extra limbs, fused fingers, text, logos or watermark.

2625 characters

How many credits does it cost?

Payment is per video in credits, with the exact cost shown on the Generate button before any charge. The single-click price includes the video creation, done in one operation from your photos and the trend clip, billed once. Each option has different pricing: Human 40 credits, Duo 168 credits, Pet 168 credits. Lower-cost models are available if you manually run the prompts in AI Video.

Video modelSettingsCredits
Human: Kling 3.0 Motion Control (this template)10 s, 720p, copies the moves of the trend clip, one tap40
Duo: Seedance 2.5 (this template)11 s, 720p, copies the trend clip, one tap168
Pet: Seedance 2.5 (this template)11 s, 720p, copies the trend clip, one tap168

One-time packs and plans are on the pricing page. A failed video gives its credits back.

What are the Toc Toc dance moves, second by second?

The Human option replicates the movements from the clip most trend versions mimic, applying them to the person in your photo. The camera remains fixed throughout one continuous take:

TimeWhat you do
0 to 1 sLook at the camera while hopping on one leg, other knee raised, arms relaxed.
1 to 3 sLift your knee on each beat, fist raised near your face tapping an imaginary door.
3 to 4 sStretch both arms out wide, one leg lifted.
4 to 8.5 sRotate to the side and skip across, kicking one leg behind on each beat.
8.5 to 10 sFace the camera again and extend both arms wide for the ending.

Your expression stays completely serious throughout: that's the comedy. Duo and Pet follow their own reels, featuring the same hopping, knocking and kicking.

The precise cost for each option appears on the Generate button before spending. Human is the cheapest. Each generation creates a fresh version, so outcomes vary.

Human, Duo or Pet: which Toc Toc dance video should you make?

Tap "Create your own" and select an option, or tap the button below the cat reel on this page for Pet.

HumanDuoPet
Photos1, you2, you and a friend1, your pet
How it worksKling 3.0 Motion Control extracts just the movements from the trend's source clip and applies them to youSeedance 2.5 inserts both of you into a partner Toc Toc reel, replacing the original two dancersSeedance 2.5 inserts your pet into the popular AI cat reel shown above, replacing that cat
Where you danceYour photo's actual locationThe reel's well-lit living roomThe reel's white room
ClothesFrom your photoFrom your photosFur and patterns from your photo
LengthAbout 10 s11 s11 s
SoundThe trend's audio, restored after generation; can be mutedThe sameThe same

Duo is perfect for sending to a friend: you begin the dance solo, your friend enters with a skip, and you switch positions in front of the camera on beat. Pet works with cats, dogs or other animals, standing upright on back legs.

A baby? Try the Toc Toc dance in the AI baby dance template: it preserves your baby's actual small body and infant proportions.

The other Jean Phil dance? The gang gang dance places you on a blue-lit competition stage.

Does it give me the Jean Phil look? No. Your face, hair and outfit match your photo. The bob, curled mustache and houndstooth suit are that character's creator's property, and Smew AI doesn't apply them to you.

What goes wrong, and how do you fix it?

ProblemFix
A big platinum wig, round glasses or a white suit show up (Human)The trend clip's dancer wears those. The prompt blocks them unless your photo includes them; generate again.
The legs look stiff or the feet slide (Human)Upload a full-body photo showing you standing. With just waist-up, the model invents your legs.
Big yellow boots or a snake-print top show up (Duo)The reel's dancers wear those. The prompt blocks them unless your photos include them; generate again.
The two faces swap or blend (Duo)Upload two sharp photos, one person per photo, faces toward the camera, then generate again.
Your pet comes out with tabby stripes or green eyes (Pet)The reel's cat is a green-eyed tabby. Upload a sharp photo showing the fur clearly, then generate again.
A hand or a paw blurs in a fast moveThis happens often during quick hops and kicks. Another generation will differ.
The model refuses a photoCertain photos are rejected. Your credits return; upload a different photo.

Which sound, caption and hashtags fit the Toc Toc dance?

Your clip includes the audio from the clip it replicates: the toc toc song the entire trend uses, restored after generation, so it's post-ready. You can disable it on the results screen and choose audio when posting instead. The song is owned by its copyright holders, and Smew AI grants you no license to it. Music policies vary by platform, so review them before using the clip in advertisements or sponsored posts.

Caption ideas: "Toc toc, who's there?", "POV: your upstairs neighbors", "Me when this song comes on", "My cat has more rhythm than me". Or create your own.

Hashtags: #toctoc is the main tag for the Toc Toc trend, with 36,674 TikTok videos and 510.1 million views as of 14 October 2026. #jeanphil had 5,110 videos with 195.5 million views, while #jeanphildance had 2,119 videos on that date. Keep the platform's AI indicator visible.

Looking for another single-photo dance? Try the Hawak Mo Ang Beat dance, or place your pet in the Nicole Kidman dance.

FAQ

Toc Toc Dance trend questions

What is the Toc Toc dance?
It's a viral TikTok dance from late September 2026: hopping on one leg with the other knee raised, knocking with a fist at an invisible door, kicking and skipping sideways, all performed with a completely serious expression to a French party track with a "toc toc toc" hook. The most-copied clip reached 3.4 million views by 14 October 2026.
Is the Toc Toc dance the same as the Jean Phil dance?
Yes, largely. The dance became popular through AI-generated clips of expressionless characters wearing wigs and retro suits, with Jean Phil being the most famous, so many people refer to it as the Jean Phil dance or Jean Phil Toc Toc. The Toc Toc dance isn't exclusive to one character: students, couples and animals perform it as well.
Who started the Toc Toc dance trend?
The choreographer hasn't been identified. The most frequently replicated clip was shared by French account @castinggastro on 28 September 2026, with its audio appearing in 2,378 TikTok videos by 13 October. The most-watched performance is from college crew @4thfloorboys, reaching 24.1 million views by 14 October.
How do I make the Toc Toc dance AI video with my photo?
Tap "Create your own", choose Human, Duo or Pet, and upload your photo, or two for Duo. Tap Generate; the cost displays first. You'll receive a roughly 10-second (Human) or 11-second (Duo and Pet) clip with audio. No prompt needed, and your video appears in your Library when complete.
Can I do the Toc Toc dance with a friend?
Yes, using Duo. Upload a photo of yourself and one of your friend. Seedance 2.5 inserts both of you into a partner Toc Toc reel: you begin solo, your friend enters with a skip, and you swap positions in front of the camera on beat, wearing your own outfits. Only use a friend's photo with their permission.
Can my cat or dog do the Toc Toc dance?
Yes, using Pet. Upload one clear photo of your pet, entire body visible. Seedance 2.5 inserts it into the viral AI cat reel shown on this page: it approaches the camera, then hops, knocks and kicks through the white room on back legs, with its actual fur and markings.
Can I make my baby do the Toc Toc dance?
Yes, on the [AI baby dance](/templates/ai-baby-dance) page: select its Toc Toc dance. That option preserves your baby's smaller body and infant proportions, which the adult options here don't. Only use photos of your own child, or a child whose parent authorized you.
What prompt does the Toc Toc AI trend use?
No trend creator published a prompt, and CapCut templates are proprietary. The Human option employs a public Toc Toc motion prompt for photo plus dance clip, changing only the photo descriptions and adding blocks for the clip dancer's appearance. Duo and Pet incorporate its movement language in our reel-replication prompts. You don't write any prompt.
Will the video give me a bob wig and a mustache?
No. You retain your actual face, hair and clothing from your photo. The Jean Phil appearance is that character's creator's property, so Smew AI doesn't apply it to you. If you want that appearance, wear it in your photo.
Where does the background of the video come from?
For Human, from your photo: Kling 3.0 Motion Control preserves your room, outdoors or garden and extracts only the movements from the trend clip. Duo and Pet replicate their reels, so you dance in that reel's well-lit living room while your pet uses that reel's white room.
What sound does my video have?
The audio from the clip it replicates, the toc toc song the trend uses, restored after generation. You can disable it on the results screen. The song is owned by its copyright holders, and Smew AI grants you no license to it.
How long is the video and what format is it?
Human generates roughly 10 seconds matching your photo's frame, so vertical photos produce vertical 9:16 clips. Duo and Pet generate 11 seconds, vertical 9:16. All are 720p MP4 files with audio and no watermark, ready for TikTok, Reels or Shorts.
Is the dance in the video real?
No. A Toc Toc AI dance is generated from still photos, and you, your friend or your pet never performed these movements. Only use your own photo, a picture of a consenting adult, or your own pet, and maintain the AI indicator when posting.
What else do people call the Toc Toc dance?
Some refer to it as the Toc Toc song dance or Toc Toc Toc dance, from the hook, while many call the entire trend the Jean Phil dance, named for its most famous character. You might also encounter the spelling toco toco dance.
How do I do the Toc Toc dance, step by step?
Hop on one leg with your other knee raised, tap an imaginary door with your fist near your face, then skip across while kicking one leg behind you. The table above breaks down each movement by second. Or upload one photo and the AI performs it.
Is there a Toc Toc dance CapCut template?
Yes, though CapCut templates are proprietary and only function within their app. Here an AI video generator creates the dance from one photo, including audio and requiring no prompt.
Where do I find the Toc Toc dance TikTok videos?
Search #toctoc on TikTok: it held 36,674 videos and 510 million views on 14 October 2026. The clips by @castinggastro and @4thfloorboys are the best known.
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Make your own Toc Toc Dance video

Upload one photo and tap once. No prompt required. 40 credits.

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