Choose the Thriller dance version you want to learn
The music video, group events, and short posts can use different steps and music edits. Ask your group which version to learn. Our Thriller dance version comparison explains the differences.
| You want to learn | Start here |
|---|---|
| A group routine in eight sections | Thrill The World lessons. This is the event's modified version. |
| A few steps in a short video | TikTok teaching clips. Each card explains which section it covers. |
| A simpler dance to follow | PL3Y's beginner routine. Learn the combinations, then follow along. |
Wear comfortable clothes, leave room to turn, and keep the teacher's feet in view.
Which Thriller dance move are you stuck on?
These links open chapters in Carrie Mitchell's back-view lesson. It teaches part of the dance. The times belong to that tutorial, not the original film or TTW routine.
| Practice this | Start the chapter |
|---|---|
| Opening march | 1:18 · Back view |
| Claw-hand section | 4:18 · Back view |
| Shoulder and head accents | 11:44 · Back view |
| Shoulder shimmy and side shuffle | 17:49 · Back view |
| Hips, knees, and wrists | 20:22 · Back view |
| Zombie walking combination | 24:44 · Back view |
| Slow review of this section | 29:12 · Back view |
The opening march at 1:18 and the later walking combination at 24:44 are different sections. Start with the feet before adding the hands, shoulders, and turns.
Should you follow front view, back view, or mirrored?
Back view lets you face the same direction as the teacher. Front view is useful for seeing shapes and expression. A studio mirror in the shot does not prove that the video has been digitally mirrored.
| Video label | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Front view / TTW Demo | Watch the teacher facing you to see the whole movement. |
| Breakdown / TTW Break it Down | Listen to the explanation. These are the eight clips in our chooser. |
| Back view / TTW Dance | Follow with the teacher facing away. Try the first back-view practice. |
| Mirrored | Use this label only when the creator confirms the image is reversed. |
The TTW Albuquerque index explains these teaching labels and links each section's demonstration, breakdown, and back-view practice.
Learn the Thriller dance in eight lessons
These are the lessons linked by Thrill The World, taught by Ines Markeljevic. These are the breakdown clips. Watch the explanation, then use the organizer's back-view practices or full run-throughs.
This is the modified Thrill The World group routine. Its section names and transitions belong to that version. Use your event organizer's routine for a group performance.
By Ines Markeljevic · Thrill The World · Watch on YouTube (opens in a new tab) ↗
The organizer's page also has a written dance script.
Practice the full Thrill The World routine
Both run-throughs below use the same Thrill The World routine, with spoken cues for each section.
- Start with the slow run-through. Pause when you lose a transition and return to that lesson.
- Try the normal-speed run-through when you can follow the sequence without stopping.
Spoken cues help you remember the order. They are different from the teacher explaining a move. Keep the same routine and starting cue when you increase the playback speed.
Learn short Thriller dance sections on TikTok
Dance Made Doable teaches the opening steps. Carrie focuses on a walking combination. Both use a back view with a studio mirror; neither is labelled digitally mirrored here. Continue each series on its own account.
Back view with a studio mirror. Learn the opening steps, then add shoulder and head accents, claw hands, and side steps. Some movements are slowed down.
By Dance Made Doable · @dance.made.doable · Watch on TikTok (opens in a new tab) ↗
Back view with a studio mirror. At 1:12, Carrie breaks down three walking steps and two knee switches. This clip teaches one section of her routine.
By Carrie Mitchell · @beginnerdancetutorials · Watch on TikTok (opens in a new tab) ↗
Watch the weight changes in the zombie walk
In Carrie's TikTok, watch the feet from 1:12: three steps and two knee switches before changing direction. Add the hands after you can follow the weight changes.
For another breakdown of this section, watch Dance Made Doable's Part 3. It covers the walk, jumps, turns, and a shimmy. Part 3 is a later lesson; return to that account for the sections in between.
Try a simpler Thriller dance for beginners
PL3Y teaches a simplified routine in combinations, then a run without music and a follow-along with music. Keep those combinations together rather than mixing them into the TTW sequence.
Learn the combinations with the teacher, then join the full follow-along. This is a simplified version, separate from the Thrill The World course above.
By PL3Y · DANCEPL3Y · Watch on YouTube (opens in a new tab) ↗
Use the teacher's chapters to find the part you want to practice:
- 0:37 — Learn the hip combination
- 7:08 — Practice the travelling steps
- 7:57 — Learn the Thriller combination
- 11:16 — Put it together without music
- 14:20 — Follow along with music
Match your Thriller lesson with its music practice
Use the same teacher's companion video. A song title alone does not identify the edit, speed, or starting point. These pairs belong to different teaching versions:
| Version | Learn the moves | Practice with music |
|---|---|---|
| Carrie's 2026 back-view lesson | Part of the dance, step by step | Its linked music demonstration |
| Carrie's 2019 lesson | Earlier beginner tutorial | Its full dance with music |
| Thrill The World | Eight breakdown lessons | Slow and normal-speed cueing runs |
Carrie's 2026 companion separates slower cueing at 0:00, up-to-tempo cueing at 1:29, and practice without cues at 2:33. Use those chapters for the section taught in her lesson.
Carrie explains on her 2019 lesson page that music copyright is why she separated that tutorial from its music demonstration. That explanation applies to her pair. It does not explain every tutorial with no music or every playback problem.
Make each practice run easier
Repeat the last movement of one section and the first of the next. Practice the transition as well as each move.
| What trips you up | What to try |
|---|---|
| Switching versions halfway through | Learn one teacher's sequence first. Different beginner versions use different transitions. |
| Watching only the hands | Watch which foot carries the weight before adding the arms and head movements. |
| Losing your place between sections | Replay the end of one lesson and the start of the next together. |
| Getting left and right mixed up | Try a back-view lesson. Follow the teacher's directions and check the feet as well as the mirror. |
| Starting at full speed | Use a slower run-through or the player's speed setting, then build up to normal speed. |
Add the costume after you know the steps
When you add a red jacket or a zombie costume, check that you can still move your arms and see your steps.
See our AI Thriller dance previews
Want a dance video made from photos? Preview our Solo, Group, and Pets concepts. Photo uploads and video creation are coming soon. The teacher videos on this page are learning resources.
Read our Thriller dance history guide to learn about the original choreography, or explore our Thriller character swap guide for photo and video ideas.