The Voice UK: What is the dab?

Week two of The Voice UK and while Jennifer Hudson, Tom Jones, will.i.am and Gavin Rossdale are becoming a familiar line-up on the show, there was a brand new addition to tonight’s coaching panel: the dab.

As one audience member called for coach Gavin to “dab”, the Bush frontman obliged by performing a Usain Bolt-style gesture, which was quickly replicated by the rest of coaches.

However, if you're like Tom Jones and a tad rusty when it comes to the big-on-the-internet dance move, you've probably got a few questions about the dab...

How do you dab?

Simple: point one arm towards the sky while bowing your head into your other arm.

Here are J-Hud and Will giving it a graceful go…

Followed by Tom Jones, performing a mere 6/10 dab ­– great arm action, but no critical head bow.

How did the dab start?

Dabbing was originally slang for a form of marijuana use, but much like will.i.am catchphrase “dope”, “dab” has gone on to have a second meaning.

Although nobody is sure exactly where it comes from, many claim the dab dance started in Atlanta, Georgia. A handful of rappers from the group Migos packed their music videos with the dab – most notably in their song ‘B**** Dab’.

You can see the video below, which unsurprisingly contains some strong language.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2EfpQiOQrY

And thus the dab was invented, but it only really got popular after American Football superstar Cam Newton performed the dance on pitch at every opportunity .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv3ScH5ChsY

Thanks to the Carolina Panthers quarterback, the dance quickly started an online trend – one that many celebs got on board with.

So, what celebrities have done the dab?

Plenty of Premier League pros have incorporated the dance into their goal celebrations and many A-list celebs have also dabbled with the dab.

First up, here’s Prince Harry making himself very popular with a school by pulling out the dab...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-qB19_oLPI

…And then there’s Tom Hanks and his son Chet trying it out…