It began as a dance, evolved into a viral meme, and now stands as a burgeoning trend embraced by elite athletes.
Over recent weeks, social media platforms globally have been saturated with videos showcasing a young boy from Indonesia, sporting sunglasses, exhibiting impressive balance atop a traditional racing boat while performing a captivating dance.
The phenomenon is being interpreted as the epitome of “aura farming,” an internet term referring to the act of cultivating an image of coolness and enhancing one’s charisma, often dubbed “rizz.”
These accessible and charismatic moves are now being replicated worldwide, with prominent figures such as American Football player Travis Kelce, F1 driver Alex Albon, and the Paris Saint-Germain football team all participating in the trend.
At the heart of this sensation is eleven-year-old Rayyan Arkan Dikha, who shared with the BBC that his now-famous moves were born spontaneously.
“I created the dance myself,” he told BBC Indonesia on Thursday.
“It was entirely spontaneous.”
The fifth-grader, hailing from a village in Kuantan Singingi Regency, was debuting at the national Pacu Jalur boat race. “Pacu” translates to race, while “Jalur” denotes the long, canoe-like boats used in the competition.
Dikha holds the position of Togak Luan – the dancer positioned at the boat’s tip, tasked with energizing the crew.
In the widely circulated video, he dons a traditional Teluk Belanga outfit with a Malay Riau headcloth. Perched on the prow of the speeding race boat, propelled by at least 11 adults, he rhythmically moves his arms while maintaining a stoic expression, blowing kisses to either side.
His dance features sequences involving extending one hand forward at chest level while sweeping the other beneath, followed by rolling both fists like a wheel as he transitions from left to right. Another sequence sees him striking a balanced pose, extending one arm forward and the other backward.
Videos accompanied by various soundtracks under hashtags such as “aura farming kid on boat” and “boat race kid aura” have amassed millions of views on TikTok since late June. Dikha has also acquired the moniker “The Reaper.”
“He’s known as ‘the reaper’ because he never loses,” reads a top-liked comment under a clip that has garnered 1.1 million likes.
“Bro taking out opps[opponents] while aura farming is crazy,” remarks another.
Numerous online users have attempted to emulate his moves, posting videos of themselves or their friends recreating the dance.
Sports teams have also taken note. On July 1st, Paris Saint-Germain, the French football club, uploaded a TikTok clip attempting the boat racing dance, accompanied by the caption: “His aura made it all the way to Paris.” The video has garnered over 7 million views in just 10 days.
The following day, Travis Kelce, NFL player and partner of pop icon Taylor Swift, posted his own version, which has since exceeded 14 million views.
“Dancing at the tip of the boat is not easy,” Fadli Zon, Indonesia’s minister of culture, told reporters at an event held to honor Dikha on Wednesday.
“Maintaining balance as a dancer who motivates the Pacu Jalur rowing team is truly not simple. Perhaps that’s why children are chosen instead of adults – because it’s easier for them to keep balance.”
Dikha’s mother, Rani Ridawati, conveyed to BBC Indonesia that the concern is genuine.
“The main concern is that he might fall,” she stated, while also noting his strong swimming ability.
“Sometimes if he falls accidentally or suddenly, I worry he might get hit by the paddles.
“But if he falls, there’s already a rescue team. The rescue team is in place,” she affirmed.
Although Dikha doesn’t recognize the celebrities who have replicated his dance—initially claiming to know Travis Kelce before admitting he doesn’t—he is rapidly gaining prominence himself, particularly in his home country.
Last week, he was designated a cultural ambassador by the governor of Riau, his home province.
This week, he and his mother were invited to Jakarta, the capital, to meet with the country’s ministers of culture and tourism and to appear on national television.
He expresses his “happiness” that his dance is gaining global recognition.
“Every time my friends see me, they say ‘you’re viral’,” he shares with a shy smile.
While his aspiration is to become a police officer, he offers one piece of advice for those aspiring to follow in his footsteps:
“Stay healthy, friends, so you can become like me.”
The US will lower its tariffs threatened on goods from Indonesia to 19% from a planned 32%.
The woman, known as “Ms Golf”, allegedly had sexual relations with monks and extorted money from them.
Auctioneers in London say it’s thought to be the only oil portrait the Indian independence leader sat for.
Police in India arrest a man they say was driving the car that hit Fauja Singh in his village on Monday.
The attempt by a high school teacher and a student’s father was foiled when the security alarm went off.