Strictly Come Dancing dancer Oti Mabuse has choreographed a new dance that is sweeping the internet – teaching people how to perform CPR. The 30-second video clip, performed to Olly Murs' number 1 hit song, “Heart Skips A Beat”, shows the South African dancer demonstrating the five key steps to cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
The educational choreography, shared on TikTok, shows Oti showing fans how to check for danger and then for breathing, before calling 999 for help. The next step is to look for or ask for a defibrillator, before finally carrying out chest compressions – at two beats per second, with hands interlocked.
The two-time Strictly Come Dancing winner partnered with Resuscitation Council UK to record the important dance routine.
The star told her 325,000 TikTok fans : “I've done the #ResusCPRChallenge to raise awareness about cardiac arrest. Did you know three-quarters of British adults know CPR – but less than half feel confident performing it? In five simple steps, you can learn how to save a life. I challenge my sister @motsimabusetanzschule and the beautiful @thisisdavinamccall to take part and do the dance.”
Other celebrity stars, including ITV’s The Masked Dancer presenter Davina McCall, and Oti’s sister, Motsi Mabuse, have been urged to film their own version of the dance to raise awareness about the importance of CPR. And also participating in the new trend is TV presenter and actor Karim Zeroual, who has filmed his own version of the dance.
TikTokers have been encouraged to record their own version of Oti’s dance and share on their social media platforms – as figures show almost three-quarters have been told how to perform the life-saving skill, but less than half of those (44 per cent) feel confident administering it.
Esther Kuku, director of communications at Resuscitation Council UK, said: “Having Oti on board to choreograph such a creative and engaging dance will help raise awareness of CPR, and highlight just how easy it is to learn. The more people who know how to perform this life-saving skill, the more chance people have of surviving a cardiac arrest – which can happen to anyone at anytime, so everyone needs to know that their two hands could save a life.”
The dance was recorded after the charity conducted research, via OnePoll, which found that just two in five adults (41 per cent) knew where to find a defibrillator. And worryingly, less than a third (29 per cent) know how to use a defibrillator on someone in cardiac arrest. Almost a quarter (23 per cent) said they would leave a person in cardiac arrest to phone an ambulance – something which is strongly advised against by Resuscitation Council UK.
Esther Kuku added: “While it’s encouraging that almost three-quarters of adults say they know how to perform CPR, there is always room to learn and develop these skills, particularly for those who may not have brushed up on it for some time. We believe Oti’s video will go some way to ensure engagement and embed confidence in performing CPR.”
To learn more, visit @resuscouncilUK or resus.org.uk/oti.
