You can take a person off of Disney Channel, but you can’t take the Disney Channel out of the person. In a hilarious TikTok video posted Wednesday (March 18), Demi Lovato demonstrated that she’s still got it a full 17 years after Camp Rock premiered, recreating an iconic move from the film that made the star famous almost two decades ago.
In a montage of clips filmed during the performer’s recent trip to Disneyland, Lovato gets back in touch with their roots by performing the famous move — which Gen Z has lovingly dubbed “Disney Knees” in recent years — in a number of different locations across the theme park. Bending down and throwing an arm in the air behind her while holding up a fake microphone, the vocalist did the dance in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle, a Star Wars attraction and more spots around the park.
“Couldn’t go to Disney without doing the dis-knees,” Lovato captioned the video.
“Disney Knees” earned its name because Miley Cyrus, Hilary Duff and a few other ladies who got their starts on Disney Channel were all known to perform songs while similarly crouching to the beat with their knees pointed inward in a specific way (see: Cyrus’ “7 Things” music video). Lovato’s rendition while singing “This Is Me” at the end of 2008’s Camp Rock, however, remains one of the best-known examples of the phenomenon, which is why fans — who have been sharing their own takes on “Disney Knees” for years on social media — were so thrilled in the replies of the “Confident” singer’s Disneyland TikTok.
“She didn’t [win] the trend…SHE INVENTED IT,” one person commented, which Lovato liked. “gave the people what they kneeded,” another fan punned.
Even fellow former Disney Channel star and “Disney Knees” culprit Olivia Rodrigo had to share her respects. “forreal,” the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series alum commented.
Lovato appeared in a number of Disney Channel projects before branching off on their own as a pop singer. In addition to two Camp Rock films — in which the Jonas Brothers also got big breaks — the musician led the series Sonny With a Chance as well as starred alongside Selena Gomez in the movie Princess Protection Program.
Watch Lovato bust out into “Disney knees” at Disneyland below.
