Synopsis

Roots Manuva performs in an abstract, brightly colored studio populated by dancers dressed and painted to resemble stylized mannequins. Their stiff, geometric choreography turns the performance into something closer to a moving art installation than a conventional dance video. Roots appears both amused and distracted as he tries to hold the viewer's attention amid the strange visual spectacle, while Toddla T makes a brief cameo. The refined color palette, unusual costumes, and deliberately artificial movement give the clip a playful, surreal tone.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was built around a deliberately abstract and unreal visual world, with a muted matte color palette rather than the glossy colors often associated with mainstream pop videos.

• The dancers were designed to look robotic and mannequin-like. Their choreography emphasizes shapes and movement instead of presenting them as conventional sexy backing dancers.

• The costumes introduced a Bauhaus-inspired quality that reinforced the geometric production design and the dancers' artificial appearance.

• Much of the visual confusion was created in camera rather than through extensive post-production effects.

• The dancers' body paint was applied over their entire bodies, a process that the production team noted took a considerable amount of time.

• The song began as an original Roots Manuva demo. Toddla T reshaped that material into his version, while Roots later released his own interpretation as part of the same single campaign.

• The single package included remixes by Andrew Weatherall, Sebastian, Heartbreak, and SX, underlining the track's position between UK rap, dancehall, electro, and club music.

• "Watch Me Dance" was released through Ninja Tune in 2011 and also served as the title track for Toddla T's second studio album.