# Smalltown Boy Trend (Run Away Turn Away) > The Smalltown Boy trend, also called the Run Away Turn Away trend, sets a big, dramatic duo performance to Bronski Beat's 1984 synth-pop hit "Smalltown Boy". Canonical: https://aidanceapp.com/templates/smalltown-boy-dance Updated: 2026-10-26 Publisher: AI Dance (https://aidanceapp.com), by Applax Pte. Ltd. The Smalltown Boy trend, also called the Run Away Turn Away trend, sets a big, dramatic duo performance to Bronski Beat's 1984 synth-pop hit "Smalltown Boy". On the "run away, turn away" line, the person closest to the camera grabs their head and screams into the lens, then the second person takes over, and both finish side by side, dancing like it's the 80s. Upload one photo of you and a friend, and AI Dance swaps the two of you into the clip, with the song, in a 15-second 9:16 video. ## Facts - Price: 8 credits per video. A failed video gives its credits back. - Output: 15 second 9:16 MP4, ready in a few minutes. - Works with photos of: two people. - Song: Smalltown Boy by Bronski Beat (named only, add it when you post). - Trend status: Rising now (checked 2026-10-26). - Example video: https://aidanceapp.com/media/t/smalltown-boy-dance/smalltown-boy-dance-duo.mp4 (the original dance by @higgsfield, https://higgsfield.ai/s/ps44e16009b6c245899939ec62c0710f6b, with its original sound). ## What is the Smalltown Boy Trend (Run Away Turn Away) trend? "Smalltown Boy" is the 1984 debut single by the British synth-pop band Bronski Beat, known for Jimmy Somerville's falsetto and the chorus line "run away, turn away, run away". Four decades later it is a TikTok sound again, and the trend plays the chorus for laughs: every "run away, turn away" gets an over-the-top reaction to the camera. The clip on this page shows two football players in matching blue uniforms by a red wooden fence. One performs close to the camera with huge reactions, grabbing his head, screaming and pushing his hands at the lens, while the other dances in the background. Then they trade places, and they finish together, filmed from a low angle against the sky before walking into the camera. In October 2026 it became a popular AI swap template on Higgsfield, where people recast the two players with other faces. On AI Dance it works like our other duo dances. Instead of animating your photo in its own background, it recasts the two people from your photo into the original clip, keeping the moves, the camera and the song. That takes more computing, which is why it costs 8 credits instead of 1 or 2. AI Dance is not affiliated with Bronski Beat, their label, or Higgsfield. ### The moves On the "run away, turn away" chorus the person closest to the camera grabs their head, screams, holds their face and pushes both hands toward the lens. The second person then steps up for the same big reactions, with fists on the head and a stunned face, while the first dances behind. For the finish, both stand side by side, bounce in a low-angle shot against the sky, and walk into the camera waving. ## How to make the Smalltown Boy Trend (Run Away Turn Away) video 1. **Add your photo.** Upload one photo of two people, side by side in one photo. Both bodies visible, both faces sharp. 2. **Tap Make my video.** The Smalltown Boy Trend (Run Away Turn Away) dance costs 8 credits. The AI copies the moves onto your photo while you wait, about a few minutes. 3. **Download and post.** You get a 15 second 9:16 MP4. It comes with the dance's music. Post it on TikTok, Reels or Shorts, and swap the sound inside the app if you like. ## Best photo for Smalltown Boy Trend (Run Away Turn Away) - Use a photo with exactly two people, standing side by side. - Both faces should be clear and facing the camera, not covered by hands, hats or sunglasses. - Full-body or knee-up photos work best: the finish shows both people head to shoes. - The person on the left of your photo takes the first close-up, the person on the right the second. - Avoid crowded photos: people in the background can confuse who gets swapped in. - Use photos of yourself and people who agreed to be in the video. Avoid: - More than two people in the photo - One person hidden behind the other - Faces turned away or in deep shadow - Blurry or very dark photos ## Post it on TikTok, Reels or Shorts - Your video comes with the music of the clip. To use the official sound instead, turn the original sound down when you post and search for "Smalltown Boy" by Bronski Beat in TikTok or Reels. - Start on the "run away, turn away" line, so the first scream lands on it. - Tag the friend who is in the video. A duo post reaches the second person's followers too. - Use the tags people search for: #runawayturnaway, #smalltownboy and #80sdance. Caption idea: run away, turn away 😱 Hashtags: #runawayturnaway #smalltownboy #80sdance #aidance #bestfriends ## Smalltown Boy Trend (Run Away Turn Away) trend timeline - 1984: Bronski Beat release "Smalltown Boy" as their debut single. (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smalltown_Boy) - 2026-10: The two-player clip spreads as an AI swap template on Higgsfield. (source: https://higgsfield.ai/s/ps44e16009b6c245899939ec62c0710f6b) - 2026-10-26: The Smalltown Boy trend arrives on AI Dance as a two-person template. ## More dances like this - [Hotel Lobby](https://aidanceapp.com/templates/hotel-lobby): 8 credits, 15 s, for two people. - [Gas Station Dance](https://aidanceapp.com/templates/gas-station-dance): 8 credits, 18 s, for two people. - [Supalonely](https://aidanceapp.com/templates/supalonely-dance): 1 credit, 11 s, for person. - [Thank You Babeh](https://aidanceapp.com/templates/thank-you-babeh-dance): 1 credit, 9 s, for person. - [C-Walk](https://aidanceapp.com/templates/c-walk): 2 credits, 20 s, for kid. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the Run Away Turn Away trend? A TikTok trend set to "Smalltown Boy" by Bronski Beat: on the "run away, turn away" line people grab their heads and scream at the camera. The AI version swaps the two performers in a viral duo clip for you and a friend. ### What song is it? "Smalltown Boy" by Bronski Beat, their 1984 debut single. The trend uses the "run away, turn away, run away" chorus. ### How do I make the Smalltown Boy trend video? Upload one photo of two people side by side on this page, check the preview and tap Generate. AI Dance puts both people into the clip, and your video is ready in a few minutes. ### Is the Smalltown Boy AI dance free? No, Smalltown Boy costs 8 credits per video, because it rebuilds a whole scene with both people in it instead of animating one dancer. Credit packs start at $4.49 for 3 credits, and the weekly plan is $7.99 for 8 credits a week. Invite 3 friends with your link. When 3 friends join with Google sign-in, you get a free video (1 credit), up to 10 times. Each invite reward is 1 credit, so one Smalltown Boy video takes 8 of them. ### How long is the Smalltown Boy video, and how long does it take? The video is about 15 seconds long, in 9:16 MP4 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts. It is ready in a few minutes, and it also appears in My videos, so you can leave the page. ### Can I do it alone or with three people? This trend is built for a duo, so use a photo of exactly two people. For a solo video, pick a one-person dance such as C-Walk or Supalonely. ### Who made the dance video on this page? The clip on this page is the original two-player video used by the Higgsfield community template "Athlete Dance Swap"; it is shown with its original sound and a link to the template. Your own video is made by AI from your photo, so you do not need to learn the moves. ### Is AI Dance affiliated with Bronski Beat or Higgsfield? No. AI Dance is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Bronski Beat, their label, or Higgsfield. The names are used only to describe the trend. ### Does the video have music? Yes. Your video comes with the music of the Smalltown Boy dance clip, timed to the moves. To post with the official "Smalltown Boy" sound instead, add it in TikTok, Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts and line up the first beat. ### Will my photo be shared? Your photo is used only to make your video. We never show it to other users. Photos are stored in our cloud storage only to make your video. You can delete your videos, and you can ask support@danceaiapp.com to delete your data.