Zac Efron High School Musical: Titokers re-create Troy Bolton 'Scream' dance sequence - with funny results

The best films are loved for many years, even decades, after they were first released. Now, in the age of social media, they even find new fans when clips from them are shared on such platforms.

That’s exactly what’s happened with the hugely successful 2000’s Disney film franchise High School Musical. It may have been almost 20 years since movie-goers were introduced to basketball star Troy Bolton (played by Zac Efron) and studious Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens), who meet when they both decide to audition for the lead parts in their school’s play.

The film franchise was loved by tweens and teens worldwide and led to three films, a TV series, and a whole host of merchandise. But, now, it’s had a resurgence thanks to a TikTok challenge which has been dubbed the ‘Troy Bolton Scream Challenge’.

The challenge sees people attempt to re-create a dance sequence performed by Efron in High School Musical 3: Senior Year. The song is called “Scream’” and sees Efron’s Troy Bolton dance through the halls of the high school as he expresses his anguish about choices he must make about his future after high school is over.

The lyrics of the song, which he also sings, as he dances are: “I don’t know where to go, what’s the right thing. I want my own thing so bad I’m gonna scream. I can’t choose, so confused, what’s it all mean? I want my own dream so bad I’m gonna scream.”

The dance routine sees Efron move throughout  the high school hall and jump and slide around in the way that only a basketball player could. The key part of the scene, however, is that thanks to some serious skills and clever stage setting and camerawork, there are points where it appears that Efron’s character is standing on the walls and even the ceiling. It looks like something of an optical illusion, in fact.

You can watch the topsy turvy, mind bending performance, which was performed on a rotating stage, for yourself below as one TikTok user has helpfully uploaded a clip.

This month marks 15 years since High School Musical 3 was released in cinemas, so to celebrate this milestone TikTok users have tried their hand at re-creating the dance in their own school halls - or corridors in their home. One video reenacting Efron’s dance, posted by @everythingsr0sie, has been viewed more than 2.5 million times and has over 490k likes. You can view that below also. Her attempt was very successful as she even had a friend film her and rotate the camera accordingly.

Other TikTok users also managed to perform the dance pretty well - and achieved an upside down effect by asking their cameraman to move the camera around. TikToker @averieharley posted her video and declared: “Here is my audition for HSM. Zac Efron you got competition sir.”

Another user @ethanflowerz said they were “just living my high school musical fantasy at work” in performing the challenge and even posted three videos showing him mimicking Efron’s original dance moves.

Not every attempt at the challenge was a success, however. Many people who tried it, including a man called Pierre, who found that not having the same rotating stage as Efron meant it was very difficult to move in the same way as him.

“Scream” was also covered by Joshua Bassett in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, season 4.