<P> The Running Man (aka The Hungry Caterpillar), originally an African dance, is a street and fad dance that originated between late 1986--early 1987 and was performed notably by Janet Jackson in the video of her hit "Rhythm Nation" and subsequently on the Rhythm Nation World Tour and various live performances . It was first performed in a Fela Kuti concert called "Cross Examination" by one of his back - up dancers / ex-wife in Berlin in 1978 . Additionally, it was performed by MC Hammer, Bobby Brown, Milli Vanilli, and Vanilla Ice during their live concert shows and music videos, but achieved renewed popularity in the 2000s . It is also used in some forms of the Melbourne Shuffle dance style . It consists of a hopping or sliding step done in such a way at speed to simulate a runner . </P> <P> The Running Man achieved celebrity focus in 2007 with Britney Spears doing an homage to it during her M + M's: Concerts From The HOB Tour 2007 and Scarlett Johansson stating of her dancing in an interview with Seventeen that, "I do a great Running Man ." </P>

Where does running in the 90s come from