Meet the Rat King: Dancer behind American Ballet Theatre's viral 'The Nutcracker' videos
"I never would have thought that it would get so big," American Ballet Theatre dancer Cy Doherty said about the company's annual "RatTok" dance videos.
The rats are back.
A video of three ballet dancers, decked out in costume for America Ballet Theatre's "The Nutcracker," has gone viral on TikTok, garnering over 3.5 million views as of Wednesday. The video, part of an annual "RatTok" series, promotes the classic ballet production.
In the video, three ballet dancers bust a move to Beyoncé's 2008 single, "Diva." According to the video's caption, the dancers are Cy Doherty, who plays the Mouse King (informally known as the Rat King) and Melvin Lawovi and Andrew Robare, who are part of the rodent royalty.
American Ballet Theatre's "The Nutcracker" is performing at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California through Dec. 22.
Who is the Rat King?
Twenty-five-year-old Doherty is the mastermind behind American Ballet Theatre's viral video, which is part of an annual series that has inspired an entire TikTok sub-genre called, "RatTok."
Doherty joined American Ballet Company in 2021 as an apprentice, which was the same year he was cast to play the Mouse King in "The Nutcracker." He has played the role since.
In addition to dancing, Doherty also co-manages the American Ballet Theatre's social media platforms.
"I remember seeing a TikTok dance in 2021 and thinking, This would be perfect in the rat costume.' I sent it over to my colleagues and said we had to do this because it might do really well," Doherty told Paste BN. "Once we posted that, it went viral and it started a massive trend of people all over the world posting videos in their rat costumes. I never would have thought that it would get so big."
That first video, posted in December 2021, features two dancers, including Doherty, dressed as rats dancing to "Own Brand Freestyle" by Dreya Mac and FelixThe1st. The video, with the caption, "I ain't never been with a rattie," had more than 7.3 million views, as of Wednesday − the most popular "RatTok" video.
Doherty said he spends all year saving different TikTok dance trends he thinks could work well in the rat costumes.
"It's been so much fun seeing the reaction of everyone," Doherty said. "I have a really fun time putting it all together."
In total, American Ballet Theatre has shared 16 "RatTok" videos with a collective 30 million views.
What is 'The Nutcracker' about?
"The Nutcracker" is a short story and ballet about a girl named Clara who receives a wooden nutcracker doll from her grandfather for Christmas. In her dreams, the nutcracker comes to life as a prince. The two visit the Land of Sweets and Delights and fight off the Mouse King. The story is a classic Christmas coming-of-age tale.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at Paste BN. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.