Prime Minister's Apology for 6-7 Dance Incident at Welland Academy
The head teacher of Welland Academy in Peterborough received an apology from the prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, after he inadvertently joined primary school children in a rendition of the popular 6-7 dance meme. The visit was intended to promote the expansion of the free school meals program, with Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson also in attendance. During a reading session with students, Sir Keir made the juggling hand gesture associated with the phrase "6-7" when a student pointed out they were on page 67, causing laughter among the class.
The teacher informed Sir Keir that students could get in trouble for using the phrase in school, indicating that the "6-7" trend was still prevalent among students. As he left the classroom, the prime minister remarked to head teacher Jo Anderson that the class had been a bit chaotic, only to learn that the dance was actually banned at the school. He promptly apologized to the head teacher, clarifying that he did not initiate the dance.
Sir Keir shared a video of the incident on Instagram, jokingly suggesting that he might have landed himself in detention. The "6-7" phrase, which originated with Generation Alpha, has become a viral sensation and was even named Dictionary.com's Word of the Year for 2025. The phrase and its associated dance have captivated classrooms across the UK, much to the confusion and irritation of some parents and educators.
According to Dictionary.com, the phrase likely originated from a song called "Doot Doot (67)" by US rapper Skrilla, which gained popularity on TikTok and other social media platforms. The exact meaning of the phrase remains unclear, with some interpreting it as "so-so" or "maybe this, maybe that." Teenager Maverick Trevillian became known as the "6-7" kid after a video of him shouting the phrase at a basketball game went viral, amassing over 7.7 million views on YouTube.