By Cynthia Retamozo

They are named after everything from comfort foods to superheroes and they are bringing people together in droves. Whether at a formal function or a college party, choreographed dances are sure to draw attention.

Lately, “Superman” from the video for hip hop artist Soulja Boy’s single “Crank That” is the hit choreographed dance. The title comes from the dance’s distinguishing move, where the performer leans forward with their arms spread out like the comic book superhero. Instructional videos on YouTube for the “Superman” have already exceeded 12 million hits.

“Thrill the World” recently united people worldwide in a performance of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”

Ines Markeljevic, director of the Thrill the World organization, said one reason for choreographed dances’ popularity is that they are relatively easy to learn.

“We want to break people’s notion that they can’t dance,” Markeljevic said. “Many nondancers participate and we receive e-mails of praise from people who once thought they had two left feet.”

Last year, Thrill the World set a Guinness world record for the largest number of people doing “Thriller” at once. The group recently aimed to shatter that record and gathered 1,669 people in 48 cities, including Boston, and in five continents to once again perform “Thriller” simultaneously and are currently waiting to hear back from the Record Holders Republic, the registry for world records.

Whether it is old school favorites like “Thriller” or the “Macarena” or more recent ones like “Shoulder Lean,” most students have seen one of these dances performed on campus.

During parties at afterHOURS, students often jump into the middle of the dance floor and show off their moves when songs with choreographed dances are played.

Sophomore undeclared major Dyani Williams said often the music that goes with the dances have beats that encourages one to get up and learn the dance.

“They’re fun to dance to,” she said. “It sort of puts you in awe. They have this energy that makes you want to get up and move.”

Williams first said she saw choreographed dances about a year ago, when she saw “Chicken Noodle” being performed on the Black Entertainment Television channel. She also knows how to do the “Walk It Out” and the “Two Step.”

How quickly one learns a dance depends on how many steps the dance has, she said. She usually picks up a dance after watching other people do it over and over again at parties.

Sophomore economics major Bethel Alemu is also familiar with the dances. One reason she thinks they are so popular is because their titles are self-explanatory. One example is the “Shoulder Lean,” which has the performer leaning back on each shoulder during the song’s chorus.

In addition, Alemu said often people learn a dance if they know the corresponding song is going to be played at a party. This way they can be part of the group that jumps to the middle of the floor rather than standing to the side.

“They’re played at a lot of parties,” she said. “So you learn it before the party so you can do it, too.”