How Just Dance 2025 Edition Raises ADHD Awareness

Just Dance 2025 Edition features 40 new songs of chart-topping hits and pop party anthems, including "BANG BANG (My Neurodivergent Anthem)" by Galantis. The song is an exploration of band leader Christian Karlsson's attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis. According to Just Dance 2025's Creative Content Manager Hélène, the song's unabashed themes about neurodiversity - and that it's a "certified banger" - made it a very attractive addition to the Just Dance 2025 Edition song list.

"Mental health and neurodiversity topics are a part of our inclusion efforts at Just Dance," says Hélène. "We wanted to give our players positive representations of neurodiversity, so when we came across the song, we saw a good opportunity to do it right."

Introducing a song into Just Dance isn't just about securing the rights to it - the development team creates bespoke maps, choreography, and (occasionally) coaches to create the best possible experience. They wanted the map to give insight into what having ADHD is like, as well as be a moment of positive representation for those who have it. In order to create an authentic ADHD experience in Just Dance 2025 Edition, Hélène knew the team needed to bring in experts to help during every phase of the creative process, so she reached out to Ubisoft's Neurodiversity Employee Resource Group (ERG).

Pierre, a founding member of Ubisoft's Neurodiversity ERG and current Director of Ubisoft's Neurodiversity Talent Program, pulled together an exhaustive presentation to kickstart a conversation about what having ADHD looks like and what a positive representation in Just Dance might look like.

"We wanted to present a neurological condition through choreography, so we came to the team with the idea of trying to represent several states of ADHD." says Pierre.

The collaboration resulted in a map that elevates "BANG BANG (My Neurodivergent Anthem)" by Galantis to show a journey through what it's like to have ADHD.

Inattentive

The "BANG BANG (My Neurodivergent Anthem)" by Galantis map begins by representing the inattentive state that people with ADHD can experience. The city in the background quickly blurs as the coach begins to dance, and the choreography is smooth and slow. The inattentive state is also known as the "dreamer state," and that's exactly what this part of the map feels like: dancing in a dreamscape.

According to Pierre, there is a strong link between ADHD and music. Not only is it a creative outlet to express oneself, it's also a way to channel energy and bring structure. Neurologist Oliver Sacks once wrote "Nothing activates the brain so extensively as music," and according to Pierre, current research shows a strong connection between people with ADHD and dance, especially in the electronic dance music scene. Karlsson, who has been outspoken about his ADHD diagnosis and wrote the song, has noted that making music has been a form of self-medication, and has helped him understand his diagnosis and how his brain functions.

"You can also make a parallel with videogames, because we often say there is a natural connection between videogames and neurodiversity as well," says Pierre. "I would say there's also a natural connection between neurodiversity and creative work. And on Just Dance, we have the opportunity to combine the videogame medium with music, dance, and creativity. It's perfect."

Hyperactive

As the dance moves out of the inattentive state, the choreography speeds up, becoming almost frenetic in the movement. Multicolored neon lines begin to zoom across the screen, representing racing thoughts. The coach has officially entered the hyperactive state.

For many, there may be a hesitancy to accept an ADHD diagnosis, let alone share it with others. While mental-health discussions have become more open in recent years, there is still a stigma associated with many neurodivergent individuals, including those with ADHD.  

"It's a condition that has a really bad reputation, and unfortunately the mainstream media tends to relay negative comments about ADHD," says Pierre. "ADHD kids and people are portrayed as the naughty ones, the undisciplined ones, too emotional, too much."

Hyperactivity - the inability to sit still, blurting out thoughts, and trouble focusing on details, among other things - is commonly associated with ADHD. Along with symptoms of the inattentive state, it can lead to stigmas that people with ADHD are "lazy" or "serially late," among others.

"There's this myth regarding ADHD, that some people with it are more inattentive and some are more hyperactive," says Patricia, a global lead of the Neurodivergent ERG. "But it's a bit more like a spectrum in a sense that in one person you'll see more or less of each characteristic. And it can change and fluctuate during your life."

Hyperfocus

As the neon lines continue to swirl across the map, the coach begins to do the robot, choreography designed to represent the hyperfocus state of ADHD. Hyperfocus is when a person with ADHD develops a strong interest in a specific topic, and they're able to focus very clearly on it.  

This is just one example of how the power of ADHD can be harnessed; in fact, many with ADHD diagnoses see having ADHD as a positive.

"ADHD can be a superpower and a curse," says Patricia. "It's the stamina, the creativity, the talkativeness. In the workplace especially, people with ADHD are the go-getters, they're always pushing boundaries."

"In the spirit of Just Dance, to celebrate people with ADHD, what matters to us is people and their talent," says Pierre. "People with ADHD should know they are not a problem, they are problem-solvers. They are creative, and they are energetic. Just Dance is a perfect game to express that."

Unmasking

Throughout the dance, the coach wears a mask. This is both an homage to Galantis, who wears a mask in their performances, as well as a reference to the metaphorical masking that some neurodivergent people experience every day, whether to conform, be accepted, or to cope. For people with ADHD, masking might mean slowing down speech to avoid speaking too fast, overworking to avoid being called lazy, sitting still, or bottling up feelings - anything to behave like a neurotypical person and hide what sets them apart.  

However, towards the end of the song, the coach takes off their mask to reveal a cheerful grin, a conscious decision made by the developers to end on a celebratory note.

"I think the decision to use a mask and create the unmasking moment is really important," says Pierre. "When you play the map, you can feel a change from the moment the coach removes it. The shift in tone is intended to celebrate everyone with their specificities and identities in the context of dance."

"As developers of Just Dance, we want to improve people's lives, how they view the world, and how they view themselves," says Hélène.

As Pierre points out, ADHD is rarely depicted as a diagnosis to embrace. But doing so can be critical not only to understanding how one's brain works and living a happier and fuller life.

"The diagnosis is a really big step forward," says Patricia. "Now you have a different pair of lenses, and it's providing so much more understanding and knowledge about yourself. You can finally put the right strategies in place, instead of using bad coping mechanisms."

Infinity

By the end of the song, those colorful zooming lines settle into a shape: an infinity symbol, which has been used to represent neurodiversity since the late 1990s. It symbolizes how different people perceive and experience the world in unique ways, and represents infinite possibilities and acceptance.

"If you're not neurodivergent, you can still enjoy the whole map, even if you don't get all of the clues," says Patricia. "But if you are neurodivergent, you'll notice the little hints, and it brings such joy. I think it's going to resonate with ADHD players, because they can recognize themselves."

Pierre explains that the infinity symbol is emblematic of someone with ADHD working through the chaos and stimuli to find clarity. It's also symbolic of the collaboration between the Just Dance team and the Neurodiversity ERG.

"One thing I really appreciated about this development process is that many people collaborated to produce this map; some are neurodivergent, others are neurotypical," says Pierre. "It was learning how to work with people who think differently, problem solve differently, create differently. When we're able to generate a connection between each brain and share a common goal, magic happens."

Just Dance 2025 Edition is available now on Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. For more on Just Dance 2025 Edition and Just Dance VR: Welcome to Dancity, visit justdancegame.com and stay up to date by following Just Dance on X (formerly Twitter).