A warm, tender rewind to 2017 — when Tom Holland tried to impress Zendaya, but only managed to impress her friend.
Throwback Thursday takes us back to 2017, a year glowing with early‑era charm, shy chemistry, and that unmistakable spark the world clocked long before they did.
Tom Holland tried ballet charm and Zendaya kept it cool
A little Billy Elliot muscle memory, a soft 2017 flourish, one delighted friend, and Zendaya giving absolutely elite unbothered energy — this throwback is peak early Tomdaya lore.
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In this sweet, slightly awkward, completely endearing moment, Tom Holland decides to shoot his shot — not with swagger, not with a joke, but with something beautifully unexpected.
Ballet.
And here’s the thing: Tom wasn’t improvising. He wasn’t guessing. He wasn’t flailing.
He was pulling from his Billy Elliot training — the years of ballet, tap, and acrobatics that shaped him long before Spider‑Man ever did. So when he lifts his arms, turns his body, and gives that soft, graceful flourish… it’s muscle memory. It’s instinct. It’s Tom reaching for the one thing he knows he can do well.
And the reactions?
Zendaya’s friend is instantly impressed. Delighted. Giggling. Fully entertained.
Zendaya? Not so much.
She watches with that signature early‑era Zendaya expression — calm, unreadable, quietly amused, but absolutely not giving him the reaction he’s hoping for. No swoon. No gasp. Just a soft blink and a “mm‑hmm” energy that says: cute, but try again.
It’s tender. It’s funny. It’s peak 2017 Tom‑and‑Zendaya energy — a moment where he’s trying his best, and she’s playing it cool, as always.
A Throwback Thursday that still warms the chest.
