Twerking is a dance move involving rapid, rhythmic hip and butt movements, rooted in West African and Black American dance traditions but achieving mainstream visibility (and controversy) in the 2010s through viral videos and Miley Cyrus’s 2013 VMA performance.

Origins & Cultural Roots

Historical context:

• West African dances: Mapouka (Côte d’Ivoire), similar hip isolations and movements
• Caribbean influence: Dancehall culture (Jamaica), soca (Trinidad)
• New Orleans bounce music (1990s): DJ Jubilee coined term “twerk” (possibly combining “twist” and “jerk”)

Pre-2010s:

• Present in Black American club culture for decades
• Hip-hop videos featured twerking (2 Live Crew, Juvenile’s “Back That Azz Up,” 1999)
• Underground/regional phenomenon, not mainstream

Mainstream Breakthrough (2011-2013)

YouTube era:

• 2011-2012: Twerk videos went viral (Twerk Team, individual creators)
• Tutorial videos gained millions of views
• White suburban teens discovering and attempting it

Miley Cyrus VMA Performance (August 25, 2013):

• MTV Video Music Awards: Miley twerked with Robin Thicke during “Blurred Lines”
• Immediate controversy: Called “inappropriate,” “hypersexual,” “cultural appropriation”
• Massive media coverage: Made “twerking” a household word overnight

Oxford English Dictionary (2013): Added “twerk” to dictionary—mainstream legitimization

Cultural Appropriation Debate

Central issues:

• Black women had been twerking for decades without credit
• White women (particularly Miley Cyrus) gained fame/profit from it
• Hypersexualization: Media portrayed twerking as scandalous when white women did it, but Black women had been ignored/demeaned for same moves

Key moments:

• Miley’s VMA performance: Amplified appropriation concerns
• Criticism: She used Black backup dancers as props, profited from Black culture without respecting origins
• Response: Some defended as cultural evolution, others called it theft

Broader context:

• Part of larger conversation about white artists profiting from Black cultural practices (Elvis, Eminem precedents)

Twerking in Music Industry

Songs explicitly about twerking:

• “Bandz A Make Her Dance” (Juicy J, 2012)
• “Twerk It” (Busta Rhymes, 2013)
• “Express Yourself” (Nicky Minaj, 2010—pre-term mainstream)

Music videos featuring twerking:

• Practically every hip-hop/R&B video (2012-2015)
• Became expected element

Female empowerment vs. objectification debate:

• Pro: Women owning sexuality, controlling representation
• Con: Reduces women to sexual objects, male gaze dominance

Viral Twerk Moments

Infamous videos:

• Twerk Team: Collective of Black women dancers, viral YouTube videos (2011-2013)
• Miley Cyrus: VMA 2013, “We Can’t Stop” video
• FAMU “Twerk Squad” (2013): Band members suspended for twerking during halftime show—sparked free speech debate

Celebrity participation:

• Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé
• Normalized among Black women artists
• Controversial when white celebrities adopted it

Fitness & Dance Classes

“Twerk fitness” classes (2013+):

• Marketed as booty-building workout
• Legitimized through fitness framing
• Mostly white women paying to learn from Black instructors—complicated dynamics

Dance studios:

• Added twerk classes alongside hip-hop, contemporary
• Debates about appropriate age (some studios banned for minors)

Social Media Era

Instagram/TikTok:

• #Twerk: Billions of views
• Challenges and trends regularly go viral
• Normalized to point of being unremarkable

OnlyFans/adult content:

• Twerking became associated with adult content creation
• Blurred lines between dance and sexual content

School & Institutional Responses

Bans (2013-2015):

• Multiple high schools banned twerking at dances
• College administrations sanctioned students for public twerking
• Free speech debates: Is twerking protected expression?

Criticism of bans:

• Disproportionately affected Black students
• Policed Black culture while allowing other dances
• Reinforced racist stereotypes about Black bodies/sexuality

Twerking’s Evolution

2020s status:

• No longer controversial—fully mainstream
• Integrated into broader dance vocabulary
• Less associated with scandal, more with technique

Skill recognition:

• Professional twerkers gained followings (City Girls, Megan Thee Stallion)
• Acknowledged as requiring genuine hip control, core strength
• Competitions showcase technical skill

Legacy & Cultural Impact

What twerking revealed:

• Ongoing cultural appropriation dynamics
• Media double standards (Black women vs. white women)
• Tension between sexual liberation and objectification
• How quickly underground culture can become mainstream via internet

Lasting influence:

• Made hip isolations standard in pop choreography
• Influenced fitness culture (booty-building obsession)
• Sparked important conversations about race, gender, sexuality in dance

Current status:

• Part of mainstream dance vocabulary
• No longer scandalous
• Recognized as skilled movement requiring technique

Twerking’s journey from West African roots through Black American culture to mainstream appropriation and eventual normalization reflects broader patterns of cultural evolution, appropriation, and commodification in American entertainment.

Sources:
The Guardian - Twerking Cultural History
NPR - The Complicated History of Twerking
Rolling Stone - Miley Cyrus VMA Controversy