The term “twerking” refers to dance movement where a person shall vigorously shake the butt up and down as if it jumps up. The Oxford Dictionary defines “twerk” as a verb meaning to “dance to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance.
The origin and history of the dance
According to the Wikipedia, booty-dance can be compared to traditional African dances, such as Mapouka, originated from West Africa, and which even had to face the ban on Côte d’Ivoire television. Twerking was also introduced by the hip hop culture of the United States at the New Orleans music scene.
When was the term “twerk” used for the first time?
The term “twerk” itself was mentioned for the first time in 1993 in the dance tune “Do The Jubilee All”. It was recorded by DJ Jubilee, who chanted: «Twerk baby, twerk baby, twerk, twerk, twerk».
Has the word “twerk” ever been used in a song title?
In 1995, Cheeky Blakk, the legend of New Orleans, used the word for the first time in a song title “Twerk something”. The word reportedly gained immense popularity when Ying-Yang Twins released “Whistle While You Twurk” in 2000. Diplo, Juicy J, Drake and Waka Flocka Flame played a key role in the use of this word in the recent past.
Who is responsible for the overall popularity of twerking?
As the Wikipedia notes, the dance tune of “Do The Jubilee All” DJ Jubilee popularized twerking in 1993. However, Miley Cyrus is responsible for the universal acceptance of twerking, namely her performance on MTV VMAs.
Who was the first white man to say “twerk”?
Bubba Sparxxx. He joined Tim in the composition “Twerk A Little”, which was not released as a single but played its role as one of the undervalued stages of Timbaland’s career.
Can “twerking” bring problems?
Sure. Nearly thirty Scripps Ranch High School students in San Diego were temporarily excluded from school after it was discovered that they allegedly used school equipment to shoot a twerking video. About 33 students who were involved in the video production were found guilty of violating the school’s policy, which prohibits “verbal, visual, or physical behaviour of a sexual nature” in an educational institution.
