After Miley Cyrus performed a VMA “twerk” Twerking has become so viral it has seeped into the kid community and has become a frequent feature in little girls’ dance routines and competitions.
Whether you believe twerking began with Baker in Paris, 2LiveCrew or DJ Jubilee in New Orleans in 2006, like many dance crazes, the twerk originated in the African-American community, only to become less fluid in the cross-over to other cultures.
Although it seems more likely for a danthropologist to suggest it came from tribal dances like West African dances, most notably mapouka, from the Ivory Coast, known as “la dance du fessier,” or “dance of the behind.”
Perhaps twerking did come from Africa itself, not from people, but birds. The Bird of Paradise, peacocks, and other male birds shake their tail feathers to attract a mate.
