Twerking as a dance is everywhere today. There are numerous courses, classes, workshops and events out there teaching twerking as a way to make your body look good, feel more confident and empower yourself. As a dance style, it may seem a bit vulgar to some, however from my experience I know for sure that it all depends on the context, outfit and choreography itself.
Check out this video posted by Nastya Nass, the famous twerk dancer with millions of followers on Youtube and Instagram. This impro is a great example of twerking done tastefully. The setting is relaxing and the vibe is just the right amount of cute and seductive. So it all comes down to balancing how much to expose and how much to leave for imagination. I bet you’ll want to watch this short clip over and over again.
The Controversial Art and Athleticism of Twerking- Beachside Dancing: Exploring Island Moves with Ramana Borba
- Why is twerking so popular?
So what is the real purpose of twerking?
There are various reasons why women and in some cases men love to twerk. However, the most important reason in my opinion is the least obvious one and it has to do with the free spirit inside all of us that wants to rebel against the boundaries and rules set by our mostly prude society. So we’ll start with it:
- Form of protest: Both men and women often twerk as a form of protest to what they see as the overly conservative and judgmental culture that we live in today. Not all of them fully understand it though. The mere fact that a perfectly natural nude body was normal in movies 40-50 years ago and is censored today both in traditional media and the internet should be enough to understand why this restrictive trend is being pushed back in all industries including dancing.
- Self-expression: There is a definite push toward being free and authentic these days, people of all ages more and more allow themselves to speak freely both online and offline without fear of judgment or criticism. There is also more understanding of the need to accept one’s body and one’s desires. Both of these factors play a big role in why many people twerk. Ultimately it’s a way for them to accept themselves, their sexuality and their desires while challenging others to do the same.
- Empowerment: When you get enough courage to protest and express yourself through twerking you naturally become empowered. Confidence is contagious and people around you can’t help but feel inspired by what you do. Many keep repeating “believe in yourself”, but how actually you do this? Well, twerking is definitely one bold way to go about it. The power to go against absurd social norms, the power to keep hearing your true self when everyone else forces their own beliefs upon you, the power to be different and love yourself – this is what twerking really is!
Of course, many will mention other reasons to twerk such as simply having fun, impressing the opposite sex, or staying fit… but all these are just superficial ones and none of them really drive this movement forward. The real reason is the fight for freedom and the need to be true to who we are and not care about what other people think or say.
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