Tutorial group #2

Keywords: Twerking, feminism, gender, transnational, cultural appropriation, diaspora

Like many other Westerners, one of the first interactions with twerking I can remember was Miley Cyrus on stage at the MTV award show in 2013. The Oxford English Dicitonairy added the term to its list in 2015, describing it as dancing "in a sexually provocative manner, using thrusting movements of the bottom and hips while in a low, squatting stance". Especially in the West this form of dance is often seen as something inherently sexual and connected to the patriarchal gaze that objectifies women. The mainstream media's recent cultural appropriation of this African-American dance demonstrates how twerking could be mistakenly thought of as trash and demeaning to women. However, when joining a twerk class in Rotterdam the other day and talking to the women there, they claimed that it was the opposite for them. It was a safe space in which they could explore and celebrate their femininity and sensuality, reclaiming their bodies and the feeling of freedom of expression. Not only the practitioners of the dance seem to debunk the ambivalent association, tracing back to the origins also further debunks it. Twerking originates from Ivory Coast, in a dance called mapouka, and is used to celebrate life. Similar dance moves to twerking can also be found in dances in more parts of Africa, but also Latin America and the Caribbean. When looking at twerking as performed in the West, I think it is important to take into account the postcolonial context. Shereen Zink (2016: 15) notes that, “Ultimately, twerking’s political context, and Cyrus’ lack of regard for said context, suggest that she is perpetuating harmful stereotypes about black women while her own white privilege allows her to maintain her integrity.” Ideally I would like to combine both the aspect of feminism and the postcolonial side of twerking, though this might still change as it could be too broad of a focus. One thing I am still looking at is where to conduct my research. I have access to a community in Rotterdam, but would like to go abroad during my fieldwork. Though I am limited to a location where they speak English, there are a lot of options to choose from which is what I’m figuring out at the moment.

Zink, S. (2016) ‘Twerking and cultural appropriation: Miley Cyrus’ display of racial ignorance’, MacEwan University Student EJournal, 3, 1, doi: 10.31542/j.muse.158