Twerking is believed to derive from the West African Mapouka, a centuries-old dance that has similar body movements. The New Orleans version verifiably dates back to the late 1980s and early ’90s and was likely first referenced by bounce artist Jerome “DJ Jubilee” Temple on his 1994 song, “Do the Jubilee All,” a chant style record that calls out dance moves. By the 2010s, bounce artist and former backup dancer Freddie “Big Freedia” Ross Jr. had become one of the most recognized for twerking, so much so that in 2013 Ross set a Guinness World Record for Most People Twerking Simultaneously. But, it was likely the viral video of Miley Cyrus twerking at a Juicy J concert and again at MTV’s 2013 VMAs that put the dance on America’s radar.

Cyrus became known for twerking, but that didn’t bother Woods at all.

“I love it because it took Miley to truly expose twerking to the rest of the world!” Woods told Blavity.

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