Twerking (/ˈtwɜrkɪŋ/) is a type of dancing in which an individual dances to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low, squatting stance.”


Liken unto the animal behavior; when the female animal wants to mate, she lifts up her hips, using it as a sign to signal the male that it’s time to mate- so it is with the twerking dance.

The term itself is of uncertain origin, although common assumptions include a contraction of “footwork” and a portmanteau of the words “twist” and “jerk”.

Since the 2000s, twerking has been widely associated with modern hip hop culture in the United States and dancehall music in Jamaica.

Comparisons have been made with traditional African dances, for instance the Mapouka from West Africa which was banned from Ivory Coast’s television due to its suggestive nature which was sexually provocative.