Twerk"out" Is More Than a Workout: It’s History in Motion
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Twerk dance and workout classes have been gaining popularity for their energetic vibe and body-positive approach over the years but this dance actually runs deeper than that.
Some people see Twerk or "Twerkout" and think booty shaking. I see ancestral memory, cardiovascular endurance, liberation, and joy—all moving in sync. Twerkout isn’t a trend I slapped a playlist onto, it’s a dance fitness experience rooted in culture.
It is shaped by history, and reclaimed through fitness and movement. Not just during Black History Month, but everyday:
These movements didn’t start on social media. They started long before that—on the backs, hips, and spirits of African people across the diaspora.
The Roots Run Deep: Twerk Didn’t Start on TikTok
Long before the word twerk ever crossed an American tongue, West African dances like Mapouka (from Côte d’Ivoire) celebrated grounded hips, bent knees, and powerful lower-body articulation.
These weren’t performances for approval—they were expressions of identity, fertility, celebration, and spiritual connection. And this is why I want to emphasized the importance of why this dance is actually more important than most people know... even if Google is free.
As African people were forced across the Atlantic through the transatlantic slave trade, these dances didn’t disappear.
They adapted, survived, and evolved.
In the Caribbean, they became part of Afro-Caribbean ritual and social dances
In Brazil, they influenced samba and Afro-Brazilian movement traditions
In Latin America, they transformed into styles like perreo
In the American South, they lived on in bounce culture and Black social dance
Dance was never “extra.” It was language, resistance, and survival. In enslaved communities, movement often carried coded messages, communal bonding, and spiritual grounding when words were unsafe. The body remembered what history tried to erase.
From the Diaspora to the World Stage (Yes, Including the Super Bowl)
When the world watched the Super Bowl and saw dancers moving with “Perreo” glowing in the background during Bad Bunny’s performance, that wasn’t random. That was diaspora in motion.
Perreo—the Afro-Latin cousin of twerk—comes from the same lineage: African-rooted movement filtered through Caribbean culture, sound systems, and community expression.
Different names. Same heartbeat.
So when people dismiss these dances as “vulgar” or “trendy,” what they’re really dismissing is history they were never taught to respect.
When Movement Travels: Appreciation, Appropriation, and Responsibility
As Twerk and other African-rooted dances have gained mainstream visibility, they’ve also crossed into spaces far removed from their origins. This is the nature of culture—it moves, evolves, and reaches new audiences.
But there is an important difference between appreciation and appropriation.
Appreciation takes time to understand the roots. It honors the people and history behind the movement. It recognizes that what may feel like a fun, freeing workout today was once—and still is—a form of expression tied to identity, resilience, and community.
Appropriation, on the other hand, can happen when movements are separated from their cultural context and presented without acknowledgment of where they came from. Because so much of Black culture can be linked to "Oppressive Identity", it easy to criticize others who are perceived as profiting from a culture without belonging to it. Nonetheless, it's not always out of malice—it just sometimes is out of distance from the history itself.
This isn’t about blame. It’s about awareness. Because when we understand where these movements come from, we move differently. With more respect. With more intention. With more connection.
Twerkout exists not just to teach the “how,” but to honor the “why.” To celebrate the lineage of movement that has traveled across generations and continents—and to make space for people to experience it in a way that builds strength, confidence, and deeper understanding.
Culture is not a costume. It’s a story—and every time we dance, (or sing) we have a chance to honor it.
Why Twerkout Works (Physically, Mentally, Spiritually)
Here’s the part fitness folks can’t ignore—even if they try to: Twerkout is in fact real training and a real workout!
🔥 Physical Benefits
Strengthens glutes, hamstrings, hips, and core
Improves hip mobility and lower-body stability
Boosts cardiovascular endurance
Enhances coordination and balance
Supports pelvic floor engagement (yes, that matters)
You’re squatting. You’re hinging. You’re stabilizing. You’re working—just with rhythm and soul.
🧠 Mental & Emotional Benefits
Releases stored stress and tension in the hips
Builds confidence through embodied movement
Encourages body neutrality and self-trust
Reconnects you to joy without punishment
This isn’t about shrinking yourself. It’s about inhabiting your body fully.
✨ The Intangible (But Powerful) Part
Twerkout invites women to see themselves—fully, honestly, and without flinching.
Yes, there are mirrors. And no, they’re not there to critique or correct. They’re there to reflect grace, power, sensuality, and strength in real time.
In my class, I encourage women to look at themselves while they move. To touch their bodies with reverence. To admire the curve of a hip in motion, the control in a squat, the confidence blooming mid-routine. This isn’t vanity. It’s reclamation.
So many women are taught to avoid their reflection unless they’re “fixed,” filtered, or smaller. Twerkout flips that script. The mirror becomes a place of recognition—not judgment. A reminder that fierceness can look soft, strong, playful, unapologetic… and deeply personal.
This is where confidence stops being theoretical and becomes embodied.
This Is Why I Do What I Do
I teach Twerkout because it honors where we’ve been and where we’re going. Long before I called myself a Zumba Instructor, I was front row at dance fitness classes, in particular Pole, and later Twerk. Even though I didn't shy away from other forms of fitness... it was the dance studio calling my name.
Before I became licensed and joined the Zumba instructor Network or ZIN for short, I inevitably began teaching my own right in my living room. The rest as they say was history. It was the feeling of liberation I saw on other women's faces that pushed me to continue on.
Because movement should feel liberating, not humiliating. Because fitness doesn’t have to erase culture to be effective. Because joy is not a guilty pleasure—it’s a wellness tool.
So yes, you’ll shake. Yes, you’ll sweat. Yes, your glutes will feel it the next day.
But you’ll also walk out taller, lighter, and more connected to your body and to something bigger than a workout.
Come for the Twerk. Stay for the Workout
Twerkout isn’t about looking a certain way. It’s about remembering who you are—in your body, in your breath, in your power.
This is dance fitness with roots. This is history you can feel in your hips. This is culture—moving forward.
And if that makes some people uncomfortable?
Good. Growth usually does.
Disclaimer:
The tips and information shared in this blog are for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making decisions regarding your physical or mental health, including starting any new exercise or nutrition program, especially if you have underlying medical conditions, injuries, or mental health concerns.
