Lizzo taught the history of twerking at her very own TED Talk

For this year's TED Talks, held in Monterey (a.k.a. the home of Big Little Lies) earlier this week, the theme was simple: "the case for optimism." Well, sort of. It's not an easy case to make in a time when we're facing a pandemic, a racial reckoning and wildfires, just to round things out.

But with speakers including former NFL quarterback Alex Smith, podcaster Hrishikesh Hirway, Netflix CMO Bozoma Saint John, speculative fiction writer Chen Qiufan and quantum astrochemist Clara Sousa-Silva, moving conversations were absolutely had. Our favourite guest speaker, however? None other than Lizzo.

The singer and rapper hosted her very own TED Talk all about – wait for it – the history of twerking. Which, clarifies the organization, "is more than just a dance — it’s unique to the Black experience. Understanding its roots helps safeguard Black culture against erasure."

It's gotten a ton of love in recent years, hugely and partly thanks to Lizzo herself, whose own twerk is pretty damn iconic and can be found right this very minute on her Instagram or TikTok. Let's not forget, this is a woman who has gifted us by twerking at New Year's, next to Christmas trees, on the jumbotron in a thong – the list goes on and we are thankful.  As she put it, “Twerking is good for humanity.”

In her talk (which isn't yet available to stream in full, but there's a short clip on TikTok), Lizzo traced its roots to a traditional West African dance called mapouka, and explained how, years before, women would "circle their hips and pop their behinds" in a dance of religious worship and celebration, or simply to show their interest in marriage. Think of it as a kind of mating call (which it may still be for some).

As the years passed – and so did the transatlantic slave trade – Black women passed twerking down to the next generation, where the dance could most often be spotted throughout Black culture, particularly the music world. In fact, you can trace it to blues, jazz, rap and hip-hop, and it was performed by everyone from famed blues singer Ma Rainey to Bessie Smith.

Lizzo noted during her talk that it was Beyoncé who brought it to the forefront of the mainstream yet again with her “Uh Oh” dance for her 2003 single “Crazy in Love.” Who doesn't remember that?

With twerking now being just about everywhere thanks to social media – and performed by more than just Black performers – "it’s at risk of being co-opted, appropriated and misunderstood."

Which is why it's crucial that if you're gonna be throwing that ass any time soon, you should understand its origins, and the development and contribution to Black culture first, and grow an appreciation for the moves you love.

Say "thank you, Lizzo."

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[video_embed id='2240735']BEFORE YOU GO: The Weeknd, Lizzo, and more set for Global Citizen Live concert[/video_embed]