“Shakin’ That Ass” (PDF) from the New Birth Brass Band album, D-Boy

Author Jeff Chang suggests in his book, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, that culture is defined by its music, dance, and art. Much of American music can be associated with West African dance that evolves with modern music: jazz and blues created the Lindy Hop and Steppin’; disco and funk created the J.B. Skate; hip hop created breakdancing. In New Orleans, second-line buckjumping combined with bounce music created twerking.

But when twerking was unfortunately introduced into mainstream American culture, it was quickly associated with a culture of public shaming and celebrity nepotism. What those famous children failed to effectively represent was the display of twerking as liberation, or what gender-studies professor Dr. Sami Schalk calls “pleasure activism.” Furthermore, the prominence of LGBTQIA+ dance within bounce music attempts to dismantle the misogynistic practices of Nineties hip hop by “not just ending suffering but allowing pleasure for those who are oppressed.”

Here is a YouTube video that combines bounce with brass band music by 5th Ward Weebie featuring New Breed Brass Band & Trombone Shorty:

Recommended reading: Roll With It: Brass Bands in the Streets of New Orleans by Matt Sakakeeny. Published by Duke University Press.