How to Do the Wop? Miley Cyrus Demonstrates

March 25, 2013— -- We realize it's difficult to keep up with the various hues and textures and flavors of booty-shaking currently taking up Tumblr real estate, but it's not impossible. Today's lesson: The wop.

Like most things that take off online, the wop isn't a new move. (It's also not be confused with "wop," which is not a nice word at all.) The move is currently experiencing a resurgence thanks to a video posted by Miley Cyrus featuring the pop singer dancing to J. Dash's song, "WOP," while dressed in a unicorn onesie. Like you do. And even though "WOP" was released back in 2010, the dance itself has been around since the '80s. J. Dash himself acknowledges the move's earlier roots in hip hop social dancing, while explaining how he came to add more precise, choreographed steps on top of the basic wop:

"We were goofing around, dancing in the club but we were missing the track to go with our steps, so I created the 'WOP.' Next thing I know, people are doing their own versions of the "WOP," there has been over 200,000 downloads and millions of views on YouTube."

Although HyperVocal is quick to point out that, despite the fact that Miley's video has been titled "Twerking 'WOP' [Original]," she is NOT twerking. Her dance does include some elements of twerkitude, particularly around 0:38. It would be best described, then, as "some wopping, with touches of twerk."

Twerking, for the woefully uninitiated, is a move that involves moving one's backside up and down rhythmically, with feeling and conviction. The Daily Dot recently asked me to weigh in on this phenomenon, and you can read all about it here.

J. Dash's song provides some helpful instructions on how to perform his special, updated twist on the wop:

"Ladies take it back throw it back to the front /Bend yo' waist look to the front / Now BOUNCE yo body to the beat just a little bit harder (harder) /Shawty move yo feet just a little bit harder (harder)"

Sounds easy enough. The song makes the fairly simple dance even more interesting by adding some extra moves, like "drop, drop it to the floor," "wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle," and "make money," which consists of touching one's toes and shaking one's butt up and down as people shower your writhing body with dollar bills.

Of course, there's no use talking about a dance without the use of visual aids. Luckily, the internet has plenty.

There's The Official White Girl WOP (extra points for coordinating outfits), "best white girl wop," "White Girls Do the Wop" (Notice a theme?), "The Wop dance," "WOP-BRIT N JACKIE," "How to Do the Wop Dance," "How to Do the Wop | Hip Hop Dance Moves" and many, many more.

If you're a dance purist, definitely add B Fats' 1986 video for "Woppit" to your list. Also, this dude.

And remember: You also don't HAVE to wear a unicorn onesie when performing the dance, although it certainly helps.