DB NEWS • April 7, 2021
Jimmy Fallon has addressed the controversy surrounding a dance segment in a March 26 episode of the "Tonight Show," where TikTok star Addison Rae demonstrated 8 viral routines, but the creators of those dances, many Black, were not credited.
In a follow-up episode, Fallon mentioned the backlash, and invited many of the choreographers of those 8 dances to appear on the show—virtually: "On our last show before break, we did a bit with Addison Rae where she taught me eight viral TikTok dances," Fallon said. "Now, we recognize that the creators of those dances deserve to have their own spotlight. So, right now, some of the creators will join me to talk about how their dance went viral and then perform the dance themselves."
Fallon spoke with choreographers Mya Nicole Johnson and Chris Cotter ("Up"), Dorien Scott ("Corvette Corvette"), Fur-Quan Powell and Camyra Franklin ("Laffy Taffy"), Adam Snyder, Nate Nale and Greg Dahl ("Blinding Lights") and Keara Wilson ("Savage").
The controversy echoes calls from the summer, when Black creators were not credited on the app by TikTok megastars who were performing—and profiting off—their moves.
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