Keara Wilson, the creator of the Savage dance challenge to Megan Thee Stallion’s song of the same name, has been given copyright for her choreography.
Wilson, 20, created the viral dance moves to the song in March 2020, with millions of people imitating it, including the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Megan Thee Stallion herself.
With the choreography officially copyrighted, not only will Wilson receive proper credit but she can claim payment if the dance is used in a film production or video game, and can take legal action if she is not credited.
The move came after choreographer JaQuel Knight and Logitech joined forces to recognise black, indigenous and people of colour creators (Bipoc) and remove barriers faced by them. The partnership helped the creators get copyrights through Labanotation, a system that analyses and records movement. In doing so, they aim to pave the way for all creators to own and monetise their work.
Apart from Wilson, five other creators were surprised and presented with the copyright at a dinner celebration in Los Angeles. They are Young Deji, the creator of The Woah dance; Fallout Cortland for choreography to Doja Cat’s Say So performance at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards; Nae Nae twins for creating the Savage Remix dance to Megan Tee Stallion’s song of the same name featuring Beyonce; Chloe Arnold for the Salute a Legend choreography and Mya Johnson and Chris Cotter who created the Up dance for Cardi B.
“I just wanna say thank you so much to @jaquelknight and @logitechc for hosting such an outstanding event. Their mission is so important and I can’t thank them enough because they did not have to do this and if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be able to say that I finally got my dance Savage copyrighted,” Wilson said on social media.
The move comes after many black TikTokers went on strike against the app citing cultural appropriation, and refused to make dances for songs. They were protesting non-black influencers recreating their dances and then reaping both financial and personal gains.
In March 2020, Jimmy Fallon invited TikTok influencer Addison Rae to the show, where she performed several dances created by black dancers who were not credited on air, which sparked the beginning of the movement.
TikTok has since come out with a statement highlighting its commitment to diversity and inclusion, and launching several new initiatives.
“We believe that the diversity of our community is a huge part of what makes TikTok a rewarding and inspiring place to spend time, and we’re driven to actively promote and protect it every day. Over the past year, our teams have continued working to elevate and support black voices and causes, while fostering an inclusive environment on our platform and within our workplace,” the statement read.
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Price, base / as tested Dh222,500 / Dh296,870
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The Orwell Prize for Political Writing
Twelve books were longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing. The non-fiction works cover various themes from education, gender bias, and the environment to surveillance and political power. Some of the books that made it to the non-fiction longlist include:
- Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie
- Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy
- Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
- Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims by Hussein Kesvani
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The specs
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'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
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Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg and Rachel McAdams
Rating: 3/5
