The creator of the popular TikTok dance challenge to Megan Thee Stallion’s song “Savage,” Keara Wilson downloaded TikTok at the height of the pandemic lockdowns after moving to Texas to help take care of her niece. Wilson’s dance immediately became a hit on the app just a few days after posting the short clip of her dancing to the song.

The #savagedance is still one of the most recognized dance challenges on the platform. Over the years, celebrities like Keke Palmer, Marsai Martin, Ryan Destiny, Norman and even Megan Thee Stallion have posted their take on the challenge. Wilson’s original TikTtok, posted on March 10, now has more than 66.7M views and recently celebrated its 2nd anniversary. 

In an interview with Blavity, the young dancer shared it meant a lot to be recognized among the 2022 Black TikTok #Trailblazers.

“It means a lot because I feel my dance was really, really big, and seeing the actual app [TikTok] honoring me in something is amazing,” she said. “And it’s like, I get to be the face of even more black creators and everything and just lead us all.”

@keke.janajah #duet with @keke.janajah ♬ Savage – Megan Thee Stallion

TikTok recently launched various initiatives highlighting Black innovators, musicians, businesses and organizations to do more for creators like Wilson. The app released a manifesto called Culture of Credit to further acknowledge Black creators for their contributions to the app’s culture, encouraging users to attribute new viral trends to its originator correctly. The 20-year-old recalled not receiving proper credit when her dance first exploded on the popular app.

“At the beginning of my times of ‘Savage,’ I wasn’t getting the proper credit at first until I started blowing up, and everyone was tagging me under people’s videos when I wasn’t getting tagged,” she explained. 

After creating the viral dance, Wilson said she tried to copyright the famous choreography but ultimately gave up, unable to get help completing the complicated process.

“I was already thinking about copywriting it because I wasn’t getting credit for it, but we couldn’t find anyone to seriously do it,” she shared. “So we gave up, and then I had gotten an email from my manager at the time, and she had told me that these two ATech and JaQuel were ‘partnering in getting you your copyright;’ So that’s how that kind of came along.”

JaQuel Knight, the choreographer for the stars like Cardi B and Beyoncé, became the first person to copyright his dance moves in April and later partnered with tech company Logitech to help file with the U.S. Copyright Office on 10 Black and Indigenous people of color (BIPOC) creators’ behalf, Wilson was one of the lucky dancers included.

“I’m still waiting on some more things, just finalization and everything, but it’s been such a cool process. I hope other creators on the app get to experience it as well,” she said. “JaQuel Knight; he’s amazing. ATech, they’re amazing, and I thank them so much for this opportunity.”

 

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A post shared by KEARA WILSON (@queen.kekeeee)

Wilson has served as inspiration for younger Black dancers and creators on TikTok and says she’s working on her skills and has more dances moves to give in the future.

“Expect me to better my skills and, of course, create even more viral dances. I’m not stopping at one,” Wilson said. “I’m just, slowly get in the feel of how the app is now. Cause it was completely different two years ago. You know, everything changes. So I gotta find the style of it now and everything, and I just have to get on it.”

“I would take older songs over newer songs right now because artists aren’t dropping any new music much,” she continued. “I feel like even if the song on that album wasn’t made to be the favorite, you could still work with the other songs and make them become something, you know? I feel like that’s what I did with ‘Savage’ because I don’t think that was the main song on her album; It was just an extra song.”

In June, Black TikTok creators went on strike and stopped dancing to popular songs to stand against the app and the lack of credit for creating viral dance challenges. Back creators are notably often overlooked while other (white) TikTokers have made millions posting viral dance moves on the platform—using choreography they didn’t create —but still attaining movie, TV, and other brand deals.

Although Wilson has faced adversity throughout this experience, she’s learned that giving up when the fight gets tougher is never an option.

“I continue to keep pushing through no matter what,” she said.