What Most People Don't Know About Jalaiah Harmon
As TikTok dances became popular, the creators of those challenging and impressive moves weren't always credited. But now there's a movement to make sure credit is given where it's due. For instance, everyone on the app knows the viral Renegade dance to K Camp's "Lottery," but not a lot of people who knew the creator of the dance was 15-year-old Jalaiah Harmon.
Now, the dance is synonymous with the Atlanta teenager's name. Harmon has been interviewed in The New York Times, Teen Vogue, and Variety, among many other publications. She has also appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "Entertainment Tonight," and lots of others. Harmon has also done the Renegade dance with TikTok personalities Addison Rae and Charli D'Amelio, while the dance itself has caught the attention of Lizzo, Kourtney Kardashian, Millie Bobby Brown, and others.
But even with all of those media appearances, there are still lots of things you may not know about Harmon. Read on to learn what else you need to know about this talented and famous teen dancer.
Jalaiah Harmon first posted the dance outside of TikTok
While the Renegade dance gained popularity on TikTok, Jalaiah Harmon didn't post it on that app first. According to The New York Times, the teen first debuted the dance to K Camp's "Lottery" on Instagram and another app called Funimate on September 25, 2019. "It got about 13,000 views, and people started doing it over and over again," Harmon told the newspaper.
There, a TikToker named @global.jones saw it and did the dance in a TikTok. And like most videos on the app, it went viral quickly. Unfortunately, @global.jones and none of the people who did the dance — including famous ones like Addison Rae and Charli D'Amelio — properly credited Harmon for creating those set of moves.
Since that New York Times interview in February 2020, Harmon has received her well-deserved credit for creating one of TikTok's most popular dance trends, per Variety. And no doubt, that has also given her some great opportunities in the field she has trained in for years.
Jalaiah Harmon wants a career in dance beyond TikTok
Renegade dance creator Jalaiah Harmon isn't new to dancing at all. In fact, she's studying many genres of the art, according to The New York Times. Harmon has taken classes in hip-hop, ballet, lyrical, jazz, tumbling and tap. As of March 2020, the Atlanta teenager started taking classes at the famous and prestigious dance studio Dance411, per Teen Vogue, where she gets to interact and learn from professional dancers.
It's a dream come true for Harmon, who not only wants to work in dance professionally — she told Variety that she eventually wants to become a choreographer for famous artists and own her own dance studio. "I think I would like to collab with Missy Elliott, like in one of her music videos," Harmon told the publication.
In the meantime, the teen has gotten attention from many famous fans, like former first lady Michelle Obama (who retweeted Harmon's NBA All-Star Game performance in 2020). In April 2021, Harmon graced the cover of her hometown's Atlanta Magazine. And of course, Harmon has continued to create and perform dances on Instagram and TikTok, where she has 2.9 million followers as of this publishing. It's safe to say that Harmon is a star on the rise in the dance world.