Jerkin’ is not your mom and dad’s infamous jerk dance of the 60s; it is an all-new culture trend from fast tempo music, to flashy dancing and to bright-colored attire. Jumpstarting this craze was the teen hip-hop duo The New Boyz, who sparked a mainstream spotlight on the jerkin’ culture, with their summer smash hit “You’re a Jerk.” According to a Los Angeles Times article published on June 14, the hit had more than 53,000 downloads on iTunes its first week and it is currently topping Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. The dance is a combination of fancy footwork and lower body bending. One common misconception about jerkin’ is, it’s exclusively the reverse running man. In truth, there are only three types of the jerkin’. “Rejecting is basically the running man backwards. Second is dipping, which is just a chill relax move. Lastly, jerkin’, swaying your legs from side to side,” Senior Brennen Lamb said. These three stable moves can easily be misinterpreted, which can breed unique individual dancer styles. Here at Dimond High School , once in a while students hold jerkin’ dance-off competitions during lunch. Many students gather to share a laugh and enjoy the music, but to some aspiring jerkers it is a hobby. “Jerkin’ is a fun way of expressing yourself through dance. In my spare time I like to watch jerkin’ videos on YouTube and learn new moves,” Senior Benjo Holganza said. Without a question, music videos and internet viral videos have played a big role to spark the teen craze. With already 16 million YouTube views on the hit “You’re a Jerk,” the song from the streets of California has begun a nationwide movement. The actual creator of the dance move is unknown but the origin of jerkin’ points to Los Angeles, Calif . With the Hyphy genre of hip-hop music in the Oakland bay area, it its mostly likely jerkin’ evolved from its northern neighbors. This national phenomenon has its effects here at Dimond too, not only as a dance but as a fashion trend . In the hallways you can spot “geeked up” students wearing bright-colored skinny jeans , earlier derived from the skate culture, that are now a normal look of a jerker. Oversized clear glasses, neon shirts, plaid and a New Era baseball cap are also popular additions to the style. “I haven’t tried the skinny jeans yet, but I like to wear my Vans when I jerk,” said Holganza. Along with the apparel are the shoes. The right footwear can make or break a dance and are as equally important to the style essence of the jerker. “ Nike dunks are what I wear, jeans don’t matter,” Senior R.J. Repuya said. Due to foot motions used in the dance, flat sole shoes are needed. Top shoe brands of jerkin’ are Nike Skateboarding and Vans. As an over-night phenomena, jerkin’ has developed a strong backbone in music, fashion and dance to define its culture. Along with a steady number of passionate and dedicated supporters, this fad will be difficult to die off.