Tearing other women down isn't brat, says Apple dance creator

Kelley Heyer, the talented creator of the viral Apple dance, recently shared her thoughts on the negative comments directed at a fellow concert-goer who unexpectedly joined her during a performance at a Charli XCX concert in New York City. Kelley was invited by Charli to showcase her dance on the big screen during the concert, a moment that was meant to be fun and celebratory. However, when another woman jumped into the frame, she became the target of online trolls who criticized her behavior and appearance. Kelley expressed her concern for this woman, stating, 'I feel really bad for her because she's being treated really unfairly by the internet. ' She emphasized that tearing down other women is not in line with the spirit of 'brat summer,' a cultural phenomenon inspired by Charli XCX's music. Kelley believes that the essence of 'brat' is about community and support, not negativity. She remarked, 'Tearing other women down [and] being fatphobic, that’s not brat. ' Kelley suspects that much of the hate comes from individuals outside the community who do not understand the supportive nature of 'brat summer. ' The Apple dance has taken social media by storm, with millions of users posting their own versions of the dance. The song Apple has achieved remarkable success, being streamed over 172 million times on Spotify and reaching number eight on the Official UK Singles Chart. Kelley, who resides in New York City, feels a sense of pride in the dance's contribution to the song's popularity. She noted, 'Maybe people were kind of sleeping on it. ' Kelley began using TikTok during the Covid pandemic and decided to create her first dance to a song that she felt deserved more recognition. She explained, 'I thought wouldn't it be so funny if I made my first ever one to this unappreciated Charli XCX song. ' Despite the overwhelming success of the Apple dance, Kelley has some regrets regarding the commercial aspect of her creation. She initially made the dance for free, and while she enjoys seeing people use it, she sometimes feels disappointed when large brands or well-known creators use her dance without giving her any credit. Kelley shared, 'That could have been a really good opportunity, really good exposure for me. ' However, she is now receiving offers from record labels and artists asking her to create dances for them. Although she appreciates the interest, she often declines these offers because she believes that making something go viral requires significant time and effort. Kelley explained, 'I posted Apple every day for two weeks before it went viral. ' She believes that the authenticity of her dance is what made it resonate with people. Kelley stated, 'Apple really worked because I wasn't being paid to do it. Authenticity is really easy to spot by people.