Georgia Entertainment Scene
Georgia Entertainment Scene

Atlanta Renegade dance creator Jalaiah Harmon appears on ‘Ellen’

In this photo released by Warner Bros., talk show host Ellen DeGeneres is seen during a taping of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" at the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, Calif. (Photo by Michael Rozman/Warner Bros.)

Credit: Michael Rozman

Credit: Michael Rozman

In this photo released by Warner Bros., talk show host Ellen DeGeneres is seen during a taping of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" at the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, Calif. (Photo by Michael Rozman/Warner Bros.)
By
Feb 20, 2020

Originally posted Thursday, February 20, 2020 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

It’s nice to see the power of the print press even in 2020.

A feature Feb. 13 about Fayetteville teen Jalaiah Harmon and her invention of a viral dance craze the Renegade in the New York Times has led to a rash of additional press and an appearance today on "Ellen," seen locally on 11Alive at 4 p.m.

Stephen "tWitch" Boss, Ellen DeGeneres' sidekick on her NBC show "Ellen's Game of Games" joined 14-year-old Jalaiah on the dance floor to K Camp's "Lottery" but she did most of it herself.

“I was happy when I saw my dance all over,” she told the Times. “But I wanted credit for it.”

And now that’s happening. She started the dance on an app called Fuminate, followed by Instagram. A user brought it last fall to 18-month-old TikTok and it became a viral hit.

“It only took five or ten minutes” to put it together, she told Ellen.

Now Lizzo, Michelle Obama and Kim Kardashian are giving her props. Ellen gave Jalaiah a jacket which read "The Original Renegade Dancer." In the pockets? $5,000!

About the Author

Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.

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