A Little Dance with Big Energy

You know how something just takes off and suddenly it’s everywhere? That was Kelley Heyer’s Apple dance. One day it’s a quick TikTok, the next it’s all over downtown—played on speaker phones in Trinity Bellwoods, echoed through Ryerson dorm rooms, even spotted in impromptu dance circles at Yonge-Dundas. That little shoulder pop with attitude? Yeah, we saw it.

And we loved it.

It was raw, playful, and felt like it could’ve come from anyone in the city. Not some overly polished, brand-sponsored campaign. Just good vibes and good music. That’s what made it stick.

But while Toronto was dancing, something else was going on behind the scenes. And it wasn’t nearly as fun.

So, What Happened?

Here’s where things start to feel off. Roblox, the massive gaming platform, added Kelley’s Apple dance as an emote in their game Dress to Impress. For $1.25, players could make their avatars bust out her exact moves. Fun for them. Not so fun for Kelley.

Why? Because she never gave them permission.

Sure, she copyrighted the dance back in August 2024. And yeah, she was in conversations with Roblox about officially licensing it. But no contract was signed. No green light. And still—they went ahead and used it anyway.

By the time they pulled it from the game months later, it had reportedly been downloaded over 60,000 times, bringing in about $123,000.

Kelley? She didn’t get a single cent.

Toronto Doesn’t Play When It Comes to Creators

This city runs on hustle. From street buskers outside Union Station to dancers grinding through rehearsals on Queen West, Toronto is full of people building art from nothing. We know what it means to put in work. We know how much it hurts when someone else cashes in on that work without even asking.

And Kelley’s story? It’s too familiar.

She made something out of pure expression. It caught on because people felt it. And then a billion-dollar company came along and acted like it was up for grabs.

That doesn’t sit right. Not here.

Let’s Run the Numbers

To paint the full picture:

• 1 copyrighted dance, officially registered by Kelley
• 60,000+ emotes sold in Dress to Impress
• $123,000+ earned by Roblox
• 0 signed licensing agreement
• 1 lawsuit now in progress

Roblox responded with a boilerplate line about respecting intellectual property. But no public mention of Kelley. No apology. Just a whole lot of avoiding the spotlight they suddenly don’t want.

She’s Not Chasing Fame—She’s Defending Her Voice

This isn’t about clout. This isn’t some influencer drama. It’s a creator saying, “I made that. You don’t get to profit off it while pretending I don’t exist.”

And honestly? That’s brave. Because most people wouldn’t even try to take on a company like Roblox. But Kelley is. And she’s not just doing it for herself—she’s doing it for every Toronto kid who’s ever filmed a dance in their bedroom and dreamed of being seen.

She’s reminding us all: even the smallest creations deserve respect.

So yeah, next time you catch someone hitting those Apple dance moves outside the ROM or on a rooftop downtown, remember where it came from. And maybe take a second to appreciate the woman who made it—and isn’t backing down.