A Dance That Landed Soft—Like Fog in the Valley

You ever watch something online that doesn’t shout, doesn’t try to go viral—it just feels right? That was Kelley Heyer’s Apple dance. It didn’t need flash. It didn’t need filters. It was just a girl dancing in her own space, her own skin, to a Charli XCX beat that made her move.

It landed softly. Like the kind of movement you catch on Commercial Drive at sunset or see in your best friend’s kitchen in Courtenay while the kettle boils. A little bounce. A playful twist. Nothing loud. Nothing forced. Just something that made people feel good.

And somehow, that quiet little dance made a lot of noise. Especially here in British Columbia, where creativity often starts small, honest, and a little bit weird—in all the best ways.

And Then It Got Taken

So here’s what happened. While Kelley was in talks with Roblox—you know, that massive online game platform—to license her Apple dance, they went ahead and used it. Like, just put it in their game Dress to Impress as a $1.25 emote. No deal finalized. No permission given.

Just… her moves. Sold like a feature. Like a thing.

She didn’t get a cut. She didn’t even get a heads-up.

This wasn’t just a creative misunderstanding. It was a full-on swipe. And if you’ve ever uploaded anything from your tiny Victoria studio apartment or your Nanaimo bedroom after midnight—you know that ache.

Let’s Break It Down:

• The emote sold more than 60,000 times
• Roblox allegedly made around $123,000
• Kelley had no signed agreement at the time
• The emote stayed in the game for three months
• She had already properly licensed the dance to Netflix and Fortnite

She did everything right. And somehow still ended up on the outside of her own creation.

This Feels Familiar If You Create in BC

There’s something different about how art happens here. It grows in coffee shops and co-ops, in beachside busking and late-night collabs in damp basements. BC creators aren’t usually chasing clout—they’re chasing connection. So when that energy gets lifted by a billion-dollar company and turned into profit without so much as a thank you?

Yeah. We feel that.

Whether you’re choreographing in a shared studio in East Van, filming reels in Burnaby, or putting your all into a project no one knows about yet—you deserve to have your work respected. Full stop.

Roblox’s Statement? Cold as the Seawall in January

Their official line? “We respect intellectual property rights and feel confident in our legal position.”

Cool. But in BC, respect means showing up. Giving credit. Owning your mistakes and doing the work to fix them. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being accountable.

Kelley’s Fight Is Bigger Than the Dance

This isn’t about trying to sue for clout. It’s about protecting the thing she made with joy. It’s about standing up and saying, “This mattered to me. And you don’t get to erase that.”

That’s a message a lot of BC creators know deep in their bones. Whether you’re running an Etsy shop, uploading a music video, or filming dance content that makes you feel seen—it matters. And it’s worth defending.

Here in BC, We Honour the First Spark

We don’t forget the people who started something beautiful. And Kelley? She started something. A moment that made people feel lighter. A movement that spread because it was full of heart.

Now, she’s using that same heart to stand up for herself—and for every creator who’s been told they should just be grateful someone noticed.

But we know better. We know the difference between being seen and being valued. Between being copied and being credited.

And we’re with her. Rain or shine. Just like always.