Novelty and fad dances

[stewart38]

Thinking about the old Hokey Cokey got me thinking about novelty dances

It was a dance I did with parents and others in mid 70s , probably at workmens type dances etc and childrens birthday bashes. Probably still in the 80s somewhere. With regard to others...

I remember 'learning' the Macarena in Canada in 1995 ,taught by some candian girls.

Never getting to grips with the basic YMCA, still have to try it at weddings etc ?

Heard of the 'Mash potato' never done it

Havent done the birdie song for ages or Aggado do do push a pine apple one with shake a tree

The twist well again done it but probably not correctly ?

The link below was interesting, anyone remember any of these ?



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These are also called "dance crazes". Dancing style fads have always been a part of social dancing, sometimes gliding smoothly into tradition after their "newness" has faded, and sometimes simply fading away into oblivion. Dances such as the waltz, jitterbug, or the Charleston were once fads, that have become a part of dance tradition.

In modern times the rate in which new dances ("fads") are introduced seems to be much faster and more often. This is certainly spurred by modern communication improvements (printed media, radio, movies, television, internet).

During the 1960s and 1970s new dances appeared almost every week, often choreographed to popular songs ("Mashed Potato Time" by Dee Dee Sharp, "Freddy (Freddie)", the "Twist"). Their steps were often printed in dance magazines. Dance crazes have continued into the 1980s with "YMCA", and the 1990s with "Macarena". Contemporary sources for dance crazes include music videos and movies.

There are fad dances which are meant to be danced individually (solo), others are partner dances, and yet others are danced in groups. Some of them were of freestyle type, i.e., there were no particular step patterns and they were distinguished by the style of the dance movement (Twist, Shake, Swim, Pony, Hitchhike). Only some of them survived until now, sometimes only as the name of a step (Suzie Q, Shimmy) or of a style (Mashed Potato) in a recognized dance. Fad dances are in fashion at the time of their popularity. They are associated with a specific time period, and evoke a nostalgia when danced nowadays.

[Missy D]

Oh and what about the 'opps upside your head' dance you do sitting on the floor with legs astride the person in front of you. Maybe we could all try this at Camber

[TiggsTours]

Oh and what about the 'opps upside your head' dance you do sitting on the floor with legs astride the person in front of you. Maybe we could all try this at Camber

I remember doing that at Camber about 6 years ago, we had 3 lines of people, all reaching the whole length of the floor, we did wonder if perhaps we should write to the Guinness Book of Records!

[LMC]

Most of the fad ones seem to be related to just one track and only get played at weddings, school parties or theme nights?

I do a fairly good Macarena, and can do bits of YMCA (but get lost in the bridge between verse and chorus).

At the BFG on Saturday there were 3 people doing the 'Blues Brothers' routine to 'Shake your tail feather' - keep thinking I must watch that bit of the film again

(EDIT: correction to track title, thanks Gojive!)

What about the Locomotion? Or Superman!

Ah, nostalgia... although even that ain't what it used to be

[MartinHarper]

The "Cha Cha Slide" is an irregular feature of Wythall freestyles, which is kinda fun.

[Gojive]

I do a fairly good Macarena

I do a mean spaghetti

Another one track dance I remember, is "Saturday Night - Whigfield"

Anyone here go to the Partyweekender at Warmwell?....they have a party hour every night, where they do things like YMCA Mexican Wave , "Shake your tail feather" , etc

[stewart38]

The "Cha Cha Slide" is an irregular feature of Wythall freestyles, which is kinda fun.

Also at weekenders sometimes

Learnt that one ages ago at 'ceroc'

dont see it so much now days at other saturday free style events around my way

[Dizzy]

What about the Lambada.

That is still around and quite popular, isn't it??

[Ickle Chick'n]

I do a mean spaghetti

Another one track dance I remember, is "Saturday Night - Whigfield"

Anyone here go to the Partyweekender at Warmwell?....they have a party hour every night, where they do things like YMCA Mexican Wave , "Shake your tail feather" , etc

Don't forget tiger feet at Warmwell too, you goingnext week?!

I also saw the three people doing "shake your tail feathers" at bfg and would have joined in except someone asked me to jive to it! Sorry guys but well done.

Also, from days of school discos... "Time warp" and "I am the music man..." song.

[under par]

I do a mean spaghetti

Another one track dance I remember, is "Saturday Night - Whigfield"

Anyone here go to the Partyweekender at Warmwell?....they have a party hour every night, where they do things like YMCA Mexican Wave , "Shake your tail feather" , etc

#

I went to Warmwell a couple of years ago and the highlight of the classes for me was a couple teaching the "Shake your tail feather" routine.

The woman teacher was absolutely brilliant and so so enthusiastic she had obviously taught it many times before but she was infectious had all the audience in awe.

She had even found out the bits of the dance that where cut from the film in the editing suite but that actually went along with the song.

The class over ran and encore after encore was requested from all the participants.

Might be a good idea for another weekender.

Any one recall who the teacher was????

[under par]

Also at weekenders sometimes

Learnt that one ages ago at 'ceroc'

dont see it so much now days at other saturday free style events around my way

Always an Angel used to do it at the end of the evening at Fleet!!

[stewart38]

Always an Angel used to do it at the end of the evening at Fleet!!

I remember that years ago

I didnt know it then

Learnt it at a weekender

Havent been to Fleet for years was a good venue but live too far away now , heard ceroc acquired that one as well ??

[Lou]

The "Cha Cha Slide" is an irregular feature of Wythall freestyles, which is kinda fun.

And Trinity in Bristol.

Hmmmm..... I can Time Warp quite well.

[Tiggerbabe]

At the BFG on Saturday there were 3 people doing the 'Blues Brothers' routine to 'Shake your tail feather' -

And don't forget the DJ - he was doing it too
We were having such a laugh I totally forgot that people not dancing might be watching - cripes! Not sure we did it all properly - it was myself, Tinkerbell and Peaches

[Lynn]

Also, from days of school discos... "Time warp" and "I am the music man..." song.

Not just school discos - I'm going to a barn dance on Fri night and 'I am the music man' will likely be played. And I will probably be up dancing to it, there's something about rushing round playing at airplanes etc that brings out the child in me

Also heard at barn dances - Macarena, Saturday Night ... I draw the line at the birdie song, but I do quite enjoy a really active 'Elephant Walk' to Cotton Eye Joe. Though I'm ready to collapse by the end!

[Almost an Angel]

Always an Angel used to do it at the end of the evening at Fleet!!

Yup she still does!!! (neck allowing)

We always manage to get the odd stroll or three played at the end of the evening at Fleet, in addition to that we sometimes have Adam & Tas's routine from the evening to show everyone what they got up to.

I think we did 'tailfeather' last week but we rotate them around.
We can also be found to be doing the 'shim sham' to Big Brotherz 'Ain't what you do' hee hee, it's very fast but lots of fun. Also guagulione, hip hop shim sham, jitterbug stroll, charleston stroll, madison, night fever any more???

They are taught periodically at Fleet but, some people just pick them up while we're doing them or ask us and we show them.

[Danielle]

What about the Lambada.

That is still around and quite popular, isn't it??

yes, it's still around and popular (although a much smaller scene than MJ or Salsa), i go about 3 times a week and love it!!!! However its changed quite alot from the song which made it famous over here, its now slower and includes alot more body movement than could be done with the faster tracks. Its now danced to zouk music!

[stewart38]

"I am the music man..." song.

Thats now playing in my head

I found women never did get to play that trombone correctly ?

[Gojive]

Don't forget tiger feet at Warmwell too, you goingnext week?!

I hope to be there, but at the moment I'm on the waiting list. If I miss this one, it'll be only the second PW'ender I've ever missed since it started

I did think about Tiger Feet, but figured it was probably more of a PW'ender thing, rather than a general cult dance?

There are one or two others we do there, but I just can't think of them right now

[KatieR]

In the early to mid 90s there was a bit of a dance craze in Australia called the Bus Stop... it was great fun and often done in nightclubs. Was it popular in the UK?