ROCK & ROLL DANCE VIDEOS

Jan

Submitted by webmaster on Mon, 01/09/2012 - 08:25

The purpose of this page is to showcase selected videos of various African American originated Rock & Roll dances.

These videos are posted for their historical, educational, folkloric, aesthetic, and/or entertainment value.

This is not meant to be comprehensive presentation of videos or comments on this subject.

Note: The Lindy Hop and other Jazz dances aren't the subject of this page.

For a sampying of African American originated R&B and Hip-Hop dances that were introduced post the mid 1970s United States, click http://www.jambalayah.com/node/1147 Some dances featured on that page originated in the Caribbean.

Note: This page was previously published on jambalayah's sister website: http://www.cocojams.com

Presentation of Videos

This page is divided into three distinct categories:

1. Partner Dances
Video examples and comments about The Philly Bop ; (Washington D.C.) Hand Dancing ; Chicago Stepping ; and Detroit Ballroom

2. Videos that feature one dance
In some examples, the video may include two songs by the same singer about two different dances. This section also includes videos of the same or similar dances but the dances are known by different names depending on the geographical areas.

Featured videos of African American originated Rock & Roll dances in this section are presented in alphabetical order using the first name of the title of the dance. In the case of dance titles that begin with the word "the", the next word is used for the alphabetical placement.

3. Videos that feature dancers doing more than one dance.
The particular dance performed by couples or individuals shown in the video aren't identified within the video. A portion of this section is "Soul Train Videos".

In each of these sections, the date that the record was released is included in parenthesis after the dance's title. This is A Work In Progress.

Most of the songs that are featured on this page are instructional dance songs - the lyrics of the song provide instructions on how to do that particular dance. Other dances are versions of the jitterbug (swing) partner dances.

The period of time covered by most of these Rock & Roll dance videos is from the late 1950s to the early 1970s.

This compilation is definitely not a complete list of African American originated Rock & Roll dances, although most of the dances that are featured were among the most popular dances of their time. Some of these dances are still being done now for personal enjoyment, particular by "old school" social dance groups.

I acknowledge the possibility (and even the probability) that some 17th and 18th century African American dances/dance movements such as Juba and Calinda came to the United States from an African source or sources by way of a Caribbean source or sources. Furthermore, I'm aware that Caribbean dances have continued to influence African American dances. However, a presentation of videos of & information on Afro-Caribbean dances such as the conga, mambo, rhumba, tango, samba, salsa, and cha cha goes beyond the focus of these dance video pages.

Some videos are presented for the song/music as well as an example or examples of how that particular dance is performed. Other videos are presented just for the song as the dances shown aren't accurate depictions of that dance or dances mentioned in the song. This is particularly the case with videos from the late 1950s/early 1960s which feature White "go go dancers". Those particular film clips are testimony to the racial dynamics of those decades in their presentation of African American singers as entertainers of predominately White or all White audiences.Sometimes those Black singers also have White musicians as backup on those shows, but in other film clips Black singers are accompanied by Black musicians. As such, those film clips may be of historical and sociological interest to some Cocojams visitors.

Comments about the dance, the record, and/or the vocalist/musician may be included for certain videos. Hyperlinks to other information about the dance and/or the vocalist may also be provided. For more information, use a search engine such as Google. To use an Internet search engine, insert the name of the dance in the search engine and then one at a time visit the website that is shown by clicking on its link (web address/url).

Sources Of The Videos

All of the videos on this page are from http://www.youtube.com/

Other videos of these dances, of additional African American originated Rock & Roll dances, and of Rock & Roll dances that were originated by non-African American people can be found by perusing the YouTube pages for these featured videos.

Please note that links to YouTube videos or to other online resources may not remain viable. Also, please be aware that comments posted on YouTube viewer comments threads may not be suitable for children or otherwise may not meet the standards of Cocojams.com

Acknowledgements & Thanks

Thanks to all those who uploaded videos that are featured on this page. Also thanks to those commenters to those videos whose comments are quoted on this page.

Special thanks to http://www.ithacaswingdance.com/fifties_one.html 50s Jitterbug History. Three longish quotes from that website are found on this page after viewer comments for the video "The Philly Bop (Official Dance of Philly)", I strongly recommend persons interested in the history of Rock & Roll dances to visit that site and read the entire articles.

Disclaimer:
I'm not a dance historian. I'm an African American woman who remembers some of these dances and enjoys listening to the songs & watching people do those dances. Furthermore, I like sharing information about & examples of African American culture with others.

This page should not be taken to infer that the only Rock & Roll dances that existed in the United States were of African American origin.

Contact Information

Please send in links to YouTube videos of & comments about Rock & Roll Dance videos to cocojams17@yahoo.com

Your email address is never posted or shared.

Or, if you are on facebook, visit me at cocojams jambalayah, and befriend me or send me a private message!

Thanks to all those who send in links to videos of Rock & Roll dances!

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Ms. Azizi Powell,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Last update: 2/9/2012

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PARTNER DANCES

The Philly Bop ; (Washington D.C.) Hand Dancing ; Chicago Stepping (also known as Chicago Soul Swingin); and Detroit Ballroom (also known as The Detroit Bop)

To my uneducated in dance history/movement eyes, the Philadelphia "Bop", Detroit "Bop", Washington D.C, "Hand Dancing", Chicago "Stepping" * ,and "Detroit Ballroom" appear to be the different names for the same family of Rock & Roll partner dances. It seems to me that all of these dances are derivations of the Lindy Hop, without the lifts and other acrobatic moves,

Whether or not these dance names refer to the same dance/s, similar dance styles, or sub-sets of one dance style, I'm including examples of these 1960s "old school" couples dances in the same section.

Do you have an opinion about the similarities and differences between the Philly Bop, The Detroit Bop, Hand Dancing, and Chicago Stepping? Share your opinion with others by contacting me at cocojams17@yahoo.com or contact me on facebook at cocojams jambalayah.

* Chicago Stepping is not to be confused with fraternity/sorority originated syncopated group's foot stomping that is also called "stepping" (steppin). Also hand dancing has no connection what so ever with the hand movement routines that is called "hand jive", a hand movement routine that (I believe) is what is referred to in the song "Willie And The Hand Jive".

VIDEOS

Chicago Original Freestyle Steppin R Mack White Party Detroit 2010.avi

Uploaded by nejuienejuie on Feb 2, 2011

-snip-

For what it's worth, it's very rare for African American men to dance holding hands. I don't recall ever seeing that before while I do recall seeing African American "hand dance" during my teen years in New Jersey (in the 1950s) and since then when hand dancing was in. But dancing holding hands is not something that is currently done except by groups which promote that dance style.

Here's a comment exchange from another video about this style of dancing:
"Ok, what's the difference between Philly Boppin' and Chicago Soul Swingin' or Detroit Ballroom?"
djkaneck1; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUD6-2iMPjg Philly Bop * Cha-Cha * Strand * Basic Line Dance Class & Detroit Ballroom Lessons ; 2010

*
"@djkaneck1 Philly Bop is a SIx count partner dance done primarly in PA / DE ?NJ

Chicago Steppin is a 6/8 count dance done in several areas of the country, but came out of Chi-Town. Detroit Ballroom is a smooth partner dance that comes out of detroit." Msmooth.com)
-ahb3027 ; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUD6-2iMPjg Philly Bop * Cha-Cha * Strand * Basic Line Dance Class & Detroit Ballroom Lessons ; 2010

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Chicago Style Steppers

Uploaded by chgostylesteppersLLP on Nov 16, 2009

Video of Cynthia Shanks and Stanford Bailey at the Toledo White Party in 2008. CHICAGOSTYLESTEPPERSLLP.COM

Read about the different styles of Bop and the similarity between Bop and Chicago Stepping at http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=insbDZgYcaE

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Detroit Style Ballroom Dancing

Uploaded by tcolbert2663 on Feb 9, 2010
"This is contemporary or Detroit Style ballroom first wedding dance routine."

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Detroit Style Ballroom

Uploaded by DarMandy1 on Feb 17, 2010

Darnell Mandy aka D SMUV and Danielle Wilson aka Lady D just having fun

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Hand Dance

Uploaded by humanitieswdc on Dec 1, 2010

"This documentary, from the National Hand Dance Association and filmmaker Beverly Lindsay-Johnson, explores the history of Washington, DC's official dance, its variations, and its continued presence and popularity among all age groups."

-snip-

Here's an interesting comment exchange from that video's viewer comment thread:

Love this kind of carrying on. It is just hard to find a dance partner.
-Swinglady1; 2011

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Swinglady1 Most women who go out hand dancing do not have dance partners. That's the beauty of the dance. We enjoy it better when we can enjoy the individual improvisation that the men bring to the dance.

Carry on.
-emmyprodr ; 2011

-snip-

Note that sometimes the male dancer has two female partners. As an aside, I recall that a guy sometimes had two female dance partners for what was called "fast dancing" (in the 1960s Atlantic City, New Jersey. "Slow dancing" was when a male and a female partner danced to slow, romantic songs). When I was a teenager and young adult, at dances and parties I attended, two females could "fast dance" together, but never two males. I don't know if that's changed or not,

-snip-

Also, according to a commenter in this video's comment thread "The Bop" is one form of "Hand Dancing".

**
D.C Hand Dancing. Bopping to " Members Only" by Bobby Blue Bland"

Uploaded by strongholdeddie on Nov 23, 2007

Editor:
The term "hand jive" (as in the song "Hand Jive") is a completely different body movement than "hand dancing".

Here's an excerpt from http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3bop1.htm
"Be-Bop was a type of music that was a rhythmic and melodic extension of Jazz music developed in the early 1940's...

Bop was a popular form of Swing dancing during the 1950's as well as done as a solo dance (especially when the melody divorced itself from traditional dance rhythms). It's style was slightly different than its predecessor Jitterbug. The term Bop was also used as slang for a type of careless movement, such as "Bop on over." ...

The dance style was a form of Jitterbug, or more recently East Coast Swing"

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The Philly Bop (Official Dance of Philly)

Uploaded by juneaudrey on Jul 16, 2007

The Official Dance of Philadelphia "THE BOP" demostrated by Audrey & June, bop & cha-cha instructors.

-snip-

Note: The entire comment thread of this video makes interesting reading if you're interested in African American "old school" dancing. However, I found the following three comments to be particularly interesting:

...we Philly Bop to many different song, oldies, jazz, blues & R&B. We just perfer the smooth songs for this dance. ...

Checkout our website oldiesinphilly
-juneaudrey; 2011

*
I did some research and was shocked to discover that the Bop WAS different in diff. locations. This one was totally diff. from where I lived in the west. I thought what "we" were doing was the real thing. As a teen we were so proud that our Bop was nothing like the old swing and jitterbug steps as seen a bit in this...but hey, I've discovered that I was wrong. Bop is whatever it was in your area! The fun of it is what matters.
-inyomusic; 2010

*
@inyomusic But so many kids began to dance Philly style because that is what we learned watching American Bandstand. It was all a little faster than these folks are dancing, but the Philly Bop became America's dance.
- Azishome; 2011

-snip-

Here's a website that is a very interesting read on the history of the American television dance show "American Bandstand" and the history of Rock & Roll Dancing:
http://www.ithacaswingdance.com/fifties_one.html '50s JITTERBUG Historty [sic]. The author of that website- author Kurt Lichtmann, Faculty, Ithaca College & Cornell University, Ithaca NY wrote that:

"The [American] Bandstand dancers themselves simply called it FAST DANCING* (NOT Jitterbug, NOT Lindy). But in the NYC-NJ area, some (especially those of the previous generation) called it LINDY or JITTERBUG. Some called it ROCK 'N' ROLL**. Most bandstanders learned the dance from their peers on this TV show. Whereas the top dancers of the Savoy were stage and screen pros of enormous dedication and attainment, Bandstanders were not chosen for dance ability: they just showed up. The teens came to the TV studio mainly from two local high schools: West Catholic and South Philadelphia.

In order to conform to the carefully crafted Bandstand image, Dick Clark, the show's gifted producer and host, did not permit aerials, lifts, dips, partnered charlestons, or jazz moves. Also, the tight confines of the studio's hard concrete floor, obstructed by bulky moving TV cameras, and criss-crossed with thick video cables, was hardly condusive to any kind of flash dancing. The kids tended naturally to dance in small slots. Even the rare really good dancers that came to Bandstand could only display a small fraction of their chops. But since the Bandstand dancers were the primary dance models for '50s America teens, you can understand how the vast repertoire of early Lindy Hop (on the TV, at least) now achieved its ultimate simplification for mass consumption...

** As a relevant aside, the term "ROCK & ROLL" was appropriated by Alan Freed for this 50s music style.

He is famous for that. But he did not invent to the term! It was in use well back into the 1920s, and can be heard in song lyrics by the Boswell Sisters, Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb, and Cab Calloway! "

-snip-

Apart from the other information in that quote, I found it interesting that the Bandstand dancers (and presumably other people in Philadelphia) called this type of dancing "fast dancing". I had written a comment earlier today (posted below the next video on Hand Dancing) that "fast dancing" was the name I remember was used during my teen years in Atlantic City, New Jersey which is about 90 minutes from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Here's another quote from Kurt Lichtmann that is found on the next page of the same website that was quoted above http://www.ithacaswingdance.com/fifties_two.html '50s "Jitterbug aka Fast Dancing aka Lindy aka Rock n' Roll ancestry"

"New moves and new dances, such as The Strand and the Bop,"debuted" on Bandstand. Where did these dances come from? Here we have a continuation of the same old story that has grated on black dancers since the '20s. With a few exceptions, white teens, attending integrated school dances, "adapted" the moves from black teens, introducing the moves on Bandstand as their own (The '50s Bandstand crowd was 98% white). An important aspect of this "adaptation" involved another phenomenon well-known to black dancers: white males seemed to lack the hip-movement gene! They would try to imitate the black dancers, but in the words of R & B performer Hank Ballard, "They had a way of dancin' where they didn't move their hips. And if you dance without moving' your hips, it just ain't happenin'!" "

-snip-

Here's one last quote from Kurt Lichtmann as found on http://www.ithacaswingdance.com/fifties_three.html "Jitterbug aka Fast Dancing aka Lindy aka Rock n' Roll ancestry" - wrap-up

"...American Bandstand ultimately brought America's teens to dance in complete breakaway formation, with increasingly simplistic and tedious specialty dances (starting with the Twist, then the Pony, the Mashed Potatoes, the Jerk, the Monkey, etc.). Fortunately this style of dancing apart did not last on the show, but it did last in the clubs and bars or America into the modern era.

THE 1970s: with disco and the hustle, partner dancing all came back. And, it came back with much greater sophistication, and a much more dance friendly TV studio than in the 1950s. But a whole generation (the 1960s teens) got left out. A new generation of America's teens were again earning partner dance on American Bandstand. So kudos after all to Dick Clark, a master at going with the flow."

**
Philly Bop Demo #3

Uploaded by juneaudrey on Jan 18, 2010

The Philly Bop demo. by "Bopologist" Audrey & June. Song by Dink
Perry & The Breeze Band: IF IT IS THAT WAY. More info.
www.oldiesinphilly.com

Here's a comment from this video's viewer comment thread:
"Philly's People's Choice winners...Best Bop&Cha-Cha instructors in the City congratulations June&Audrey.

Roger&Cynthia
-Phillydblock; 2010

**
EXAMPLES OF ROCK & ROLL DANCE VIDEOS -INDIVIDUAL DANCES

Boogaloo

Uploaded by vitpix on Dec 6, 2009
60's Dance

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Birdland

Uploaded by MsCharlese on Jul 23, 2011

"NHDA and Smooth & EZ performed at the DC Dance Festival, July 23. The event was titled, "Hand Dance: From Classic to Contemporary" and included both Old School and Contemporary Hand Dance performances. This event took place at the National Portrait Gallery"

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Boogaloo

See James Brown's "There Was A Time" video which is posted below.

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Breadown/Funky Chicken

Rufus Thomas-"Breakdown/Funky Chicken-" (1970)

Uploaded by Pioupioust on Jan 5, 2011
Wattstax:

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Camel Walk

See James Brown's "There Was A Time" video which is posted below.

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The Dog

Rufus Thomas- "Walking The Dog" (1963)

Quote from Rufus Thomas Tribute: http://staxrecords.free.fr/rufustribute.htm

"Some singers knew what subject was best for them to sing about. For Memphis soul man and "world's oldest teenager" Rufus Thomas, animals seemed to always equal hits. He scored an R&B Top Five with "Bear Cat," "The Dog," and "Do the Funky Chicken" (Top 30 Pop).

Given his rural background, it wasn't so surprising that some of Thomas' biggest successes would involve some of his four-legged friends; the best singers know to sing about what they're familiar with.

One Sunday afternoon, Thomas was returning home from church when he recognized the cars owned by members of Booker T & The MGs parked in front of Stax Studios. He'd had an idea for a song during the church service, and the DJ/singer/songwriter decided to stop to see if he could record it.

After a few run-throughs, the song "Walkin' the Dog" was recorded. As it so happened, Atlantic Records producer Tom Dowd was visiting from New York. Hearing what he thought was a hit, Dowd decided to make the track one of the releases that was part of Stax's distribution deal with Atlantic.

"The Dog" was the title of a popular early '60s dance craze. The funky, loping, mono-recorded "Walkin' the Dog" made it to #5 (R&B) & #10 (Pop) in Fall 1963.":

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Electric Slide

Marcia Griffiths - Electric Boogie (The Electric Slide) (Promo) (HQ)

Uploaded by oldschool1375 on May 15, 2010

(HQ) Official Music Video

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The Fly

Uploaded by misterbok on Mar 17, 2007

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The Funky Broadway-Wison Pickett

Uploaded by youknowstone on Mar 19, 2008

Editor: Note that the dancers do other dances besides the one/s mentioned in the song. Furthermore, a song can spark the creation of a dance (and not vice versa). In other words, it's possible that the dance "The Funky Broadway" was created after this song became popular.

**
The Funky Broadway

Uploaded by vitpix on Dec 6, 2009
60's Dance

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Hitch Hike

Uploaded by vitpix on Dec 6, 2009

60's Dance

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The Hucklebuck (late 1940s, revived by Chubby Checker in the 1960s)

Editor: The first two videos in this section are sound clips which are included for their historical/folkloric value.

Detroit's Grand Old Theaters (The Hucklebuck - Paul Williams, Detroit 1949)

-snip-

As a matter of record, Paul Hucklebuck Williams was African American.

**
Paul Hucklebuck Williams - The Huckle Boogie

Uploaded by PaulHucklebuckWms on Oct 8, 2010

The song Huckle Boogie appears on one of three album recordings. Paul Williams The Complete Recordings Volume 1 1947 - 1949, Paul Williams The Complete Recordings Volume 2 1949 - 1952, and Paul Williams The Complete Recordings Volume 3 1952 - 1956.

I received an email from a granddaughter of Paul Hucklebuck Williams which included the following links:

[Here is] a website www.PaulHucklebuckWilliams.com and a Youtube channel with other videos you may enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/user/PaulHucklebuckWms

Thanks for your comments!

**
Chubby Checker - The Hucklebuck

Uploaded by OpDePlanken on Oct 7, 2008

Live On Stage

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Hully Gully

Olympics - (Baby) Hully Gully (Rare 1965 clip)

Uploaded by SixtiesPopGoldExtra on Jul 25, 2010

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The Hustle

Van McCoy -"Do The Hustle"

Uploaded by bigbadblazer77 on Dec 20, 2007

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The Jerk

Uploaded by SixtiesPopGold1 on Jul 6, 2010

-snip-

Also, see James Brown's "There Was A Time" video which is posted below.

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The Locomotion

Uploaded by timnapalm on Nov 10, 2007

Live performance on 60s rock TV series "Shindig" on ABC.

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The Madison (1957)

Dancin' the Madison on "The Buddy Deane Show"

Uploaded by MarylandPublicTV on Apr 30, 2008
Clip from Shake, Rattle, and Roll: The Buddy Deane Scrapbook

Editor:
I'm not entirely sure if the Madison is a dance that was created by African Americans. It's documented that the Madison was created around 1957 in Columbus, Ohio, It's also documented that "The Madison took on international flavor when Count Basie visited Columbus in 1959 and adopted the dance as a feature of his entertainment when he played London and the Continent, creating press notices in London."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison_(dance)

For more information on the Madison, click http://www.columbusmusichistory.com/html/madison_1.html

-snip-

All that to say, until I learn otherwise, I'm claiming the Madison as an African American originated dance.

**
The Madison from Hairspray movie

Uploaded by lilitayaya on Aug 10, 2006
Dance clip from Hairspray (Not the full song)

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The Mashed Potatoes

-snip-

Also, see James Brown's "There Was A Time" video which is posted below.

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The Monkey

Uploaded by SixtiesPopGold on Jun 29, 2010

**
The Monkey

Uploaded by vitpix on Dec 6, 2009

60's Dance

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Popcorn

James Brown- Mother Popcorn

Uploaded by FunkyKev1 on Sep 11, 2010

Here's a comment from this video's viewer comment thread:

"I wonder if this was just another one of those grooves that Clyde and them put together and James just came in and said hey man lets make this a song I feel like popcornin on this one hands down James had the tightest bands in history they created the style that every funk and r&b band had to follow and unfortunately not many could keep up with them"
-MrRocDaSpot20 ; 2011

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The Pony

Chubby Checker - Pony Time

Uploaded by GNRSlashLover on Sep 18, 2010

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Push and Pull

Rufus Thomas- Push And Pull [sound clip]

uploaded by revolucionvisual on Sep 20, 2009

-snip-

Here are two comments from this sound clip's viewer comment thread.
...The 70's were sooo cooooll! That's when I cam alive and discovered life in the 70's. Afros and afro puffs for the girls, platform shoes, apple caps, nob toe shoes, bell bottoms, puffy sleeves for the guys and beyond skin tight pants for the girls. Even some of my teachers tried to join in this funky era. And lets not forget the "Talk." Things like: "What it is!" "You be jiven!" "boss!" "Jive Turkey" and of course "Can you dig it?"
-TheeMotivator; 2011

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@TheeMotivator oh you got a witness bro'. the funky penguin, walkin' the dog, push and pull , the funky chicken. uncle rufus was a bad man. songwriter, singer, dance innovator, story teller, producer, radio personality....and don't let me forget "the breakdown"........
-djbigsmooth; 2011

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The Robot

Dancing Machine - The Jackson 5

Uploaded by Jackson5Videos on Jul 30, 2009
The Jackson 5 on The Carol Burnett Show 1974

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Michael Jackson robot dancer

Uploaded by iboka666 on Jun 17, 2006

Editor:
Some couples who danced the jitterbug would also do robot-like movements. Click Cocojams' African American Jazz dances to see those examples.

Also, even though it is outside of this page's time frame, I'm adding this now classic scene that includes the Robot dance and popping (body isolations):

Breakin' Turbo Broom Dance

Uploaded by darkromeo415 on Feb 16, 2008

Michael "Boogalo Shrimp" Chambers as Turbo in the 1984 hip-hop movie "Breakin"

A couple of commenters also noted that "he did the pindrop @0:43

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Shotgun

Uploaded by SixtiesPopGold on May 28, 2010

Editor:
This clip is presented for the music. The accompanying dance isn't an accurate representation of the shotgun or of the other dances that are mentioned in the song.

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Slop
See the video below titled "Hand Dancing Old School/ Slop, Birdland, and Hand Dance" and the comment that is posted after that video.

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The Strand (1960s?) also known as "The Philly Strand"

Maureen Gray- Dancing The Strand [sound clip] 1962

Uploaded by lenaruben on Nov 18, 2008

Here's more information about this record as well as descriptions of this dance from commenters on this sound clip's comment thread:

"This was her only record to reach Billboard's charts, reaching #91 in 1962. I'm not sure, but sounds like the backing vocals are those of the Click-ettes. Piano intro sounds a lot like the one in the Chantels "Maybe".

Just how did (or does)one dance "The Strand?" Being born in the Bronx, never knew about this particular dance."
-57Wil; 2009

"It was a line dance You and your partner

moved up the line in a kind of walking strolling move and then down the center holding hands with the same walking strolling move. Or thats how we danced it anyways."
-heartbeat3 ; 2009

*
"You could also do it as a couples dance. People would couple up and go around the room. Like the song says.. "it was so grand.. dancing the Strand." This old dances need to be documented."
-behdoc; 2009

*
..."From philly. It's a fast slow dance with the couples releasing

a hand of each partner and stepping out perpendicular to ead other and

picking up the double beat of the song and then returning to each other, Then

repeat the same with opposite hands"
-Persian1Cat; 2010

*
"The background vocals are by the Chantels. The Strand was a slow dance that was popular in Philly. You held hands and kind of waltzed but changed directions and crossed over. It wasn't an easy dance to do."
-behdoc ; 2011

*
"Waltz is the wrong word.. it was like a fast walk but double to the beat. Others from Philly can probably describe it better. "
-behdoc; 2011

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Tighten Up

Uploaded by SixtiesPopGold on Jun 12, 2010
"This song went all the way to #1 on the Billboard singles chart."

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Turkey Trot

Little Eva - Let's Turkey Trot (Shindig 1965)

Editor:
"The Turkey Trot" is the name of a 1920s African American jazz dance. The "Pigeon Wing" is probably the oldest African American "bird" imitative dance. Another very old African American bird dance is "The Buzzard Lope." "The Bird", "The Birdland", "The Chicken", "The Chicken Scratch", and "The Funky Chicken" are other African American bird dances. Perhaps there's a reason why bird dances have been so common among African Americans. What do you think the reason is?

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The Twine-Alvin Cash and the Crawlers (1964)

Uploaded by SixtiesPopGold on May 26, 2010

"This rather raw soul song got as high as #14 on the US charts. And it was also release on a small label called Mar-V-Lus(!). You could go very far back then if you had a good song."

**
The Twine

Uploaded by vitpix on Dec 6, 2009

60's Dance

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The Twist

Chubby Checker - The Twist

Uploaded by GNRSlashLover on Sep 18, 2010

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chubby checker & dee dee sharp "slow twist" 1962

Uploaded by misterbok on Mar 19, 2007

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Watusi

Uploaded by nmorgan346 on Feb 6, 2011

Editor:
These dances aren't how the Watusi is done. Most of these dances look like the twist or the pony, or the swim.

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The_Watusi.mov

Uploaded by vitpix on Dec 6, 2009

60's Dance

-snip-

Here's an interesting brief clip from

The Watusi

Uploaded by diddypopdiddy on Jun 23, 2009
From "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner".

Transcription of this clip:

You can't turn on the television these days without seeing kids dancing. And I have to say that those colored kids are better than the white kids.

-Well there's an explanation for that. It's our dancing, And it's our music. We brought it here. You can do the Watusi, but we Are the Watusi. Do you know what I mean?

-snip-

Hmm. Now that conversation could spark a stimulating nature vs nature discussion.

EXAMPLES OF ROCK & ROLL DANCE VIDEOS -MULTIPLE DANCES

Soul Train Line Videos (1970s)

Please help to identify these dances.If you know the name of these dances, please send that information to cocojams17@yahoo.com. Don't forget to include the name of the video and the seconds timing on the video for the dance you are identifying. Thanks!!

Soul Train LIne Dance to Curtis Mayfield Get Down

Uploaded by bysolo65 on May 3, 2011

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Funky Good Time: Rhythm Revisited!

Uploaded by PremierLegend on Feb 6, 2010

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Hot line ／ The Sylvers on Soul Train

Uploaded by daidai3457 on Sep 19, 2010

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Other Rock & Roll Dance Videos

I don't know the names of the dances shown in these videos or- in the case of Wilson Pickett's "Land Of 1000 dances"- I'm not sure how all the dances named is done.

-snip-

Wilson Pickett- Land Of 1000 Dances

Uploaded by soulfreak1 on Jun 19, 2009

Editor: A number of viewers of this video wrote that this concert was filmed in Accra Ghana as part of the 1971 Soul to Soul concert which celebrated the anniversary of that country's independence.

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From http://www.stlyrics.com/songs/w/wilsonpickett7679/landofathousanddances2... , the dances mentioned in this song are as follows (in order of their mention) :
(the) Pony; Mash potato, the Alligator; Twisti; the Watusi; and the Jerk. In addition, the Put your hand on your hips, [yeah] / Let your backbone slip" line from the song is a traditional rhyme that is also found in "Little Sally Walker" and other African American children's rhymes , That "hand on your hip/let your backbone slip" line is also found in some African American grown up dance songs.

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James Brown - Original Dance Moves from the Master

Uploaded by g3houdini on Jan 12, 2011
1970s dance moves from the Master Himself - James Brown

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James Brown shows how to do "Tap dancing" "The Boogaloo". "The Funky Chicken", "The Old James Brown", "The Mashed Potatoes", "The Camel Walk"; "The Robot"; "Soul Train".

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James Brown - There was a time (1968)

Uploaded by CloneShadow on May 29, 2010
Live At Boston Garden 5th April 1968

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Editor;
I've tried to name the dances James Brown did in this video in the order of their performance: "The Mashed Potatoes", "The Jerk; ?, "The Boogaloo"; and "The Camel Walk".

Please help correct this list. Send corrections to cocojams17@yahoo.com
Thanks!

This concert was held in Boston, MA on April 5, 1968, the day after Dr. King was assassinated and was quite important because it helped quell potential unrest in Boston in the wake of the assassination.

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JAMES BROWN Greatest Ever Dancing

Uploaded by IkeDyson71 on Sep 22, 2010
Michael Jackson's dancing was heavily influenced by James Brown...!

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Major Lance- Um, Um, Um, Um, Um

Uploaded by SixtiesPopGold1 on Jul 5, 2010

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Hand Dancing Old School/ Slop, Birdland, and Hand Dance

Uploaded by strongholdeddie on Nov 23, 2007

"Hand dancing in Washington DC,s metro area. Three popular dances from the 60,s by some that were teenagers at the time. The Slop, The Birdland and Hand Dancing."

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Here are a couple of comments from this video's viewer comment thread:

We did the slop in New Jersey! 1960 and on. The Italian cats down in Philly invented it. For some reason only the brothers, sisters and Italians mastered it. I see one chick in this video almost doing it well! LOL
-2consul; 2011

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@2consul Where did you get that from? Slop was created in 50s by Blacks in Philly. Slop and moonwalk both very similar to a much older dance called the backslide. Cab Calloway, Bill Bailey and Earl "Snakehips" Tucker mastered this dance.
-luvureally; 2011

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Keep on dancing!

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Pancocojams is an eclectic mix of information, comments, and videos about the histories, cultures, and customs of African Americans & other People of Color.

The name "pancocojams" reflects this site's wide range of topics. The name "pancocojams" also reflects this blog's connection to my http://www.cocojams.com website.
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