How old is the jerk dance

Watch the hand jive here. Rock and roll icon Chubby Checker popularized the twist with his No. The dance had another wave of popularity four years later with the popularity of the Beatles ' hit cover of "Twist and Shout. Watch the twist here. The limbo had some dark origins — according to the New York Post, it originated in Trinidad and Tobago during the slave trade. Watch the limbo here. The Watusi dance is named after an African tribe , the Tutsi, known for their elaborate dances.

It became popular after the song "El Watusi" by Ray Barretto was released. It eventually went gold. Watch the Watusi here. Not to be confused with the s dance fad called "jerkin'," the jerk was popular in the '60s. Watch the jerk here.

The loco-motion comes from the song of the same name, "The Loco-Motion. While the song was popular, it took a few years for the dance to catch on. Watch the loco-motion here. The Batusi is named after the previously mentioned Watusi.

The move first appeared in the series premiere of the '60s "Batman" show, in January Much like everything else in the show, the Batusi is a bat-related pun. Watch the original Batusi here.

The funky chicken is named after the song it originated from, "Do the Funky Chicken" by Rufus Thomas. The song was released in but hit its chart peak in early It spawned the " single goofiest dance craze of the s. Watch the funky chicken here. It also doesn't hurt that the lyrics explicitly state what to do , like "It's just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right. Watch the time warp here. The hustle is a catch-all term for common disco moves, including the point John Travolta is so famous for, and other disco staples.

The hustle style of dancing became extremely popular outside of New York City after the release of "Saturday Night Fever," a movie all about disco. Watch Travolta do his best hustle here. Has a dance ever been so simple? The YMCA is self-explanatory — the moves are right there in the name. The Village People's song "Y.

Watch the YMCA here. The worm is just one of a few popular breakdancing moves, but it's definitely the most recognizable — and most attempted. Breakdancing had been popular in certain communities throughout the '60s and '70s but began rising in popularity once Michael Jackson adopted the style. Watch the worm here. Though the song, or a version of the song, was written in the s, the version we've come to know and love wasn't solidified until The song was played at a German-themed Oktoberfest celebration in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when it was still about ducks.

However, the only costume lying around was a chicken suit, so the crowd learned the chicken dance, and the rest is history. Watch the chicken dance here. Michael Jackson, for most of the '80s, originated a few dance crazes.

The first was the moonwalk, which he did for the first time while performing his song "Billie Jean" in Often imitated, never duplicated, the moonwalk gives the illusion that the dancer is somehow gliding backwards. Watch the original moonwalk here. And just one year later, Jackson was at it again with the choreography used in "Thriller. Watch a flash mob performing "Thriller" here. They splayed out their arms much like the Egyptians are depicted to be doing in ancient paintings.

Watch "Walk Like an Egyptian" here. The cabbage patch dance comes from the song of the same name by Gucci Crew II.

The name also references the Cabbage Patch dolls, a popular '80s toy. Watch the cabbage patch here. The running man is self explanatory: it's meant to look like the dancer is running in place. The running man was popular throughout the '70s and '80s , and while it didn't reach its peak until Janet Jackson performed it in the music video for "Rhythm Nation" in , clearly it had to be famous enough for it to be on her radar.

Watch the running man here. The electric slide is performed to the song "The Electric Boogie," which was first released in However, the cover by Marcia Griffiths is what propelled it back into the nation's consciousness.

Now, it's a favorite at weddings and school dances for its simplicity. Watch the electric slide here. It was released in , and introduced the world to Humpty Hump, a court jester-esque figure who only wanted to dance to his heart's content.

The Humpty dance itself is performed by both Humpty and his back-up dancers during the music video, and is essentially just criss-crossing your feet then throwing your arm up in the air. Watch the Humpty dance here.

All it takes to perform the Hammer dance is a pair of enormously baggy pants and the ability to move from side to side on your tiptoes. Watch the Hammer dance here.

His trademark happy dance, usually set to Tom Jones' "It's Not Unusual," was first seen in a season two episode of the show in Watch the best of the Carlton dance here. Watch the Cotton Eye Joe here. The song "Macarena" is one of the best one-hit-wonders of all time, sung by the Spanish duo Los Del Rio. The song first came out in , but an English remix of the song featuring the Bayside Boys boosted its popularity. It peaked at No. The simple dance, only involving hands and arms, is featured in the music video.

The song and accompanying dance remain popular at weddings, sporting events, and any other giant event. Watch the Macarena here. The lyrics are "Slide to the left, slide to the right, one hop this time," and so on.

And who among us doesn't immediately say "everybody clap your hands" after someone else says "freeze? C The Slide Man. Switch to the other arm. After your one arm has gone up to head level it's time to bring it back down. However, you will be moving your other arm up at the same time your first arm is coming back down. Your other arm will swing up in the exact same way as you did with your first arm. The arm going down should stop at waist level, ending a bit behind your waist. Your arms should be meeting halfway through the movement.

Bring your arm up just like you did with the first arm. Keep switching arms. Add in head and chest movements. Although the jerk focuses on your arms you will also need to move your head and chest. These movements will both be small and will be timed with the motion of your arms.

Keep some of the following tips in mind as you work to add these head and chest flourishes: Push your chest out whenever an arm is swung up to your head level. Sink your chest in when switching arms. Turn your head to face whichever hand you are swinging up to head level. Add a slight bounce. There is no footwork for you to learn when practicing the jerk. However, you will still need to have some leg movement in order to make the whole dance flow. Try to incorporate some of these leg motions into your jerk dance: [4] X Research source Slightly bend your knees when switching arms.

Straighten your legs out when an arm is up at head level. Method 2. Listen carefully to the song. Your body should feel a beat, which forms the rhythm of the song along with the tempo [5] X Research source. Imagine the beat like a ticking of a clock or a metronome. Each tick is a beat, and the speed of these ticks form the rhythm. Find the beat in whatever song you want to dance to.

Snap to the beat. Once you have found the beat start snapping your fingers in rhythm. Your finger snap will probably occur on a bass note or a drum beat. The finger snap is often incorporated into the dance when people are doing the jerk, so this is a good way to get started.

The point of this exercise is to prepare your body to move with the rhythm of the song. Doing the jerk is partially about the move itself, but also about being in sync with the music. Start moving your arms. Move your arms casually back and forth across your body as you snap. Doing the jerk will require a more pronounced movement, but for now just swing your arms back and forth as you snap your finger to the beat.

Method 3. Add in a double motion. You don't always have to switch arms when you are doing the jerk. If there is a change in beat or you just want to change the move up a bit, you can move the same arm twice or more. Adding the double motion can be a simple way to include a bit of variation to the jerk. Bring your arm up to your head as you normally do.

Bring the arm back down again. Don't switch to bringing your other arm up. Instead bring the same arm back up. Change to the pony. The pony is a dance from the 60's that can blend nicely with the motions of the jerk.

The move is an easy one to learn and can be a nice addition to your jerk moves. Take a look at the following overview to get the basics of the pony down: [7] X Research source Take a big step to your left.

Stand in place and step on your right foot then back to your left. Take a big step to your right. Stand in place and step on your left foot then back to your right. Have your arms down at hip level on the big step. Bring your arms up with the smaller steps you take when standing place.

Do the twist. The twist is a simple dance move that looks great and can work together nicely with the jerk. You will need to be on your toes, twisting the direction your heels face, and moving your weight from side to side. Keep some of the following basic steps in mind when practicing your twist: [8] X Research source Stand on your toes. Shift your legs and hips so that your heels are pointing either to the left or the right. Shift your heels to the other side. Keep this motion going and move your body from side to side, shifting your weight to your right or left leg.