Episode 2: Dance Moves for the Ages
Some Fun Facts About Today’s Questions:
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So how did The Duck Dance become The Chicken Dance?
Apparently this happened at an Oktoberfest celebration in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1981. The short version is this: they wanted to have someone wear a duck costume to demonstrate the dance. There were no duck costumes available, but they did find a chicken costume. The rest, as they say, is history.
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The Big, Bad, Scary Hokey Pokey
If you find yourself with nothing better to do (or you’re just really, really interested in learning more about the Hokey Pokey…), spend a few hours on an internet search such as “The History of the Hokey Pokey” and/or “Hokey Pokey Lawsuits.” Just be warned: you can never get those hours back.
Some highlights:
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It’s called The Hokey Cokey in the UK.
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There was a lawsuit in the US during the 1940s over who actually wrote it.
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There is an Urban Legend/Conspiracy Theory that has circulated over the years claiming the song was written by Puritans for the purpose of mocking the Catholic Church. This story is so pervasive that certain groups have suggested that those who dare to “shake it all about” be jailed for committing a hate crime!
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The Bunny Hop was invented by high school students!
Ray Anthony heard about it and visited Balboa High School in San Francisco to watch the students perform the dance. He recorded the hit song to go along with it in 1952.
We hope you enjoyed this episode, as well as these pictures of Nana and Poppa (Ted's grandparents/my parents) at dances in the 1950s. They are 87 and 90 and still going strong!