Every decade has their own set of dances that everyone seems to know.

Early decades had the Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, & even the Charleston.

Then you had dances like the Jitterbug, the Lindy, etc.

The ones I remember from the '60s, were the Monkey, the Twist, the Swim, etc.

The 70s, I remember doing the Hustle and the Bump. Of course there is also YMCA.

In the 80s, it was the Moonwalk, followed by the 90s, with the Macarana.

I don't really know any of the newer ones.

So, what dances do you remember and used to dance to?


Cat

In the late 70's when I was in college a lot of people danced the Freak.  The song "Le Freak" refers to the dance.  I also liked doing the bump, but by my college days it was slightly passe.  Dancing, I was generally a little freestyle - I did things I saw other people do, and didn't always know the name of the dance.

One dance I greatly admired but didn't do was the Robot - made popular by Michael Jackson in the mid-70's.

In the 80's I totally danced freestyle - and that seemed fine, it was so casual then!  ;D  It seems it was around the very late 80's or early 90's when line dancing started to get popular (electric slide, etc.).

When I was a little girl in the 60's I remember the Monkey and the Twist.  There were several other popular dances but I don't remember all of them.

In the late 70's when I was in college a lot of people danced the Freak.  The song "Le Freak" refers to the dance.  I also liked doing the bump, but by my college days it was slightly passe.  Dancing, I was generally a little freestyle - I did things I saw other people do, and didn't always know the name of the dance.

One dance I greatly admired but didn't do was the Robot - made popular by Michael Jackson in the mid-70's.

In the 80's I totally danced freestyle - and that seemed fine, it was so casual then!  ;D  It seems it was around the very late 80's or early 90's when line dancing started to get popular (electric slide, etc.).

When I was a little girl in the 60's I remember the Monkey and the Twist.  There were several other popular dances but I don't remember all of them.



I did a lot of free style, too. Of course with my ballet/jazz/tap background, I kind of combined just about all of it.


Cat

There was break dancing which I think of as early 80s.

In the early 90s there was the Humpty Dance. I remember that from when I hung out at the teen nights.

We headbanged a lot to the hair metal that was left, but that was more popular in the 70s and 80s.

I think of the robot as what I see people doing to Mr Roboto.

Another one I remember from the late 80s or early 90s was the Lambada. At least hearing about it.

There was break dancing which I think of as early 80s.

In the early 90s there was the Humpty Dance. I remember that from when I hung out at the teen nights.

We headbanged a lot to the hair metal that was left, but that was more popular in the 70s and 80s.

I think of the robot as what I see people doing to Mr Roboto.

Another one I remember from the late 80s or early 90s was the Lambada. At least hearing about it.


The Lambada was one of those annoying things like the Macarena and the Gangnam thing. Novelty trends not really done by people in dance clubs but more by middle aged suburban housewives at weddings. The exact same type of person that in the 70s used to say "do you know how to do the disco?".

The Running man, late 80s early 90s.

A couple of dances that seem to be purely British are the row boat to Oops Upside Your Head and the slosh. I don’t recall what song I did this to,  but on Google the popular one seems to be Beautiful Sunday by Daniel Boone.

The Birdie Song was another one danced at family parties.

From what I can remember there was Moonwalking, breakdancing and The Macarena to name a few.

Let's Do the Time Warp Again.

(It's just a jump to the left...)


Cat

From what I can remember there was Moonwalking, breakdancing and The Macarena to name a few.
The Moonwalk dates back to the 1940s with the entertainer Bill Bailey performing it on stage.

The Bus Stop

The Bus Stop


Is that standing about in a line looking at your watch and commenting on how late the bus is?

Is that standing about in a line looking at your watch and commenting on how late the bus is?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH6iJgUo0co

The Lambada was one of those annoying things like the Macarena and the Gangnam thing. Novelty trends not really done by people in dance clubs but more by middle aged suburban housewives at weddings. The exact same type of person that in the 70s used to say "do you know how to do the disco?".


I remember people actually saying that back then. Hilarious.  ;D

I always got the Bus Stop & the Hustle mixed up. They were done pretty much the same.

Oh, another one I forgot, The Alley Cat.


Cat

The Macarena

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWaymcVmJ-A

The Macarena



To repeat:

The Lambada was one of those annoying things like the Macarena and the Gangnam thing. Novelty trends not really done by people in dance clubs but more by middle aged suburban housewives at weddings. The exact same type of person that in the 70s used to say "do you know how to do the disco?".





Oh, another one I forgot, The Alley Cat.

Cat


See above.  Although, having said that, I actually had the original 45 by "Bent Fabric" in the 60s.  I also remember Liberace playing it on TV all the time as a medley with other songs (including "Chopsticks"). It was a well known piano piece.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arZZw8NyPq8
The Ketchup Song (this came out in 2002 but not sure if you'd consider this a "dance".)

To repeat:

The Lambada was one of those annoying things like the Macarena and the Gangnam thing. Novelty trends not really done by people in dance clubs but more by middle aged suburban housewives at weddings. The exact same type of person that in the 70s used to say "do you know how to do the disco?".



See above.  Although, having said that, I actually had the original 45 by "Bent Fabric" in the 60s.  I also remember Liberace playing it on TV all the time as a medley with other songs (including "Chopsticks"). It was a well known piano piece.


I remember learning the Alley Cat in gym in 5th grade.  And I have a hilarious video of my dad trying to do the Macarana when it was played at our wedding.

Oh, and when I was a kid. Chopsticks was one of the few things I could play on the piano (that and Frère Jacques).


Cat