The top five dance crazes

First of all you gotta get up offa that thaang with Soul Brother James Brown. Follow James’ detailed instructions below on how to get down and you can’t go too far wrong. Feeling loose brothers and sisters? Let’s go!

Read on to learn how to perform:

*The Block*

*The Dog*

*The Ska*

*The Watusi*

*The Monkey*

1. The Block

Crouch down with arms slightly bent, palms facing down. Quickly place one foot in front of the other and twist your heel as it lands.
Spin round on your heels and improvise a bit of fancy footwork.

2. The Dog

With feet slightly apart, crouch down with arms bent and fists clenched. Move body and arms backwards and forwards with the beat.
Jerk clenched fists over shoulders alternately similar to Hitch Hike movement and jump to the left or right.

3. The Ska

‘Milk a cow’ with your hands while in a crouched position, swaying from the hips.
Keep the rhythm, moving slowly up and down, occasionally lifting one foot up high.

4. The Watusi (Dance to moderate tempo)

Stance:
Stand with your feet about 12 inches apart. Keep both knees bent at all times. Pretend you are going to take a golf swing.

Hip Movement:
On the count of one, shift weight to right foot, making right hip move out to the right.
On the count of two, shift weight to left foot, making left hip move out to the left. Move from side to side with hips swinging right to left to a 1-2, 1-2 rhythm.

Arm Movement:
Hold arms out in front of you as if you were holding a golf club. Swing hands to your right, then down in a semicircular motion to your left, back to right, then to left, counting 1-2, 1-2.

Putting Them Together:
Now do the hand and hip movements simultaneously from right to left on a count of 1-2

5. The Monkey

1 . Taking a fighter’s crouch, face your partner and stand with feet apart, knees bent.
Bend arms and close fists, thumbs up.

2. Bend forward from waist to the left, raising right arm. As your body bobs, your head
also bobs forward on each count. The whole effect is jerky.

3. Straighten up to original position.

4. Bend forward from waist toward your partner, facing centre, switching arms as you
do so.

5. Straighten to original position. Hands and head should give impression of monkey holding two bananas.

6. Bend forward from waist to the right. Straighten to original position.

7. Bob back to centre, bending at waist and again switching hands.

8. Repeat entire pattern. Counts are double time, hitting every accent in the music.