Sixties City - Bringing on back the good times

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.

The Hitch Hike

With feet firmly placed, bend knees slightly and shake your hips. Place your hands at your sides and fist them,
leaving thumb open and pointing up. Move arms up and down alternately, jerking your fist over your shoulder.
Then, occasionally, jerk both fists together over one shoulder and jump to either side. Also, see below for more instructions

The Shake

Stand with one foot firmly in front of the other, stretch your arms out and swing from side to side while nodding your head.
Shake your upper body from the hips, occasionally jumping to one side or the other.

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.

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.

Bend It!

Click on the image to see the original instructions to Patrick Kerr's dance
(Thanks to Scooter Stu for this!)

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.

The Mashed Potato / Monster Mash
The basic Mashed Potato dance steps are on the right.

The 'Monster Mash is essentially the same dance, done
with creepy, ghoul-like arm movements and transitions.

Right knee bends, right foot lifts off the floor, weight shifts to left foot.
Pivot on left foot an eighth of a turn clockwise.
Left foot pivots a quarter turn counterclockwise.
Right foot steps close to left foot, then right foot pivots a quarter turn clockwise.
Left knee bends and left foot lifts off the floor.
Right foot pivots a quarter turn clockwise.
Left foot steps close to right foot, then left foot pivots quarter turn clockwise.
Right knee bends and right knee lifts off the floor.
Left foot pivots quarter turn counterclockwise.
Right foot steps close to left foot, then right foot pivots quarter turn clockwise.
Left knee bends and left foot lifts off the floor.
Right foot pivots quarter turn counterclockwise.
Repeat.

The Hitch-Hike

1. Stand in upright position with feet apart, doing the frug movement.

2. Hitch-hike with right thumb on the counts 1-2-3, to you right side.

3. Clap on the fourth beat on the right side of your body.

4. Hitch-hike with the left thumb on the count 1-2-3, back to the left side.

5. Clap on the fourth beat on the left side of your body. Repeat over and over.

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.

The Chicken

1. Stand with feet together and put right heel out.

2. Jump back into place with right foot, landing with left toe on ground, left heel raised.

3. Put heel of left foot out to left side.

4. Jump back in place with left foot, landing with right toe on ground, right heel raised. Repeat over and over in place. The body moves easily from side to side by dropping the opposite shoulder each time the foot goes out.

The counts are 1-2-3-4. Repeat it over and over
Note: The hands are raised, the fingers snapping on the beat.

The Blue-Beat
( Thanks to Scooter Stu for this! )

Click here to see the floor step pattern

Fly-away step 1 Swing step 1 Fly-away (group)

Basic Blue-Beat Swing ( same steps for boy and girl )

Stand with feet apart, hands held at side of body two or three inches from side

1. Swing weight over onto left foot, both knees bending over to the left, swinging arms across each other
at the same time.
2. Swing weight over onto right foot, both knees bending over to the right, uncrossing arms and swinging
them wide open away from body.

Continue this swinging movement left and right, keeping time to the very definite background beat that
you can hear in all 'blue-beat' music. Keep arm swing sharp and defined.

Fly-away ( can be danced before or after the basic swing )

1. Straighten right knee, raising left foot in sharp, small kick in front of right foot
2. Step onto left foot, lowering it in front of right foot
3-4. Transfer weight onto right foot, then left foot, in a rocking action.
5. Straighten left knee, raising right foot in sharp, small kick in front of left foot.
6. Step onto right foot, loering it in front of left foot.
7-8. Transfer weight onto left foot, then right foot, in a rocking action.

What is Blue-Beat Rhythm?
Try Ezz Reco's 'Little Girl' or 'King Of Kings'
or 'Gypsy Woman' by Cosmo

Active Videos

Instructional Dance Videos

Still here? What are you waiting for...... go and practice!

The 60s fad for new dances brought us such wondrous things as:

The Aba Daba Do Dance
The Afro Twist
The Alabama Shake
The Alley Cat
The Alley Oop
The Alligator
The Ants
The Arthur
The Baby Baby
The Baby Walk
The Baby Workout
The Bad Baboon
The Banana Split
The Bang
The Barefootin'
The Barracuda
The Batman
The Bat-Tusi
The Beatle Boogie
The Beatle Bounce
The Beatle Stomp
The Beetle Squash
The Beguine
The Behemoth
The Bend It!
The Big City Stomp
The Big Egg
The Billy-Jo
The Bird
The Black Stomp
The Blakes Beat
The Block
The Blue Beat
The Blue Chip
The Bolaro
The Bombie
The Boney Maroney
The Bongo Hop
The Boo-Ga-Loo
The Boogler
The Boomerang
The Booty Green
The Bop
The Boss Walk
The Bossa Nova
The Boston Hop
The Boston Monkey
The Bounce
The Brain
The Breakdown
The Bristol Stomp
The Broken Hip
The Bug
The Bull Nose Stomp
The Bumpsi
The Bunny Hop
The Burn
The Bushman
The Bus Stop
The Calypso Dance
The Camel Walk
The Capri
The Carnaby
The Cat Walk
The Caterpillar
The Cha Jerk
The Charge
The Charleston Fish
The Cheater Stomp
The Chicken
The Chicken-Back
The Chin-A-Ling
The Choo Choo
The Cinnamon Cinder
The Clam
The Click
The Climb
The Clyde
The Coffee Grind
The Congo
The Continental Mash
The Continental Walk
The Cool Jerk
The Cool Off
The Cool Shake
The Cow
The Crawl
The Crazy Chicken
The Crossfire
The Crumble
The Crusher
The Dartell Stomp
The Del Viking
The Dip
The Dipsey Dooble
The Dirt
The Dirty Boogie
The Dirty Dog
The Dish Rag
The Doctors Boogie

The Dog
The Dogin
The Donkey Step
The Donkey Walk
The Doolang
The Drag
The Drum Stomp
The Drunkard
The Duck
The Duck Walk
The Ebb'n'Flow
The Egyptian
The Egyptian Shumba
The Eighty One
The El Cable
The Elephant Walk
The Fatman
The Fine Twine
The Finger Poppin'
The Fish
The Flake
The Flea
The Flick
The Flip
The Flip Flop
The Float
The Fly
The Foot Stomping
The Footsee
The Fox
The Freddie
The Fridge
The Frug
The Funky Broadway
The Funky Bull
The Funky Horse
The Funky Jerk
The Funky Mississippi
The Funky Walk
The Gallop
The Gene Chandler
The Georgia Slop
The Get Down
The Get-E-Up
The Glide
The Goat
The Go Go
The Goblin Trot
The Good Time Stomp
The Goodfoot
The Goose
The Gorilla
The Granny
The Grind
The Guitar Boogie Stomp
The Gully
The Handjive Workout
The Hanky Panky
The Harlem Shuffle
The Harlem Tango
The Heat Wave
The Hippies Waltz
The Hippy Hippy Shake
The Hitch Hike
The Hitch-It-To-Horse
The Hitler
The Hokey Pokey
The Honey Dipper
The Hoochi Coochi Coo
The Hook And Sling
The Hop
The Hop Scotch
The Horse
The Hucklebuck
The Huddle
The Hula
The Hully Gully
The Hully Gully Bongo
The Hully Gully Rock
The Humphrey Stomp
The Hunch
The Jerk
The Jersey Bounce
The Jitterbug
The Jive
The Jivin' Around
The Joogie Boogie
The Jordan Stomp
The Jump
The Jump And Hump
The Junkernoo
The Kangaroo
The Karate Monkey
The Krunch
The Limbo
The Limbo Rock
The Locomotion
The Loddy-Lo
The Lone Star Stomp
The Loop De Loop

The Lowdown Popcorn
The Luau
The Lurch
The Madison
The Magoo
The Malibu
The Mambo
The Mambo Boogie
The Manhattan Stomp
The March Of The Mods
The Martian Hop
The Marvel
The Mash
The Mashi
The Mashed Potato
The Mashed Taters
The Massacre Stomp
The Matador
The Mexican Hat Dance
The Millie
The Mint
The Mojo Workout
The Molecule A-Go-Go
The Monkey
The Monkey Bird
The Monkey Shine
The Monkey Stroll
The Monkey Walk
The Monster Mash
The Mope
The Moppety Stomp
The Mother Popcorn
The Mountain Stomp
The Mouse
The Mozart Stomp
The Mule
The Munch
The Napoleon
The Nick Nack Hully Gully
The Night Stomp
The Nitty Gritty
The Olympic Shuffle
The Ostrich
The Pata Pata
The Pearl
The Penguin
The Peppermint Twist
The Philly
The Philly Dog
The Philly Horse
The Philly Jerk
The Philly Walk
The Pogo
The Polka
The Polly Wolly
The Pony
The Pony Horse
The Pony Rock
The Pony Walk
The Popcorn Poppin'
The Popeye
The Popeye Stroll
The Popeye Waddle
The Prance
The Pretzel
The Push
The Push And Pull
The Pyramids Stomp
The Rebel Walk
The Reel
The Rendezvous Stomp
The Rhumba Boogie
The Rib
The Rifle
The Roach
The Robbie
The Rock
The Rock And Roll
The Rocksteady
The Roman
The Romp
The Rosy
The Royal Whirl
The Rush Hour Stomp
The Scotch
The Scrape
The Scratch
The Scratchin'
The Screw
The Scrubs
The Scrumble
The Seaside
The Shake
The Shake A Tail Feather
The Shake And Stomp
The Shake Rattle Snake
The Shampoo
The Shimmy
The Shing-A-Ling
The Shoddy Shoddy
The Shotgun

The Shotgun Boogie
The Shotish
The Shout
The Shovel
The Sightseein'
The Simon Says
The Sissy Strut
The Ska
The Skip
The Slauson
The Slide
The Slime
The Slip And Slide
The Slop
The Slop And Slide
The Slosh
The Slow Dance
The Slow Jerk
The Slow Locomotion
The Slurp
The Snacky Poo
The Snake
The Snake Walk
The Soul Clap
The Soul Stomp
The Soul Twine
The Soulful Jerk
The Spanish Strut
The Spanns Stomp
The Spider Walk
The Spin
The Split
The Stereo Freeze
The Stomp
The Stop
The Stop Touch
The Strand
The Stretch
The Stroke
The Stroll
The Strut
The Struttin'
The Stupidity
The Surf
The Surfer Boogie
The Surfer Stomp
The Surfin' Bird
The Surfink
The Suzie
The Sway
The Swim
The Switch
The Switch-A-Roo
The Switchy Walk
The Tango
The Tantrum
The Teenagers Waltz
The Temptation Walk
The Thaxton
The Thing
The Tiger Walk
The Tighten Up
The Tip Toe
The Train Stomp
The Trot
The Turkey Trot
The Twine
The Twist
The Twist And Freeze
The Twitch
The Two-Step
The Ubangi Stomp
The Uncle Willie
The Underdog Backstreet
The Underwater
The Unwind Twine
The Wah-Watusi
The Watusi
The Wak-A-Cha
The Walk
The Wallop
The Wash
The Weasel
The Wedge
The Werewolf Watusi
The Whammy
The Wheel
The Whip
The Whiplash
The Whirl
The Whoopee
The Wiggle Wobble
The Wild Stomp
The Wild Weekend
The Wobble
The Worm
The Yo-Yo
The Yuletide Jerk
The Zig Zag
The Zizzle
The Zonk

( Thanks to Denver for the names of many of the UK and American Sixties dances listed above)