1 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 1: I guess what mango? What's that? Will? All right? So 2 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: we decided to do today's episode on different dances. I 3 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 1: started thinking back to all the dances that we learned 4 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: as kids, and all the songs where every kid in 5 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: school felt like they had to master the dance moves. 6 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:19,600 Speaker 1: So when you think about this, what dance has come 7 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: to mind? So you know what strange is that I 8 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:24,599 Speaker 1: was actually thinking about this recently, and obviously their moves 9 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 1: like the Roger rabbit or whatever, But I actually kind 10 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 1: of feel grateful that we grew up in this era 11 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: when there weren't a lot of great dances, and at 12 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:34,240 Speaker 1: least when we were in middle school, Like, uh, all 13 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: the breakdancing and moonwalking was over by then, and then 14 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:39,880 Speaker 1: all the songs seemed to be just about jumping, like 15 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,600 Speaker 1: some pain was jump around criss cross, had that song 16 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: jumped like feel like dancing to Nirvana was just like 17 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:48,520 Speaker 1: bouncing up and down and bumping into each other. And 18 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: it was totally right about this. I didn't think about 19 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,160 Speaker 1: that so much easier than like watching what my kids 20 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: have to go through just to keep up with like 21 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: the shoot and the whip nene, and like practicing how 22 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 1: to floss all the time. Yeah, I mean, I get 23 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: what you're saying, But you know, a few others do 24 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 1: come to mind for me, and and probably to stand 25 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: out above the others, you know. The first of these 26 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 1: was definitely Michael Jackson's Thriller. And I know I've mentioned 27 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: this before, but my sister was a few years older 28 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: than me, and so when she was out with friends 29 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 1: or still at school, I would often sneak into her 30 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,680 Speaker 1: room and listen to tapes on that fancy double cassette 31 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 1: boom box that she had, and you know, I might 32 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:26,759 Speaker 1: pop in some Duran, Duran or the Bangles or any 33 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: number of other tapes that she had. But my favorite 34 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 1: was definitely Michael Jackson's Thriller. And I was terrible at 35 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: dancing to that song, but it didn't stop me from 36 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: trying to master it. But you know, the other dance 37 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: that comes to mind, and you might argue this one 38 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: was a little bit easier to master, that was the 39 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 1: electric slide. So I remember going into the school dance 40 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: in like sixth grade and suddenly everyone was doing the 41 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: electric slide and I couldn't figure out, like, had I 42 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: missed a class where this was taught because like everyone 43 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 1: knew how to do it well. It might have felt 44 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: like everybody mastered it. But my guess is the dances creator, 45 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: Richard Silver, he might not agree with that, you know, 46 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 1: especially if you weren't doing all twenty two proper steps 47 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 1: of the dance. Now this may seem a little bit silly, 48 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 1: but he was serious about this. So Silver was this 49 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,359 Speaker 1: well known dancer in the New York City disco scene, 50 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: and he came up with the Electric Slide in nineteen 51 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 1: seventy six, and he was more than a little particular 52 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: about people doing it just right, especially because there was 53 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 1: this version of the dance that caught on that only 54 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: involved eighteen of the twenty two steps that he'd choreographed. 55 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 1: And he'd get so angry about people doing it wrong 56 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: that for years he would threaten to sue people who 57 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: were doing it incorrectly, and he even convinced YouTube to 58 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:45,959 Speaker 1: take down several videos of like weddings and bar Mitzvah's 59 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 1: and other parties that involved people butchering his creation. Is 60 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: this not nuts, that's amazing. But he finally gave up 61 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 1: on trying to police the world on behalf of his 62 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: dance when this other civil rights organization. They actually sued 63 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: him on behalf of a man whose party clips had 64 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 1: been taken down from the web because of silver. But anyway, 65 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:09,919 Speaker 1: this this bizarre incident got us thinking about the unusual 66 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:13,239 Speaker 1: and often controversial origins of some of the most well 67 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: known dances in history. And that's what we're gonna be 68 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: talking about today. So let's dive in. Y Hey there, 69 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 1: podcast listeners, Welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson 70 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: and as always I'm joined by my good friend man 71 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 1: gues Ticketer and on the other side of the soundproof 72 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: glass practicing the steps for the official Arch Deluxe line dance. 73 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: That's our friend and producer Tristan McNeil. Now, I have 74 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 1: to admit i'd never heard of this, but apparently this 75 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: dance was part of a McDonald's ad campaign back in 76 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: the mid nineties. Do you remember this Mango, Yeah, the 77 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 1: Arch Deluxe. It was a giant failure from what I remember. Yeah, 78 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 1: And I guess the company was trying to attract older 79 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: customers by introducing what they build as quote the burger 80 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 1: with the grown up taste, which is such a weird line. 81 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: And you're right, it sounds like nobody liked it. I 82 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 1: don't think the dance fared that much better either. But 83 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 1: Tristan actually dug up the steps on the old arch 84 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:29,720 Speaker 1: Deluxe website, which you can apparently still access. And I 85 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 1: think everybody should do this because it's just as ridiculous 86 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:36,159 Speaker 1: as you might imagine. I mean, listen to some of 87 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:39,039 Speaker 1: these dance moves and they describe them in detail for you. 88 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: Here it says, right, arm rolls up and down twice 89 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:45,040 Speaker 1: like the wave and a nocean. Then step forward and 90 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 1: form the golden arches with your arms. What what could 91 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:53,360 Speaker 1: be cooler than doing these dance moves? But unsurprisingly this 92 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 1: did not catch on, and that's despite McDonald's bold claim 93 00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 1: that quote people across America are mixed step and to 94 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: the beat of the newest dance craze. So I looked 95 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:05,800 Speaker 1: into this and it seems like the whole idea was 96 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 1: meant as a way to capitalize on how popular the 97 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:11,159 Speaker 1: Macarina was at the time, and the company went all 98 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:13,160 Speaker 1: out to try and make this the next big thing. 99 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: And I've read that they actually shuttled a bunch of 100 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 1: employees to McDonald's headquarters for do the deluxe dance lessons. 101 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:22,960 Speaker 1: And then there was a giant pep rally right there after, 102 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,920 Speaker 1: and the village people attended and performed for some reason. 103 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 1: What do you mean for some reason? I mean they 104 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,720 Speaker 1: were mixed step into the beat, Mango. Yeah, I mean 105 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: nothing gets you more excited than a mandatory pep rally exactly. Well, 106 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 1: you know today's show is about more than Burger inspired 107 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 1: dance moves, because for too long now, we've been plagued 108 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 1: by some pretty important questions, you know, things like did 109 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:49,279 Speaker 1: Michael Jackson really invent the moonwalk? And why are good 110 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:52,160 Speaker 1: ballet shoes so hard to find? And why do we 111 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: teach kids to square dance in gym class. That's a 112 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:56,479 Speaker 1: big one that I feel like we should answer. But 113 00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 1: today we're gonna hit the dance floor and see if 114 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:01,719 Speaker 1: we can find only unraveled some of the weird and 115 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: surprising mysteries of dance. And I feel like I'm gonna 116 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: let you take the lead on this one, Mango. So 117 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:10,919 Speaker 1: where should we start? So you remember that one glorious 118 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 1: Stefan song. The rhythm is gonna get you. I'm a 119 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:16,920 Speaker 1: little I'm a little insulted that you would ask if 120 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:20,480 Speaker 1: I know the rhythm is going too? Of course, Yeah, 121 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: so my question is basically why, like, what is it 122 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: about watching people dance that makes you want to dance yourself? 123 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:29,840 Speaker 1: It's a good question. And I will also say that 124 00:06:29,839 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: that line always sounded a little ominous to me, like 125 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:35,040 Speaker 1: something was coming after me and it is going to 126 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 1: get you in a very catchy way. But you know what, 127 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 1: We talk about all kinds of things going viral on 128 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:43,720 Speaker 1: the internet now, but dancing in particular has a really 129 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:46,599 Speaker 1: long history of being likened to a virus. So you 130 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: and our listeners have probably heard of that so called 131 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:51,479 Speaker 1: dancing plague that struck Europe in the early fifteen hundreds, 132 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 1: And this is when hundreds of people started compulsively dancing 133 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: for days on end without resting, and within a month 134 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: or so, many of them had collapsed or even died 135 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,159 Speaker 1: from exhaustion. And today researchers have all kinds of ideas 136 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 1: about what brings on these bizarre forms of mania, everything 137 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: from like food poisoning, the psychosis, but there's still are 138 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 1: no hard answers, like the rhythm simply got them boy 139 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 1: did it? Yeah? I mean the dance plague is a 140 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 1: pretty extreme case. I think about times when you're just 141 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 1: watching a performance and you know, you may start to 142 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:27,640 Speaker 1: move your shoulders or bobbing your head and just kind 143 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:30,160 Speaker 1: of dancing along a little bit in your seat, like 144 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: did you come across any answers for why that happens. So, 145 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: nothing concrete, but there's a good deal of evidence to 146 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 1: suggest that our bodies are attuned to the movements of 147 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,920 Speaker 1: others because of responses in our brains. So the idea 148 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:44,800 Speaker 1: is that whenever we make a certain movement, a corresponding 149 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:47,480 Speaker 1: region of the brain is activated. But this is where 150 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 1: it gets weird, because that region of the brain is 151 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 1: activated not only when we perform the movement ourselves, but 152 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:56,680 Speaker 1: when we observe someone else performing it. So you're saying, 153 00:07:56,720 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 1: like when we watch somebody dance, our brains are sort 154 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 1: of sim relating the dance steps internally. Is that is 155 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: that what you're saying exactly, And this unconscious response is 156 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 1: actually strong enough in some people that they will actually 157 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:12,040 Speaker 1: start to, you know, act out the movements they're internalizing. 158 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 1: How heidened your responses depends on how familiar you are 159 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 1: with the movements and how much enjoyment you get from 160 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 1: making them yourself. So, for example, like the motor regions 161 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 1: of professional dancers brain will actually become much more active 162 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 1: when they watch someone dance compared to someone who doesn't 163 00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 1: dance themselves. Yeah, that's pretty interesting. But I mean, there 164 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 1: is one form of dance and and that would probably 165 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 1: ballet that my brain just throws in the towel, Like 166 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:38,839 Speaker 1: those are movements I can't even think through, but much 167 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:42,200 Speaker 1: less perform myself. And that's especially true of the moves 168 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 1: where the ballerinas are on their toes. And I've always 169 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:47,560 Speaker 1: just found this so interesting, and I thought I would 170 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: look into the background of this, and it turns up 171 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 1: ballerinas first started dancing on their toes in the late 172 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 1: seventeen hundreds, but not in the way that we're used to. 173 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 1: At first, the dancers were actually lifted off the stage 174 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 1: by this system of wires so that it would appear 175 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:05,240 Speaker 1: like they were hovering on their toes. And years later 176 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:07,960 Speaker 1: this system lead to the invention of point shoes, which 177 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:10,800 Speaker 1: were then sturdy enough for the dancers to actually balance 178 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: on their toes without the aid of these wires. So 179 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 1: I've actually been curious about this. So do point shoes 180 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: have like solid wood in the tips or how are 181 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 1: they so hard there? You know, I always thought that 182 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 1: they did, but it turns out there actually made from 183 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:26,880 Speaker 1: layers of fabric and paper that have been hardened, and 184 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:30,079 Speaker 1: they hardened them with a flour paste, so it's a 185 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:33,120 Speaker 1: little bit more like paper mache. And then once that 186 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:35,840 Speaker 1: shape is set, the shoes are wrapped in satin, and 187 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 1: then the tips are flattened with an actual hammer, and 188 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:41,559 Speaker 1: and that kind of forms that platform for the dancers 189 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:44,880 Speaker 1: to stand on. But you know, the initial process is 190 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 1: really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes 191 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:50,959 Speaker 1: to modding point shoes, because before a ballerina can debut 192 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 1: a fresh pair on stage, she first has to spend 193 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 1: several hours, you know, cutting and ripping and scraping and 194 00:09:57,200 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 1: crushing and often even burning these shoes in order to 195 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 1: make them fit just right. I mean that sounds insane, 196 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 1: but you know, well, why can't shoemakers just make the 197 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 1: shoes the way dancers like them from the start? Well 198 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 1: I was wondering that too, But if you think about it, 199 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: there's just way too much variation between the shape and 200 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: size of a dancer's feet for these manufacturers to be 201 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 1: able to cover that, and they'd have to specially make 202 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:22,960 Speaker 1: these shoes for each and every dancer which isn't really 203 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:26,040 Speaker 1: financially feasible when you consider that some dancers wear out 204 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 1: a pair of points after a single performance, and many 205 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 1: of these dancers may go through over a hundred pairs 206 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: of shoes over the course of a season. So well, 207 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:37,200 Speaker 1: it's certainly time consuming for the dancers to alter their 208 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 1: own shoes. It's probably the most practical solution. So what 209 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 1: kind of benefits to the ballerinas get from these specialized modifications, Well, 210 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:49,320 Speaker 1: it depends, like each dancer likes their shoes a little 211 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:52,240 Speaker 1: bit different, so the methods, you know, very based on 212 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:55,240 Speaker 1: what they may be looking for. So, for example, some 213 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 1: ballerinas cut the soles out of their shoes to improve 214 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 1: that flexibility, and then they may superglue them back together again. 215 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:06,199 Speaker 1: And others outfit their shoes with a product called ouch pouches, 216 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:10,280 Speaker 1: which are basically these silicone gel caps that that you 217 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:13,079 Speaker 1: will provide a little extra padding for their toes. And 218 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:15,720 Speaker 1: I even read about one ballerina who likes to rip 219 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:18,160 Speaker 1: out the soul and lining of her shoes and then 220 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:21,440 Speaker 1: mark the spot where her arches are and then break 221 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:24,719 Speaker 1: the shoes in half with her hands from there. But 222 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 1: the other thing I thought was really cool about this 223 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:29,959 Speaker 1: is that these rituals, they're really passed down from one 224 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:33,520 Speaker 1: generation of dancers to the next, So when a ballerina 225 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:36,760 Speaker 1: first starts out, she'll often have a more experienced dancer 226 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 1: that will show her the tricks of the trade and 227 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 1: kind of help her craft her own. I mean that 228 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:43,960 Speaker 1: that is pretty cool, And I also like how all 229 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:46,800 Speaker 1: that labor is sort of representative of ballet as a whole. Like, 230 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:50,679 Speaker 1: on the outside, the shoes look polished and flawless, just 231 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:53,600 Speaker 1: like the dance moves, but beneath the surface, there's this 232 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:56,680 Speaker 1: insane level of hard work and struggle that goes into 233 00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 1: making them so perfect. Yeah, that seems like a good 234 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 1: way to think about it. It's often easy to forget 235 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 1: just how painful ballet dancing can be because of how 236 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:08,320 Speaker 1: graceful the final product looks. But just reading up on points, 237 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 1: I mean, I saw that even for all the effort 238 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 1: that goes into making the shoes fit perfectly, it still 239 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:17,160 Speaker 1: hurts so much when a ballerina dances on the tips 240 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 1: of her toes most of the time, and apparently the 241 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:22,319 Speaker 1: pain can get so bad that some dancers even soaked 242 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 1: their feet in alcohol or apply tooth numbing gel just 243 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:29,679 Speaker 1: to make it through a single practice session. Ah, that's brutal. 244 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:32,319 Speaker 1: But you know, speaking of pain, what what do you 245 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 1: say we head back to school for a minute and 246 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:36,280 Speaker 1: talk about the all too familiar pain of being forced 247 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:39,160 Speaker 1: to square dance in gym class. You know, the only 248 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:42,240 Speaker 1: thing more painful than dancing in those points shoes maybe 249 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:45,599 Speaker 1: square dancing and it it's just it's such a bizarre 250 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:48,080 Speaker 1: practice and it feels like the kind of thing that's 251 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 1: bound to have some really weird story behind it. Yeah, 252 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 1: and it actually does, because while square dancing dates back 253 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:57,760 Speaker 1: to colonial America, the modern revival that led to it 254 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:00,200 Speaker 1: being taught in schools is actually thanks to none other 255 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 1: than Henry Ford. Seriously, Ford, So what does he have 256 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:06,440 Speaker 1: to do with it? So? I mean, the first thing 257 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:09,880 Speaker 1: to know is that Ford despised jazz music and everything 258 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:13,040 Speaker 1: related to it. So that's like the Flappers, the Charleston 259 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: swing dancing. He hated all of it. But that wasn't 260 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 1: all that Ford hated. He also hated Jewish people. Oh 261 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:23,400 Speaker 1: that's right, And he was pretty outspoken with his anti semitism, right, Like, 262 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:26,080 Speaker 1: didn't even write a bunch of propaganda pamphlets about it. 263 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:28,720 Speaker 1: That's right. So in the early nine twenties he put 264 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:31,680 Speaker 1: out a four volume series of booklets called The International Jew. 265 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:34,640 Speaker 1: And while I hate to quote from something so baseless 266 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:37,319 Speaker 1: and hateful that, there's one excerpt of the third volume 267 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:40,240 Speaker 1: that really explains Ford's thinking on jazz and why he 268 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:43,040 Speaker 1: would be so interested in square dance revival. So here 269 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:47,320 Speaker 1: it goes Ford rights quote. Many people have wondered whence 270 00:13:47,360 --> 00:13:50,280 Speaker 1: came the waves upon waves of musical slush that invade 271 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:52,800 Speaker 1: decent homes and set the young people of this generation 272 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:57,520 Speaker 1: imitating the dribble of morons. Popular music is a Jewish monopoly. 273 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:02,239 Speaker 1: Jazz is a Jewish creation. The mush, slush, the sly suggestion, 274 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:07,840 Speaker 1: the abandoned sensuousness of sliding notes are all of Jewish origin. Wait, 275 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:11,680 Speaker 1: so Ford really believe that Jewish people invented jazz music? 276 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 1: I mean, give me a break. Yeah, I mean, I 277 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:16,319 Speaker 1: guess he somehow convinced himself that it was all part 278 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:18,640 Speaker 1: of a secret plan to corrupt the masses and to 279 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 1: get them to take up drinking and smoking and all 280 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 1: sorts of other vices that you know, Ford being approved 281 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:28,040 Speaker 1: disapproved of. But there's at least one form of dancing 282 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 1: that Ford and his wife could get behind, and that's 283 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 1: what they referred to as quote old fashioned dancing. So 284 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:38,080 Speaker 1: this included square dancing, but also other anglos accent dances 285 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 1: like waltzes and quadrills. And most of the country, including 286 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 1: the rural parts, had moved on from old fashioned dances 287 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:47,240 Speaker 1: like this in favor of jazz or swing. But you know, 288 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: the Fords thought they could counteract these bad influences by 289 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 1: rekindling the country's passion for square dancing. So did that end. 290 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:56,640 Speaker 1: Ford poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into square dancing 291 00:14:56,680 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 1: and other forms of country music, and he funded a 292 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:02,560 Speaker 1: fiddling contests. He paid radio shows to promote old time 293 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:05,760 Speaker 1: dancing music. He started square dancing clubs all over the country. 294 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:08,480 Speaker 1: He even made a requirement for all his employees to 295 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 1: attend special square dancing events that he organized for them. 296 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:15,280 Speaker 1: And let me guess, he then campaigned for square dancing 297 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: to be taught in public schools. Yeah. So, according to Ford, 298 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 1: square dancing would make this super valuable addition to physical 299 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:24,640 Speaker 1: education classes because, as he put it, it would teach 300 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:30,160 Speaker 1: children quote social training, courtesy, good citizenship along with rhythm 301 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:32,560 Speaker 1: and why you could probably argue that there are better 302 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 1: ways to teach that kind of stuff. Plenty of schools 303 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:38,840 Speaker 1: agreed with Ford's way of thinking, and by nearly half 304 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:40,960 Speaker 1: of the schools in America had started teaching their students 305 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:43,440 Speaker 1: to square dance, which is a trend that's continued right 306 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 1: up to today. I mean, it's impressive just how widespread 307 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:49,720 Speaker 1: this was, how effective he was at getting this taught 308 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 1: in schools. And I can't say I've ever been a 309 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:54,720 Speaker 1: fan of square dancing, but I like it even less 310 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:56,960 Speaker 1: now than I know. It was basically foisted on a spy, 311 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 1: a white supremacist, and it just doesn't feel like a 312 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 1: good look. Yeah, I mean, I've told other people about 313 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 1: this before, but like the two worst sections of gym 314 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:09,600 Speaker 1: class for me in middle school where wrestling, when they 315 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:11,120 Speaker 1: would take all the boys and put them in the 316 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:14,120 Speaker 1: small gym and you would line up around by your 317 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 1: weight and from lowest, so I was always like the 318 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 1: second person. And then they would call out your name 319 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:23,120 Speaker 1: with another person and you have to wrestle in the middle, 320 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 1: and it was far far and and then the other 321 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 1: thing that I hated was square dancing. I was like, 322 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:33,600 Speaker 1: why can't we just play regular sports? Have to be 323 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:36,840 Speaker 1: an exhibition. But you know, when you look at the 324 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:39,640 Speaker 1: actual history of square dancing, it is pretty ironic that 325 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 1: Ford viewed it as this sort of intrinsically white way 326 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:46,400 Speaker 1: to beat back the influence of Black and Jewish music, 327 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:49,160 Speaker 1: because you know, the truth is that black people played 328 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:51,280 Speaker 1: a huge role in the development of square dancing as 329 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:53,360 Speaker 1: we know it today. But wait, though, isn't isn't it 330 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:57,720 Speaker 1: rooted in European dances that the colonists brought over? Yeah, 331 00:16:57,760 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 1: I mean that's true, Like, like a lot of the 332 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:02,720 Speaker 1: dance moves in terminology were adapted for the French, which 333 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:04,440 Speaker 1: is why you can go to a square dance today 334 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:07,480 Speaker 1: and hear them use words like promenade and docie dough, 335 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: which is actually a corruption of the French phrase back 336 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:13,639 Speaker 1: to back. But you know, when white colonists were dancing 337 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:15,800 Speaker 1: these steps in the early days of America, it was 338 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:19,400 Speaker 1: enslaved African Americans who provide the music, and it's through 339 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:22,200 Speaker 1: these musicians that square dancing really gained one of its 340 00:17:22,240 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 1: most recognizable features, having a performer call out the dance 341 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:28,480 Speaker 1: figures to the audience, and at the time, many white 342 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:30,919 Speaker 1: dancers memorized the steps. You know, with the help of 343 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:33,439 Speaker 1: private instructors, so there really wasn't a need to have 344 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:36,159 Speaker 1: the steps called out to them. But when enslaved blacks 345 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:38,760 Speaker 1: began adapting these dance moves for themselves, they needed a 346 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:40,879 Speaker 1: way to keep track of the steps, so they started 347 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:43,080 Speaker 1: calling out the moves to one another, and eventually this 348 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:46,359 Speaker 1: call and response pattern it was adapted by white dancers, 349 00:17:46,359 --> 00:17:48,520 Speaker 1: and pretty soon it became a crucial part of square 350 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:51,879 Speaker 1: dancing tradition. Well, it seemed a little bit convenient of 351 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:54,800 Speaker 1: Henry for to overlook that bit of history, But all right, Well, 352 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:57,040 Speaker 1: let's stick with the seedier side of dance for just 353 00:17:57,080 --> 00:17:58,800 Speaker 1: a minute and take a look at a few other 354 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:01,800 Speaker 1: dance related contract verses that have come up over the years. 355 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:26,560 Speaker 1: But before we do that, let's take a quick break. 356 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 1: They're listening to Part Time Genius, and we're talking about 357 00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:34,320 Speaker 1: the surprising histories and controversies behind some of the world's 358 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 1: most famous dance moves. So, Mago, you remember back in 359 00:18:37,359 --> 00:18:40,800 Speaker 1: the early nineties when Madonna had that hit song called Vogue. 360 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:45,160 Speaker 1: You remember Madonna? Yeah, I've heard of Madonna. It feels 361 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:47,160 Speaker 1: like everyone was striking a post back then. I remember 362 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:50,320 Speaker 1: the video had all those like hand movements and fancy twirls, 363 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:52,760 Speaker 1: and it's still probably one of her most famous dances. 364 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:55,040 Speaker 1: You know, it definitely is, and you know it's it's 365 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:58,320 Speaker 1: it's interesting because the popularity doesn't sit well with some 366 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 1: people because well, my Donna typically gets credit for the 367 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 1: song and the dance. She actually didn't come up with 368 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:07,960 Speaker 1: the moves herself. And you know, by most accounts, Vogue 369 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 1: was invented in Harlem in the nineteen eighties and it 370 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:13,720 Speaker 1: was first danced by these black drag queens that were 371 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:17,080 Speaker 1: in the lgbt Q club scene. And these drag queens 372 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:20,000 Speaker 1: were inspired by the glamorous women that they might see 373 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:22,439 Speaker 1: on Fifth Avenue, as you know, as well as like 374 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:25,320 Speaker 1: fashion magazines. You think of Vogue, of course, which is 375 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 1: where the dance gets its name. But it was more 376 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:31,960 Speaker 1: than just a series of these elaborate hand movements and 377 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:35,600 Speaker 1: runway model poses and things like that. I mean, these 378 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:39,200 Speaker 1: drag queens were actually using it as a storytelling device, 379 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:42,040 Speaker 1: and so they'd get up on stage and act out 380 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:44,760 Speaker 1: these little scenes and they'd use their hands to show 381 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:47,840 Speaker 1: how they'd gotten dressed in drag or maybe how they'd 382 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:50,880 Speaker 1: applied makeup or tease their hair, and so the net 383 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:54,120 Speaker 1: result was really this string of poses that was often 384 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:57,919 Speaker 1: very revealing and very personal about how a performer was 385 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 1: thinking about themselves and how they might live their life. 386 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:04,639 Speaker 1: I guess, which is pretty awesome. And and I do 387 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,560 Speaker 1: know a little bit about that like Harlem ballroom scene 388 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:09,480 Speaker 1: and the dance clubs where this came out of. But 389 00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:13,000 Speaker 1: you know, how does Madonna fit into all of this. Well, 390 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: supposedly she was introduced to vogue by some friends who 391 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:18,359 Speaker 1: happened to be members of the drag community at the time, 392 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:20,359 Speaker 1: And this was some time in the late eighties, and 393 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:23,440 Speaker 1: the single really fell in love with the moves and 394 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:25,479 Speaker 1: and wanted to showcase them in a song on her 395 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:28,480 Speaker 1: next album. And of course she did this, and you know, 396 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:31,639 Speaker 1: all Madonna likely saw this exposure is is somewhat of 397 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:34,119 Speaker 1: a gift to the voguing community. There were lots of 398 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:36,000 Speaker 1: people who didn't see it that way. I mean, they 399 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 1: believe Madonna was co opting their dance and their experience 400 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:42,400 Speaker 1: and was doing all of this really for her own 401 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:45,440 Speaker 1: commercial gain. Yeah, I mean, I can see the arguments there, 402 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:48,359 Speaker 1: but honestly, whether it's fair or not, Madonna is definitely 403 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:50,000 Speaker 1: the person who comes to mind when most of us 404 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: think about voguing, and it makes sense that the drag 405 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:55,720 Speaker 1: community would bristle at having this straight white pop star 406 00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:58,440 Speaker 1: become the symbol of something they came up with. Yeah, 407 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:00,639 Speaker 1: and it's one drag scene veteran put it. You know, 408 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:05,520 Speaker 1: Madonna took quote a very specifically queer, transgender, Latino and 409 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:10,040 Speaker 1: African American phenomenon and totally erased that context. She was 410 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:12,960 Speaker 1: taking tons of money while the queen who actually taught 411 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:15,920 Speaker 1: her how to Vogue said in the club strung out, 412 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:20,120 Speaker 1: depressed and broke. Yeah, And like a lot of these things, 413 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:22,040 Speaker 1: there really are two sizes of this, right, Like, if 414 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:24,080 Speaker 1: you think back to the dancers in that Vogue video, 415 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:27,199 Speaker 1: it seems like Madonna was pretty good about representation in 416 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:29,639 Speaker 1: it all. She definitely brought a few people from the 417 00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:31,800 Speaker 1: Vogue scene along for the ride, and not just in 418 00:21:31,840 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 1: the video, but also on the tour she did for 419 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:37,240 Speaker 1: the album. So there's no doubt she ended up benefiting 420 00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:40,159 Speaker 1: some of the people who originated the dance. And like 421 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:42,280 Speaker 1: you said, it's always a little bit tricky, and the 422 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:45,199 Speaker 1: real question is whether that's enough to absolve her of 423 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:47,679 Speaker 1: what many people saw as kind of a form of 424 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:51,800 Speaker 1: cultural appropriation. Well, I mean, I do think she deserves 425 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:55,000 Speaker 1: some points for taking this decidedly queer art form and 426 00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:58,439 Speaker 1: giving it mainstream exposure in America if nothing else like 427 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 1: that had to mean a lot to these people in 428 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:03,960 Speaker 1: these underserved and underrepresented communities. Yeah, and you know, to 429 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:05,880 Speaker 1: go to bat for Madonna for a little bit here, 430 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:07,439 Speaker 1: you know, if you think about this, she's been a 431 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:11,160 Speaker 1: friend to the LGBTQ community for decades now, and she's 432 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:13,879 Speaker 1: employed a ton of gay dancers and instructors over the 433 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:16,720 Speaker 1: years and become a close friend and ally to many 434 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:20,040 Speaker 1: of them. And you know, she spearheaded fundraisers and awareness 435 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:23,200 Speaker 1: campaigns to help combat the AIDS epidemic. And this was 436 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:25,399 Speaker 1: at a time when neither the government nor really the 437 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:28,280 Speaker 1: public at large, we're doing that much else to help 438 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:30,720 Speaker 1: with the problem. So, you know, even if we do 439 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:33,160 Speaker 1: take her to task for co opting the Vogue, it's 440 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:36,240 Speaker 1: it's worth remembering that she's also given back to these 441 00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:40,200 Speaker 1: communities where she drew so much of that creative inspiration. Well, 442 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 1: I want to switch gears a little and tell you 443 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:44,560 Speaker 1: about the time Serena Williams drew heat for borrowing some 444 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:48,080 Speaker 1: controversial dance moves of her own. And this was back 445 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:50,199 Speaker 1: during the two thousand and twelve Olympics, right after her 446 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:54,040 Speaker 1: gold medal singles victory against Maria Sharapova. I remember this, 447 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:56,679 Speaker 1: actually she she did the It's called the Sea Walk, right, 448 00:22:57,240 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 1: that's right. And this was a big deal for some 449 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:01,280 Speaker 1: people because this in the name actually stands for a 450 00:23:01,359 --> 00:23:04,360 Speaker 1: Crip And of course the Crips are pretty notorious gang 451 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:06,680 Speaker 1: that grew out of l A County. You know, I 452 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:09,159 Speaker 1: knew that was the name, but I've always been a 453 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 1: little hazy on the association, Like is the dance really 454 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:14,959 Speaker 1: connected to the gang or is this more of an 455 00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 1: urban legend kind of thing. No, there's definitely a connection. 456 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:21,600 Speaker 1: So supposedly the gang invented the dance about forty years 457 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:24,200 Speaker 1: ago in Compton, and it was actually a way for 458 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 1: them to disrespect their rival gang, the Bloods. So the 459 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:30,280 Speaker 1: Crips would spell out the other gang's name on the sidewalk, 460 00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:32,520 Speaker 1: you know, in chalk or something, and then they'd cross 461 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:34,479 Speaker 1: it out by using the dance to spell out their 462 00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:36,720 Speaker 1: own name with their feet. But I mean that was 463 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:38,840 Speaker 1: a long time ago, right, Like that is that the 464 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:42,720 Speaker 1: Sea Walk pretty divorced from the Gang Ties by now, Yeah, 465 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:44,600 Speaker 1: I mean the connection was tough to shake for a while, 466 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:46,680 Speaker 1: and in the early two thousands the dance was even 467 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 1: banned from schools in certain areas. But since then a 468 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:51,800 Speaker 1: ton of performers have used the dance without issues, including 469 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:54,760 Speaker 1: everyone from Snoop Dogg to Justin timber Lake. Like a 470 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:57,440 Speaker 1: couple other dancers have spun out the sea walk to 471 00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:00,440 Speaker 1: like there's the clown Walk and the Crown Walk, and 472 00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:02,840 Speaker 1: actually some people maintain that Serena was really doing one 473 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:05,399 Speaker 1: of those two after her win anyway, Yeah, I mean, 474 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:07,280 Speaker 1: it always seemed like the blowback she got was a 475 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:09,720 Speaker 1: little more about the fact that she was celebrating it 476 00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:13,320 Speaker 1: all rather than maybe like the specific dance that she did. 477 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:15,760 Speaker 1: And it does feel like a bit of a double 478 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:19,119 Speaker 1: standard because she's a black female. And I mean, if 479 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:21,240 Speaker 1: Justin Timberlake can get away with doing it, I feel 480 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:24,359 Speaker 1: like she should be able to as well. So there's 481 00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:26,679 Speaker 1: actually another reason why I think Serena's dance should get 482 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:28,680 Speaker 1: a pass. And a lot of people don't know this, 483 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:31,000 Speaker 1: but the Williams sisters used to have a half sister 484 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:35,040 Speaker 1: named Yetunda Price and tragically back in two thousand three, 485 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:37,520 Speaker 1: Price was shot and killed by an active member of 486 00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:40,840 Speaker 1: this outside crips gang. So you know, when you consider that, 487 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:43,440 Speaker 1: if Serena feels like the dance step is far enough 488 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:46,080 Speaker 1: removed from gang violence for you know, for her to 489 00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:49,000 Speaker 1: feel comfortable doing it, then really, who are we to 490 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:52,200 Speaker 1: argue with her? Yeah? That's that's a good point, pretty compelling. 491 00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:54,600 Speaker 1: But you know, one thing I noticed while digging into 492 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:58,080 Speaker 1: dance history is that dances often fall in and out 493 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:01,399 Speaker 1: of favor over time, and they never really stay fixed. 494 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:04,480 Speaker 1: I mean, they're kind of always evolving and may take 495 00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:08,000 Speaker 1: on new shades of meaning as different generations and cultures 496 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:10,960 Speaker 1: kind of put their own spin on them. Yeah, I 497 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:12,640 Speaker 1: know what you mean. And the example I always think 498 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:15,439 Speaker 1: of is Capuira, Like is it a dance or martial art? 499 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,240 Speaker 1: Is it Brazilian or is it African? Like the truth 500 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:20,679 Speaker 1: is somewhere in the middle, because over the years, cap 501 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:22,480 Speaker 1: Wire has been all of these things and more to 502 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:25,200 Speaker 1: so many different people. Oh, that is definitely something I 503 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:27,239 Speaker 1: feel like we should talk about. But before we get 504 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:45,240 Speaker 1: to that, let's take one more quick break, Okay, Mango, 505 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:47,639 Speaker 1: So give us some more background on Capira, because I 506 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:49,560 Speaker 1: don't think it's an art form that a lot of 507 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:52,359 Speaker 1: people know that much about, and it's kind of like 508 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:56,560 Speaker 1: the precursor to break dancing, though, isn't it. So that 509 00:25:56,640 --> 00:25:59,399 Speaker 1: breakdancing connection. There's actually a whole kind of worms that 510 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:02,600 Speaker 1: I'll get into in a minute. But yeah, on the surface, 511 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:04,440 Speaker 1: the do practices do have a lot in common, like 512 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:08,000 Speaker 1: the footwork, the upside down movements, the way the performers 513 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:10,560 Speaker 1: interact with the ground, like, it's all pretty similar. But 514 00:26:11,119 --> 00:26:14,119 Speaker 1: while breaking had this pretty definitive start in the Bronx 515 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:17,640 Speaker 1: during the late seventies, Capuarra's history is a little hazier. 516 00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:20,000 Speaker 1: So what we do know for sure is that capurera 517 00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:23,399 Speaker 1: was developed in Brazil by enslaved Africans, sometimes between the 518 00:26:23,440 --> 00:26:26,840 Speaker 1: fifteen hundreds and the eighteen hundreds. And as you might remember, 519 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:29,200 Speaker 1: Brazil was a colony of Portugal for that three hundred 520 00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:32,399 Speaker 1: years span, and during that time and estimated four million 521 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:35,840 Speaker 1: enslaved people were brought across the Atlantic to Brazil. The 522 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:38,680 Speaker 1: majority were forced to work in gold and diamond mines 523 00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:41,359 Speaker 1: or in the country's vast sugar cane fields, but some 524 00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:44,359 Speaker 1: managed to escape inland and hide out in the rainforests 525 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:47,760 Speaker 1: and some historians think that that's where Capuarrera got a start. 526 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:50,760 Speaker 1: So over time, the theory is that these escaped Africans 527 00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:53,120 Speaker 1: were able to find each other and as they did, 528 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:56,520 Speaker 1: they began to form these independent communities. It was rooted 529 00:26:56,560 --> 00:26:59,800 Speaker 1: in expressions of African culture, and capuara is thought to 530 00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:02,680 Speaker 1: be one of those expressions, like a form of defense 531 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:05,680 Speaker 1: that relies on these rid, big movements to disarm and 532 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:09,720 Speaker 1: confuse and ultimately defeat an opponent or I see so, 533 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:11,919 Speaker 1: so the dance elements are are really kind of men 534 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:15,040 Speaker 1: as a way to distract an opponent or throw them 535 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:18,440 Speaker 1: off balance or something. So that's definitely one theory. There's 536 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:22,720 Speaker 1: another theory that capuara emerged before the Africans escaped, and 537 00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:24,800 Speaker 1: that to hide this new form of fighting from the 538 00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:28,399 Speaker 1: slave masters, they started camouflaging it as a dance and 539 00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:30,680 Speaker 1: that way they could train for potential revolt right out 540 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:32,680 Speaker 1: in the open. And if you go by this theory, 541 00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:35,800 Speaker 1: it also explains why instruments were later added to capuwarra. 542 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:38,920 Speaker 1: I mean, what better way to complete this dance disguise 543 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:41,800 Speaker 1: than by adding music to the mix? Yeah, and you 544 00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:43,560 Speaker 1: know it starts to make sense what you were talking 545 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:46,800 Speaker 1: about before, with Capewra being really kind of morphed to 546 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:50,480 Speaker 1: fit the needs of different people, different time periods. But 547 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:52,639 Speaker 1: I do want to go back to that break dancing 548 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:55,840 Speaker 1: connection though, because you know, I know, Capawarra made its 549 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 1: way stateside in the nineteen seventies and that was around 550 00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:02,240 Speaker 1: the time that you know, break dancers were getting started. 551 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:04,879 Speaker 1: But with all the similarities that you mentioned, it feels 552 00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:06,840 Speaker 1: like there's got to be some kind of connection though, 553 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:10,480 Speaker 1: right Well, I mean a lot of people think so, Actually, 554 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:12,520 Speaker 1: do you remember this When we used to go for 555 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:15,200 Speaker 1: hip hop shows at the Cat's Cradles, sometimes there'd be 556 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:18,440 Speaker 1: a group of breakdancers and a group of Caprara enthusiasts 557 00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 1: and the kind of dance off it was amazing. But 558 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 1: you know, you'd assume they're sort of linked in some 559 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:27,199 Speaker 1: greater way, But I really couldn't find anything to support 560 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:30,280 Speaker 1: the idea. And like you said, Caprara came to the 561 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:32,399 Speaker 1: U s in the mid seventies, and that was largely 562 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 1: thanks to two veteran practitioners who started touring the country 563 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:39,280 Speaker 1: and teaching the techniques at various colleges. But there doesn't 564 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:42,280 Speaker 1: seem to be much, if any evidence of overlap between 565 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 1: capua and the earliest breakdancers, and instead most breakers will 566 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:47,520 Speaker 1: actually tell you that they took their early moves from 567 00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:50,280 Speaker 1: kung fu movies more than anything else. But of course, 568 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:53,240 Speaker 1: even if capuarra didn't give birth to break dancing, it's 569 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:55,400 Speaker 1: safe to say that both practices have inspired each other 570 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 1: and the time since. Well, and besides that, I mean, 571 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:02,120 Speaker 1: capwarra and break dancing or so both rooted in African traditions. 572 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:06,040 Speaker 1: So even if they did develop centuries and thousands of 573 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 1: miles apart, I mean, maybe their connection is is less 574 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:11,200 Speaker 1: like a parent and child and more like that of 575 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:15,920 Speaker 1: maybe two distant cousins or something. Yeah, definitely like origins aside, 576 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:18,040 Speaker 1: these are two forms of expression that definitely have a 577 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:20,640 Speaker 1: lot in common. All Right, Well, I know we're running 578 00:29:20,680 --> 00:29:22,560 Speaker 1: out of time here, but I'd be remiss if I 579 00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:25,360 Speaker 1: didn't mention a milestone in dance history that I was 580 00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 1: just reading about this week, because, as it turns out, 581 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:31,600 Speaker 1: this year is actually the thirty fifth anniversary of Michael 582 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:35,320 Speaker 1: Jackson's Moonwalk. Can you believe it's been that long? I 583 00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:38,000 Speaker 1: mean I can't, but you do know that the Moonwalk 584 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:40,160 Speaker 1: is like way older than that, right, well, I said 585 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:43,000 Speaker 1: it was the thirty fifth anniversary of Michael Jackson's moon, 586 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:46,120 Speaker 1: not the first ever moonwalk. But while we're talking about that, 587 00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:48,520 Speaker 1: refresh my memory though, like who beat MJ to the 588 00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:51,640 Speaker 1: punch on this one? So there are more people than 589 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:54,160 Speaker 1: I had remember. David Bowie did his own take on 590 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:57,680 Speaker 1: the move during his nine tour back in the fifties. 591 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:00,680 Speaker 1: Both Cab Callaway and Bill Bailey and did moonwalks in 592 00:30:00,680 --> 00:30:03,320 Speaker 1: their performances. And probably the earliest case I've heard of 593 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:07,440 Speaker 1: is actually that famous French mim Marcel Marsio and uh, 594 00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:10,160 Speaker 1: he actually had this act in the forties called Walking 595 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 1: in the Wind where he would pretend to brace himself 596 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:15,880 Speaker 1: against this imaginary wind, and so he would act like 597 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:18,240 Speaker 1: he was struggling against the wind, and as he did this, 598 00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:21,440 Speaker 1: he would slide backwards. But the interesting thing about him 599 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:24,200 Speaker 1: is that he was actually friends with Michael Jackson for decades, 600 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:27,280 Speaker 1: and Jackson said multiple times that the mime's work had 601 00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 1: this huge influence on his performance style. That's interesting. I mean, 602 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:34,160 Speaker 1: Jackson was probably influenced by each of those performers in 603 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:36,600 Speaker 1: in one way or another. But you know, from what 604 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:39,080 Speaker 1: I've read, it actually looks like m J patterned this 605 00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:42,080 Speaker 1: moonwalk after these two break dancers that he'd seen on 606 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:44,640 Speaker 1: an episode of Soul Train, And this was a few 607 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 1: years before all of this, and their names were Geron 608 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:52,080 Speaker 1: Casper Candidate and Coolie Jackson. No relation here, And the 609 00:30:52,120 --> 00:30:55,280 Speaker 1: story goes that MJ remembered their performance and wound up 610 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 1: arranging a meeting with the men while he was prepping 611 00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:01,520 Speaker 1: for his big Motown special. Now this was in three 612 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:04,600 Speaker 1: and so the guys taught them this backslide move and 613 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:08,240 Speaker 1: Jackson practiced it until he had it down pad and 614 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:11,880 Speaker 1: he wanted to debut this moonwalk during the Motown special, 615 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:14,920 Speaker 1: And this was a very strategic move on his part. 616 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:19,000 Speaker 1: So at the time, Michael had already released two solo albums, 617 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:21,520 Speaker 1: but he wasn't completely out of the shadow of the 618 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:25,080 Speaker 1: Jackson five, And in fact, the bulk of his performance 619 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:28,480 Speaker 1: during the special was devoted to this Jackson five reunion 620 00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:32,040 Speaker 1: of sorts. But Michael only agreed to appear at all 621 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:34,400 Speaker 1: because he was able to convince the producer to let 622 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:37,640 Speaker 1: him do this solo performance and he wanted to do one, 623 00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:41,960 Speaker 1: especially of a non motown song, and the producer agrees 624 00:31:42,040 --> 00:31:45,200 Speaker 1: to this, and so Jackson ends up performing Billy Jean 625 00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:48,080 Speaker 1: on stage that night for a television audience of thirty 626 00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:51,760 Speaker 1: four million people. And so you know, of course you 627 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:54,200 Speaker 1: think about this, how did Jackson ensure the performance was 628 00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:57,120 Speaker 1: a memorable one? Well, it was a few seconds of 629 00:31:57,280 --> 00:32:00,960 Speaker 1: sliding backwards across the stage and that did it. Well. 630 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:03,520 Speaker 1: I mean, clearly it worked, and it's basically become his 631 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:07,240 Speaker 1: signature move. Yeah, and crowds just ate it up. And 632 00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:10,160 Speaker 1: I'd read that even Freddish Stair apparently called Jackson after 633 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:13,640 Speaker 1: the Motown performance to congratulate him. And the move was 634 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:16,840 Speaker 1: a game changer for Jackson's career in the world of dance, 635 00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:20,000 Speaker 1: and it seems like everybody knew it, And of course 636 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:22,160 Speaker 1: one of the drawbacks to that is that everybody then 637 00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:26,520 Speaker 1: tried to replicate the move themselves, and usually very unsuccessful. 638 00:32:27,480 --> 00:32:29,480 Speaker 1: You know what's funny that I've actually heard that Jackson's 639 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:33,600 Speaker 1: pet chimpanzee Bubbles got pretty good at the Moonwalk, really, 640 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:36,280 Speaker 1: which is way more than I could say. I feel 641 00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:40,239 Speaker 1: like the arch Deluxe is probably more my speed. Well, 642 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:42,520 Speaker 1: I'm sure Tristan will teach it to you any time 643 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:45,120 Speaker 1: you want. But in the meantime, though, I think there 644 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:47,240 Speaker 1: are a few more dance moves that we haven't gotten 645 00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:49,160 Speaker 1: to yet. So what do you say we slip on 646 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:51,440 Speaker 1: our dancing shoes and bust out a couple of quick 647 00:32:51,480 --> 00:33:03,720 Speaker 1: moves in the fact off definitely a well. Earlier this year, 648 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:06,240 Speaker 1: New Orleans was the home to a revival of this 649 00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:11,320 Speaker 1: eight show called Tabasco, a Burlesque Opera. And yes it 650 00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:15,240 Speaker 1: is that Tabasco. So there's a conductor named Paul Moffrey 651 00:33:15,320 --> 00:33:17,680 Speaker 1: and he stumbled into this program for the old show 652 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:21,760 Speaker 1: while doing some research on the history of New Orleans music. Now, 653 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:24,520 Speaker 1: the opera is about this Irish traveler who gets lost 654 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:27,680 Speaker 1: at sea and he ends up landing in Morocco and 655 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:31,719 Speaker 1: is forced to become a chef for this military officer there. Now, 656 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:35,240 Speaker 1: the military officer there happens to love spicy food, and 657 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:37,360 Speaker 1: so in his effort to come up with just the 658 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:41,560 Speaker 1: right dish for him, Tabasco sauce comes to the rescue. Now, 659 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:44,760 Speaker 1: I had no idea that Tabasco had been around that long, 660 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:49,040 Speaker 1: but it's apparently celebrating it's a hundred and fiftieth anniversary 661 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:52,480 Speaker 1: this year. So back to this original performance back in 662 00:33:54,040 --> 00:33:58,160 Speaker 1: the Louisiana based company Tabasco. They actually agreed to underwrite 663 00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:00,680 Speaker 1: part of the cost of the show if they would 664 00:34:00,760 --> 00:34:03,840 Speaker 1: give out tiny bottles of the stuff at these performances 665 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:07,080 Speaker 1: when it debuted in Boston, and it turns out the 666 00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:09,440 Speaker 1: show had a pretty good run across a bunch of 667 00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:13,000 Speaker 1: US cities, but they ran into some legal battles over 668 00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:15,200 Speaker 1: the use of the product and the kind of the 669 00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:18,080 Speaker 1: rights around the show, and so the show closed down 670 00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:22,560 Speaker 1: and it almost disappeared completely until Maffrey discovered it more 671 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:26,640 Speaker 1: than a hundred years later. Wow. So, I know we've 672 00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:29,720 Speaker 1: talked about prison reform and unique prisons in previous episodes, 673 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:32,279 Speaker 1: but there's one I don't think we talked about, and 674 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:35,880 Speaker 1: that's Eohi Prison and Penal Farm in the Philippines. So 675 00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:40,680 Speaker 1: this is where inmates dance with and for tourists, and 676 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:44,200 Speaker 1: the place sprawls over sixty four thousand acres and the 677 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:47,840 Speaker 1: inmates pretty much moved freely across a tourists visit and 678 00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:50,239 Speaker 1: they stopped by the recreation center to see ten to 679 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:53,680 Speaker 1: twenty inmates perform multiple songs, and then the tourists stick 680 00:34:53,680 --> 00:34:56,240 Speaker 1: around to check out and purchase various crafts the inmates 681 00:34:56,280 --> 00:34:59,520 Speaker 1: have made and it's definitely unlike any prison you'd find 682 00:34:59,560 --> 00:35:02,000 Speaker 1: in the stay. Yeah, I haven't heard of anything like that. 683 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:05,480 Speaker 1: That's that's very interesting. Well, we couldn't do an episode 684 00:35:05,560 --> 00:35:09,120 Speaker 1: on Dances without covering the Chicken Dance. He had to 685 00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:11,640 Speaker 1: know this one is coming at some point, and it 686 00:35:11,760 --> 00:35:14,600 Speaker 1: turns out it was kind of name this by accident. 687 00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:17,160 Speaker 1: So the melody for the song was written more than 688 00:35:17,239 --> 00:35:20,320 Speaker 1: sixty years ago and was written by this Swiss musician 689 00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:23,560 Speaker 1: named Werner Thomas. Thomas used to make a living by 690 00:35:23,600 --> 00:35:28,080 Speaker 1: playing accordion at these various holiday resorts in Switzerland, and 691 00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:31,040 Speaker 1: as he came up with the melody, he gradually began 692 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:34,720 Speaker 1: putting dance moves to it. But weirdly, the moves weren't 693 00:35:34,760 --> 00:35:38,600 Speaker 1: inspired by chickens but by skiers, which sounds a little 694 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:42,359 Speaker 1: bit surprising, But many the motions of skiers flying down 695 00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:46,279 Speaker 1: these mountains there really reminded Thomas of different birds, and 696 00:35:46,400 --> 00:35:48,839 Speaker 1: so he started to put some of these motions into 697 00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:52,280 Speaker 1: a dance that they started to call dance Little Bird. 698 00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:56,239 Speaker 1: So how did it become the Chicken Dance? Well, it's 699 00:35:56,360 --> 00:35:59,400 Speaker 1: tough to say, but it may have something to do 700 00:35:59,560 --> 00:36:03,680 Speaker 1: with this October Fest celebration. That actually happened in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 701 00:36:03,760 --> 00:36:07,200 Speaker 1: back in nine. There was a German band there that 702 00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:10,640 Speaker 1: decided to play the song, and the organizers of the event, 703 00:36:10,719 --> 00:36:12,920 Speaker 1: I guess they were super excited about this song for 704 00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:15,239 Speaker 1: some reason. But they thought it would be fun to 705 00:36:15,320 --> 00:36:18,360 Speaker 1: find a costume to go along with the dance, and 706 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:20,839 Speaker 1: the best thing they could find was a chicken suit 707 00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:23,600 Speaker 1: that a local TV station had, And so, of course 708 00:36:23,719 --> 00:36:28,239 Speaker 1: the rest is history. That is amazing. I feel embarrassed 709 00:36:28,239 --> 00:36:30,600 Speaker 1: that I didn't look up a chicken dance fact. Yeah, 710 00:36:30,680 --> 00:36:34,720 Speaker 1: that's so so. Back in the late twenties and early thirties, 711 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:37,239 Speaker 1: a certain type of dance hall started popping up in 712 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:39,719 Speaker 1: big cities like Chicago, New York City, and these were 713 00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:42,720 Speaker 1: dance halls where men could dance with hired women dancers 714 00:36:42,760 --> 00:36:45,560 Speaker 1: for ten cents a song. And by the early thirties 715 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:47,760 Speaker 1: there were over a hundred of these so called taxi 716 00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:50,640 Speaker 1: dance halls in New York City. Something like fifty thousand 717 00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:54,160 Speaker 1: men would visit these each week. And this is sociologist 718 00:36:54,280 --> 00:36:56,880 Speaker 1: named Paul G. Cruscy. We know some of the lingo 719 00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:59,560 Speaker 1: in history, and that's how it's been preserved. So the 720 00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:03,120 Speaker 1: dances were often referred to as nickel hoppers since they 721 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:05,640 Speaker 1: usually made half of the ten cents the men would pay. 722 00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:09,400 Speaker 1: And weirdly, the trends stuck around until the mid nineteen hundreds, 723 00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:11,960 Speaker 1: but that's when law enforcement began cracking down on things 724 00:37:12,040 --> 00:37:15,239 Speaker 1: like prostitution, mob activities and all of that stuff that 725 00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:19,359 Speaker 1: had been sort of associated with these dance halls. All right, Well, 726 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:23,359 Speaker 1: recent studies have shown the benefits of dancing for Parkinson's 727 00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:26,640 Speaker 1: disease or for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, and in fact, 728 00:37:26,680 --> 00:37:29,080 Speaker 1: several studies have looked at this and they found that 729 00:37:29,239 --> 00:37:32,920 Speaker 1: dancing helps really on two fronts. Now. The first is 730 00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:36,200 Speaker 1: more on the physical side, where this rhythmic movement from 731 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:39,759 Speaker 1: dancing can actually help reduce the motor control difficulties that 732 00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:43,800 Speaker 1: are often accompanied by Parkinson's, and the relief isn't necessarily 733 00:37:43,880 --> 00:37:46,279 Speaker 1: a media but over time it does seem to help 734 00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:49,480 Speaker 1: train the brain and the body for you know, more 735 00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:53,400 Speaker 1: fluid motion. And not surprisingly, the other major benefit of 736 00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:56,600 Speaker 1: dancing for those with Parkinson's is reducing some of that 737 00:37:56,719 --> 00:38:00,040 Speaker 1: social isolation that many of the patients often experience. And, 738 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:03,839 Speaker 1: as one dance instructor put it, their mood changes within 739 00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:06,920 Speaker 1: a few minutes of being there. They're no longer patients, 740 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:11,480 Speaker 1: but dance students. Well, speaking of dance classes. Back in 741 00:38:11,520 --> 00:38:15,240 Speaker 1: two thousand eleven, this nearly a forty story mall in Soul, 742 00:38:15,280 --> 00:38:18,400 Speaker 1: South Korea started shaking, and it did so for nearly 743 00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:22,680 Speaker 1: ten minutes. And the weird events caused this two day evacuation, 744 00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:25,600 Speaker 1: and of course this investigation, and you won't believe what 745 00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:28,279 Speaker 1: cost it, or maybe you will. It turns out that 746 00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:31,080 Speaker 1: a couple dozen middle aged people in a tybo class 747 00:38:31,080 --> 00:38:33,560 Speaker 1: started dancing to the power by the band The Snap 748 00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:39,759 Speaker 1: and you know the song it's like. So the investigation 749 00:38:39,800 --> 00:38:41,600 Speaker 1: revealed that it wasn't the weight of the people dancing, 750 00:38:41,719 --> 00:38:45,359 Speaker 1: it was just their rhythm. And as Professor Chong Lan 751 00:38:45,520 --> 00:38:49,000 Speaker 1: of den Cook University explained, quote, it just happens to 752 00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:52,200 Speaker 1: be that the vibration set up by the tybo coincided 753 00:38:52,239 --> 00:38:55,960 Speaker 1: with the residence frequency unique to the building. Wow, there 754 00:38:56,160 --> 00:38:58,920 Speaker 1: is no way to top that. And and and actually 755 00:38:58,960 --> 00:39:00,759 Speaker 1: the fact that Tristan is now out of his chair 756 00:39:00,920 --> 00:39:03,960 Speaker 1: doing some of his own tybo moves. I mean, this 757 00:39:04,440 --> 00:39:07,000 Speaker 1: is a total blowout. I'm gonna have to give you 758 00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:10,640 Speaker 1: today's trophy. Mango Thank you so much well, and thank 759 00:39:10,719 --> 00:39:12,560 Speaker 1: you guys for listening. We'd love to hear your great 760 00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:15,160 Speaker 1: dance stories or dance facts. You can always email those 761 00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:17,399 Speaker 1: two part Time Genius and How Stuff Works dot com 762 00:39:17,760 --> 00:39:20,240 Speaker 1: or hit us up on Facebook or Twitter. But as always, 763 00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:36,359 Speaker 1: thanks so much for listening. Thanks again for listening. Part 764 00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:38,400 Speaker 1: Time Genius is a production of How Stuff Works and 765 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:41,040 Speaker 1: wouldn't be possible without several brilliant people who do the 766 00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:44,520 Speaker 1: important things we couldn't even begin to understand. Tristan McNeil 767 00:39:44,560 --> 00:39:46,839 Speaker 1: does the editing thing. Noel Brown made the theme song 768 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:49,839 Speaker 1: and does the MIXI mixy sound thing. Jerry Rowland does 769 00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:52,920 Speaker 1: the exact producer thing. Gay Blues years our lead researcher, 770 00:39:52,960 --> 00:39:55,920 Speaker 1: with support from the Research Army, including Austin Thompson, Nolan 771 00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:58,239 Speaker 1: Brown and Lucas Adams. And Eve Jeff Cook gets the 772 00:39:58,280 --> 00:40:00,400 Speaker 1: show to your ears. Good job, Eves. If you like 773 00:40:00,520 --> 00:40:02,279 Speaker 1: what you heard, we hope you'll subscribe, and if you 774 00:40:02,400 --> 00:40:04,359 Speaker 1: really really like what you've heard, maybe you could leave 775 00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:07,400 Speaker 1: a good review for us. We did. We forget Jason Jason, 776 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:07,640 Speaker 1: who