Music Sound

Fad dances are dances which are characterized by a short burst of popularity, while Novelty dances typically have a longer-lasting popularity based on their being characteristically humourous or humour-invoking, as well as the sense of uniqueness which they have.

Contents 1 Fad dances 2 Novelty dances 3 List of novelty and fad dances 4 See also 5 External links

Fad dances

These are also called "dance crazes". Dancing style fads have always been a part of social dancing, sometimes gliding smoothly into tradition after their "newness" has faded, and sometimes simply fading away into oblivion. Dances such as the waltz, jitterbug, or the Charleston were once fads, that have become a part of dance tradition.

In modern times the rate in which new dances ("fads") are introduced seems to be much faster and more often. This is certainly spurred by modern communication improvements (printed media, radio, movies, television, internet).

During the 1960s and 1970s new dances appeared almost every week, often choreographed to popular songs such as "Mashed Potato Time" by Dee Dee Sharp, and "The Twist" by Chubby Checker. Their steps were often printed in dance magazines. Dance crazes have continued into the 1980s with "YMCA", and the 1990s with "Macarena". Contemporary sources for dance crazes include music videos and movies.

There are fad dances which are meant to be danced individually (solo), others are partner dances, and yet others are danced in groups. Some of them were of freestyle type, i.e., there were no particular step patterns and they were distinguished by the style of the dance movement (Twist, Shake, Swim, Pony, Hitchhike). Only some of them survived until now, sometimes only as the name of a step (Suzie Q, Shimmy) or of a style (Mashed Potato) in a recognized dance. Fad dances are in fashion at the time of their popularity. They are associated with a specific time period, and evoke a nostalgia when danced nowadays.

Novelty dances

Novelty dances might include quirky and unusual steps, or have an unusual name. Novelty dances may also have been fad dances which have remained popular over a longer period. It is not necessary that they ever were fashionably popular. These are also referred to as "party" or "dance party" dances. Novelty dances that have remained popular are no longer associated with a specific time period--they are timeless. Novelty dances are meant to be funny, and to evoke general mirth verging on silliness in participants.

List of novelty and fad dances

Alligator
The Bartman
The Bump
Bunny Hop
Bus Stop
The Cabbage Patch
Carioca
Cha-Cha Slide
C walk, also known as crips walk
Chicken Dance
Electric Slide
The Fly
The Freddy
The Frug
Hitch hike
Hokey Pokey, also known as Hokey-cokey, Okey-cokey
Hully Gully
The Humpty Dance
Hustle
Jarabe tapatío (the "Mexican Hat Dance")
Jerk
Jumpen
Lambada
Letkajenkka (also known as Letkajenka, Letkiss, Letka-Enka)
Limbo
Macarena
Mashed Potato
Madison
Monkey
The Pacman
Pee-Wee Herman's dance
Pony
The Roger Rabbit
The Robocop
The Robot
The Running Man
Shake
Shimmy
The Smurf
Swim
Suzie Q
Time Warp
Twist
The Urkel
Watusi
YMCA

See also

• Summer hit

External links

• Streetswing.com's Dance History Archives hosts a large information base about more than thousand dances.
• Dance Crazes of the 50's & 60's - by Dr. Frank Hoffmann
• List of Fad and Novelty Dances at Blue Juice