The day of the wedding, the bandleader pulled the bride aside halfway through the reception and presented his dilemma. While he was avoiding the group dances entirely, many requests were coming in for the “Electric Slide,” the majority of them coming from the bride’s parents’ table. With her resolve broken down and her party spirit revving up, she relinquished and allowed the dance music to be played to get the party started. And boy do these songs create a party. They’re recognizable, fun, and universal, and they’re sure to get everyone on their feet, young and old alike.
Here’s a primer on these party dances and how they began. And if you’re as reluctant as this bride first was, you can always use this as a “Do Not Play” list. But with the champagne flowing and the party kicking into high gear, you may just find yourself humming along to some of these reception party classics.
Achy Breaky Heart: If you’re a fan of country line dances, this is the king of them all. “Achy Breaky Heart” rocketed Billy Ray Cyrus’s album to the top of the charts back in 1992 (long before Miley was born), bringing the two-step along with it. The dance was actually a clever marketing tool engineered by a choreographer to promote the song, which worked, since the single was the first million-selling country song in almost ten years, and is still a line-dance classic.
The Chicken Dance: This is great for all the kids—or all the kids at heart. According to legend, this polka-ized wedding and Oktoberfest standard was written in the 1950s by a Swiss accordion player named Werner Thomas, who tended a flock of geese and ducks, hence the name. The tune was titled “Enter tanz,” or “dance little bird.” It made its way to the United States with various traveling polka bands, and is now commonly called “The Chicken Dance.”
The Conga Line: While this isn’t a specific song or party dance, this group “activity” can be performed to virtually any tune. “Hot, Hot, Hot,” by Buster Poindexter is a good place to start.
The Electric Slide: This is perhaps one of the most widely recognized group dances. Marcia Griffiths, known as the queen of reggae, who toured and recorded with Bob Marley, originally recorded “Electric Boogie” back in 1982, but the Electric Slide craze didn’t catch on until seven years later. Its lyrics were inspired by the early break-dancing moves of the eighties.
Latest Comments
Dance Music List
Posted by Mark Trezise April 01, 2011 20:16:29
updated list
Posted by Mark Trezise November 16, 2010 18:05:40
extended list
Posted by Mark Trezise October 25, 2010 18:56:57
Wow!
Posted by Molly November 17, 2009 22:08:08