Do the Harlem Shake!
Move over PSY its time to do the Harlem Shake!
Has anybody told Beth Tweddle and the Dancing On Ice Team that Gangnam Style is so 2012??? Since the Korean musician PSY took over Youtube last year with his bizarre moves, dancing is becoming more and more viral. The internet is bringing unusual contemporary styles to our screens, and Gangnam has invaded clubs and disco everywhere. Indeed what party is complete without getting Grandma up to attempt the ‘invisible horse dance’? Even the Royals joined in! Who can forget Zara Phillips and the Olympics Equestrian Team’s Gangnam performance for Children In Need. Team Beth’s unfortunate defeat on Sunday however, seems to aptly mark the end of Gangnam style, for now there is a new boy on the dance floor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdoeacPsZ8Q
The Harlem Shake has gone viral. Originating from a 1980s dance called the Albee, which was itself based on the Ethiopian dance Eskista, the Harlem Shake has been put to music by the American producer Baauer. Following the lead of five Australian teenagers, from the Norwegian Army to the students of University College London, people everywhere are performing, what its originator Al B, described as the drunken shakes. Like Gangnam style the Harlem Shake is also being performed by some more unusual groups of dancers.
The Northern Ballet is currently practicing for a full length production of the Great Gatsby, which will be opening in Leeds on the 2nd March and touring the country until the 18th May. During an ordinary class this week however, the company broke out into the Harlem Shake proving that even traditional dancers can appreciate this latest dance craze.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFQFotzszpE
While I don’t think the Northern Ballet will be trading in their ballet shoes for that Nutcracker mask just yet, I am sure we can expect many more spontaneous performances. Indeed the number of Harlem Shake videos has already exceeded 40,000. What the next Youtube dance phenomenon maybe however, is anybody’s guess!