Afternoon Dance Break – Do the Jerk

Hullabaloo Dancers in 3D Image: Wacky Stuff

There has been a long dry spell since our last Afternoon Dance Break so to make up for lost time today’s post is a two-fer. We'll take a look at two entirely different dance styles called “jerk”, one from the 1960s and the other from the late 2000s.
​
Until I began writing this post I had no idea about current day jerkin’, which comes from West Coast hip-hop culture. For a little tutorial, peep this video from The Ranger$ dance crew.

​And for the youngsters out there who had no idea there even was a 60s jerk, take a look at this video clip. 
​

Alright, let’s put it all together in one cool playlist and start dancing! We’ll start with the old school jerk and finish with the new.

Programmer’s note: Although The Capitols recorded Cool Jerk in 1962, this playlist features a cover by Human Sexual Response which was my very favorite new wave dance song in 1980. Enjoy!
​