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Al B is quoted saying that the dance is "a drunken shake anyway, it's an alcoholic shake, but it's fantastic, everybody appreciates it." He said it comes from the [[Ancient Egypt|ancient Egyptians]] and describes it as what the mummies used to do.<ref name="insidehoops"/> Because they were all wrapped up, they couldn’t really move, all they could do was shake.<ref name="dancejam">{{cite web|url=http://dancejam.com/dances/harlem-shake|title= Harlem Shake dancing videos and lessons|publisher=dancejam.com|archiveurl=http://wayback.archive.org/web/20111118110009/http://dancejam.com/dances/harlem-shake|archivedate=2011-11-18|offline=yes}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rapbasement.com/hip-hop/dances/the-harlem-shake.html| title=The Harlem Shake|date=2008-04-08|publisher=rapbasement.com|accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref> Al B states that he has been doing the Harlem shake since 1981. The dance first caught on at the [[Entertainer's Basketball Classic]] or EBC and spread from there to other areas.<ref name="insidehoops"/>
Al B is quoted saying that the dance is "a drunken shake anyway, it's an alcoholic shake, but it's fantastic, everybody appreciates it." He said it comes from the [[Ancient Egypt|ancient Egyptians]] and describes it as what the mummies used to do.<ref name="insidehoops"/> Because they were all wrapped up, they couldn’t really move, all they could do was shake.<ref name="dancejam">{{cite web|url=http://dancejam.com/dances/harlem-shake|title= Harlem Shake dancing videos and lessons|publisher=dancejam.com|archiveurl=http://wayback.archive.org/web/20111118110009/http://dancejam.com/dances/harlem-shake|archivedate=2011-11-18|offline=yes}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rapbasement.com/hip-hop/dances/the-harlem-shake.html| title=The Harlem Shake|date=2008-04-08|publisher=rapbasement.com|accessdate=2013-02-15}}</ref> Al B states that he has been doing the Harlem shake since 1981. The dance first caught on at the [[Entertainer's Basketball Classic]] or EBC and spread from there to other areas.<ref name="insidehoops"/>

== How to do the Harlem Shake ==

<ref>Harlem Shake, as a hip-hop style of dance, could be done by following these instructions:

=== Shoulders ===
# Drop your right shoulder forward, turning your torso slightly left. Lean back; this will lean you to the right.
# Roll your right shoulder back while dropping your left shoulder forward. Turn your torso slightly right. Lean back; this will lean you to the left.

Keep practicing this part of the Harlem shake until you have a solid understanding of the shoulder dynamic and feel comfortable with the move.

=== Add a Double ===
# Drop your right shoulder forward. Do the lean to the right while raising your right shoulder and dropping your left.
# Raise your left shoulder while dropping your right. Roll your right shoulder back while dropping your left shoulder forward. Do the lean to the left.
# Raise your right shoulder while dropping your left. Roll your left shoulder back while dropping your right shoulder forward. Do the lean to the right.
# Raise your left shoulder while dropping your right. Roll your right shoulder back while dropping your left shoulder forward. Do the lean to the left.

=== Adding the Forearms and Hands ===
* While your right shoulder is first dropped forward, hold your right forearm down at your side, fist pointing out.
* Whenever you do the lean in a direction, the shoulder in that direction should be raised. Hold the raised shoulder's forearm across your stomach. Your other forearm should be down at your side, fist pointing out.
* When you raise your left shoulder while dropping your right, both your forearms should be pointing down, but they should also be pointing slightly to the right, as should your fists. Your left arm should be slightly outside the body, and your right arm should be held against the body.
* When you roll back your right shoulder while dropping your left shoulder forward, move those forearms so that they point slightly to the left. Your fists should also point to the left.

After adding the forearms and hands, you'll be doing the full Harlem shake.</ref name="mahalo"><ref>{{cite web|author=Mahalo.com |url=http://www.mahalo.com/courses/learn-hip-hop-dance/places/how-to-do-the-harlem-shake/ |title=Mahalo.com instructions on “How to do the Harlem Shake”, with a YouTube video included |publisher=mahalo.com |date=2013-02-24 |accessdate=2013-02-24}}</ref>


== In popular culture ==
== In popular culture ==

Revision as of 14:05, 24 February 2013


The Harlem shake, originally called the albee, is a dance introduced in 1981 by a Harlem resident named "Al B". The dance was initially referred to as "albee" after his name, but later became known as the Harlem shake as its prominence grew beyond the neighborhood. The dance became mainstream in 2001 when G. Dep featured the Harlem shake in his music video "Let's Get It".

History

The Harlem shake is a dance that originally began in Harlem, New York, in 1981.[1] Since its beginnings it has spread to other urban areas and became popular in music videos. The self-purported inventor of the dance was "Al B", a Harlem resident.[2] Because of its founder, the dance was originally called the "albee" in Rucker and Harlem, but then later became known as the Harlem shake.[3]

Al B is quoted saying that the dance is "a drunken shake anyway, it's an alcoholic shake, but it's fantastic, everybody appreciates it." He said it comes from the ancient Egyptians and describes it as what the mummies used to do.[3] Because they were all wrapped up, they couldn’t really move, all they could do was shake.[4][5] Al B states that he has been doing the Harlem shake since 1981. The dance first caught on at the Entertainer's Basketball Classic or EBC and spread from there to other areas.[3]

How to do the Harlem Shake

Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

Though it started in 1981, the Harlem shake became mainstream in 2001 when G. Dep featured the dance in his music video "Let's Get It".[4][6]

The Harlem shake is commonly associated with a similar dance move called 'The Chicken Noodle Soup'. The "Chicken Noodle Soup" evolved from the Harlem shake and exploded into popularity in the summer of 2006 when DJ Webstar and Young B brought it to the mainstream.[4] The dance is referred to in the CunninLynguists song, "Old School", in Mac Dre's song, "Thizzle Dance," and in Nelly's song, "Dilemma". A band from New York City took the name of the dance and dubbed themselves Harlem Shakes.

In February 2013, an unrelated song named "Harlem Shake" originally uploaded to YouTube on May 10, 2012, went viral and became an Internet meme (see Harlem Shake meme). The "dance" being done in the Internet meme is not the Harlem shake.[7]

References

  1. ^ Alvarez, Alex (13 February 2013). "What Is This "Harlem Shake" Thing Anyway?". ABC News. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  2. ^ Jaworski, Michelle. "What's the Harlem Shake, and why is everyone doing it?". The Daily Dot. The Daily Dot. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  3. ^ a b c "Inventor of Harlem Shake Interview". Inside Hoops. 2003-08-13. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
  4. ^ a b c "Harlem Shake dancing videos and lessons". dancejam.com. Archived from the original on 2011-11-18. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |offline= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ "The Harlem Shake". rapbasement.com. 2008-04-08. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
  6. ^ Jake Crates (2013-02-14). "EXCLUSIVE: G. Dep Comments On "Harlem Shake" Craze; "It Ain't Defining Harlem"". AllHipHop.com. Retrieved 2013-02-22.
  7. ^ Laird, Sam. "The Real Harlem Shake: 6 Videos You Shouldn't Meme Without". Mashable. Retrieved 21 February 2013.