Harlem Shake
Introducing the Harlem Shake!
If you haven’t seen someone or normally a group of someone’s doing it, you more than likely will soon. Me? I can’t seem to get away from this new internet meme. Usually if I don’t understand something I look it up, and that’s exactly what I did. I was rather surprised when I discovered they’re doing it wrong! This revelation is probably irrelevant because it’s just an excuse to dress up in last year’s Halloween costume and rock out to an electronic song blaring in the speakers. Still, if you’re curious like me, I wanted to know where in the world it came from.
I did some digging and learned that the original name of the dance was “albee”, named after it’s
beloved inventor Al B. It was renamed the Harlem Shake after it grew in popularity. Why the Harlem Shake? Because, the dance was created in Harlem New York. It’s been in several music video’s since but it really gained momentum in 2001 when a couple dudes threw it into a music video for the song “Let’s Get It” by G. Dep.
Soup Anyone?
Another interesting fact is the inspiration of the dance came from a move called “The Chicken Noodle Soup”. It was also a great dance to fall back on when someone wanted to shake it and had one to many. Al B said the dance is "a drunken shake anyway, it's an alcoholic shake, but it's fantastic, everybody appreciates it." He said it came from the ancient Egyptians and described it as what the mummies used to do. They were all wrapped up, right? They couldn’t move so they would shake.
In February of this year, 2013, a song was uploaded to YouTube called the Harlem Shake. The dance done for this song is not the real, accurate version of the dance. So, next time someone asks you if you want to do the Harlem Shake for YouTube and you don’t want to, you can just say, “Dude, it’s an inaccurate internet meme and I will not participate in any dance or otherwise historically incorrect.” that should at least make them stop and think for enough time for you to slip away.
I am just happy that the whole planking thing is over and the Milking trend might have a run for its money.
So, in the spirit of wild, crazy dancing, do the Harlem Shake!
Bree Danielle
March 2013
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We moved from the city to the country in 2005. Since then, we have been building structures, raising livestock and growing some of our own foods. We are crazy about family, nutrition and want the best for our growing family.
