-> The Shake dance is a non-rhythmic specialty eccentric dance that became popular around the time of Little Egypt at the Chicago Worlds Fair in 1893. Its roots can somewhat be traced back to the origins of Raks Sharki (aka: Belly Dancing) and the later African-American Grind. Some people call it the Hootchy-Cootchy dance, but the Hootchy-Cootchy was a catch all name for anything Erotic in dance.

-> The shake dance began as a woman's dance but a few southern males gradually developed their own versions. It's evolution can be seen from Little Egypt in 1893 to Bert Williams doing it with the Mooch dance in 1903, Aida Overton Walker who used the Shake dance in her Salome routine in 1910,

James Barton upset the Broadway critics with it in 1923 and finally Clifton Webb set it on fire when he performed it with the snake hips in 1929.

-> The dance consisted of many undulations of the body with a common step to be known as the Belly Roll, which became common in other dances, it included other movements as well such as the Shimmie, the Mooch, the Grind, etc. but became their own separate dances in time. By the 1920's almost every chorus line had its own Shake dancer on the stage.

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