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The Eccentric
dance style called the Snake Hips dance was made popular by
Earl 'Snakehips Tucker'. Tucker
was often times called the "Human Boa
Constrictor" and the "Gelatinous
Dancer." Basically the dance was just a contortion,
twisting, shaking type of dance done around the stomach, hips
and backside areas that Tucker took to extremes and based his
whole act upon it.
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Duke Ellington produced a Musical
Short entitled 'Symphony in Black' that features Earl
'Snakehips Tucker' doing the Snakehips dance as well as dancing
the Breakaway (Lindy) with Bessie Dudley. The Snake Hips dance
was also reportedly done in the more modern movie "Colors,"
(altho I have not seen it.)
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The dance eventually became mainly a female dance with such females
as Ella Fitzgerald, Bessie Dudley and Evelyn Welch. Later moved
into the Rock and Roll community like Elvis Presley and finally
arrived into the Burlesque - Strip Tease world. Some remnants
still exist in other forms of dancing like Ballroom, Dirty Dancing,
Latin Dances, Macarena, Lambada etc, but are usually very subdued
when compared to the original.
- Other dancers would try to copy
this dance, but none came close to Tucker. For more info and better
description of the dance see Tuckers page ... Click
Here
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