The Watusi is indigenous to southern Central Africa. The Watusi was a very popular solo dance done in the early 1960's. In 1962, Ray Barretto released the album 'Charanga Moderna.' The track "El Watusi" reached the Top 20 pop chart in the United States in 1963 and went gold. Its popularity was near that of the Twist dance. In a 1964 TV Guide, Fred Astaire and Barry Chase do the Watusi.

    The Watusi was a real subtle Twist dance variation and was often mixed in with the Twist. The Watusi used the arms much more that the hips. The arms would raise and lower from one side to the other every two beats of music with a slight twist of the torso

rather than the hips. Feet were usually apart and would one leg and move it forward and backward to the beat of the music one leg and move it  forward and / or backwards to the beats of the music or occasionally pointing it to the side.

    What was leading the way for these dances you ask, the answer is "the Television and SAND." Surfing was becoming extremely popular with the young and sand was replacing the dance floors. This sand would prove the Death Kill to any of the dances that required spinning or traveling while promoting stationary dances such as the Twist, Swim, Surf, Surfer Stomp, Frug, Ska, Watusi,  and Monkey. These dancers could basically just stand in place on the beach and dance which lead the way for The Go-Go dancers. And now that Televisions were in most homes, people could watch shows like American Bandstand and learn these dances.