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What
is the Hokey Cokey? |
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| The
Hokey Cokey is a very special dance - it is joyous and energetic,
but also intimate and special. The dance is world reknown, although
very few people appreciate the subtlety and closeness that it can bring. It
is also called the "hokey pokey", but not by those who really understand
the essence of the dance. Contrary to popular belief, and even in some "hokey pokey" communities, it is not a predefined sequence of steps that should be rushed through. Each step has a distinct meaning and purpose (see the History section), and should be communicated through the dance (so called "micro Cokey", leading). People from outside often to charge headlong into it by learning the steps but not actually being with the music. And yes, if you've learnt to "Do the Hokey Cokey" (shudder!) at a party while having fun, you're doing it wrong! The dance is usually done in a circle, and over the course of an evening, people will move so as to dance with different people of very different abilities. People who have done other related things (such as tango, marital arts, Tai Chi etc) find the spiritual depth of the dance easy to grasp. Muscle control and good posture are the key to hokey cokey - good dancers have relaxed back muscles and shoulders, but retain a slight tension in the upper forearm with more tension in the lower forearm. Microtension in the wrong part of a tendon can lead to overbalancing or stiffness (seen sometimes on the continent) and can lead to the dancers ending up in the dreadful can can by over zealous swinging of the legs! The actions should be smooth and deliberate with each muscle moved carefully and precisely - this can take many years to achieve. |
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