Chicken Dance
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The "Chicken Dance" oom-pah song was composed by a Swiss accordion (Handharmonika) player Werner Thomas from Davos, Switzerland in 1950s. The name of the original song was Der Ententanz (The Duck Dance). Since 1963 he played it in restaurants, people used to dance to the tune, and by the end of 1970s it was played all over the world. On some recorded releases of the music Werner Thomas is listed as the composer, while on others other authors are listed, e.g., as "Thomas/Rendall/Hose", probably including the authors of the particular arrangement. Since then the song has become known under numerous other "birdie" names, including "Vogeltanz" (Bird Dance), "Danse des Canards", "Chicken Dance" and "Dance Little Bird". Over 140 versions of it are recorded worldwide, including Walt Disney Records, together making over 40,000,000 records.
So, contrary to a some misconceptions, it is not an Austrian folk dance.
In the United States, the publishing rights for the song were acquired by a New York publisher Stanley Mills.
It has become popular in the USA as a German heritage song, and has been likewise adopted by people worldwide of many cultures since its creation. It has become a staple dance at weddings and at Oktoberfests. The University of Wisconsin Marching Band in Madison, Wisconsin performs it at all of its games and during its post-game performances.
Dance steps
The "Chicken Dance" song is accompanied by a dance, which is very easy to learn regardless age or agility. The dance requires a group of people, and it goes as follows:
- Begin in a large circle with everybody facing in towards the center of the ring.
- At the start of the music, shape a chicken beak with your hands. Open and close it four times, during the first four beats of the music.
- Make chicken wings with your arms. Flap your wings four times, during the next four beats of the music.
- Make a chicken's tail feathers with your arms and hands. Wiggle downwards during the next four beats of the music.
- Clap four times during the next four beats of the music.
- Repeat this process four times.
- After the fourth time you grab your neighbors' hands and move round in a circle.
- Switch directions when the bandleader says so.
- The dance repeats, progressively getting faster and faster, until the music stops.
See also: Novelty and fad dances
Some releases
- Tchip Tchip, by Cash & Carry with Bobby Setter & Co, Cannon Records, Can 3035, 1973.
- Dance Little Bird (The Birdie Song), by The Tweets, 1981.
- Ententanz (Dance Little Bird), by Chor & Orchester Wilde-Enten GmbH, Hamburg.
External links
- The tune, in MIDI (http://www.oldworld.ws/chickendance.mid)de:Vogerltanz