If you have been on a dance floor lately, you have probably seen someone attempting an old move that is both nostalgic and disturbing. I’m talking about the unforgettable Sprinkler, Raise the Roof, Running man, Worm, and the Shopping Cart. We can’t forget them because they are stubborn dance moves that refuse to get off the floor! These moves were once acceptable at bar/bat mitzvah parties because they generated some laughter and drew tension away from awkward middle school boy-girl social interactions. But, when we see them executed by college students, it probably resurrects the discomfort we all felt during those heinous middle school years. And yet, these moves linger. So, is it possible to pull of these old dances and look good doing it? The amusing video evidence confirms that, sadly, this happens only rarely (and you have to be famous too).
The Sprinkler
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHyph4PBnAg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVUCiWDLavY (Skip to 0:45)
The Sprinkler, which has some variations in execution, is used here by Justin Bieber. Obviously, someone as popular as Justin Bieber can pretty much get away with any dance move, including the goofy Sprinkler. And when this English Cricket team does it en masse, it is kind of endearing.
Raise the Roof
http://celebs.icanhascheezburger.com/2011/09/12/funny-celebrity-pictures-rasing-the-roof/
I searched for any celebrity caught in the act of Roof Raising, but there was none. This is probably an indicator that even a famous person is unwilling to risk the embarrassment that waits on YouTube if he or she is unlucky enough to be caught doing it in public. But, there are plenty of videos of random people doing this dance move…so it still has its fans, unwise though they may be.
The Worm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9LmHXXWiJs (skip to 1:38)
The Worm is technically the most difficult move to master, and even more so if you are over seven feet tall. That’s a lot of body to wriggle! Shaquille O’Neal can’t quite get the thing right and his other dance moves are much better. It’s still really funny to watch, though.
Shopping Cart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSTtf4M_9Xc
You might think that a television professional would steer clear of the shopping cart, a dance featured in the hit movie Hitch with Will Smith. This Weather Channel personality is already embarrassed that she is actually doing the Shopping Cart on air and can’t even bring herself to do the Sprinkler. Her instincts were right!
Running Man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHabSqxjsEQ (skip to 1:30)
Michelle Obama looks pretty good doing any physical activity, from the hula-hoop to jumping jacks. She can certainly get away with the Running Man. After all, she is the First Lady!
Perhaps it’s a little harsh to trash these old moves. They are a part of our collective memory and have stuck around to both entertain and torment us. Generations before us have had their own eclectic assortment of fancy moves. The very popular Twist, the Mashed Potato, the Swim and the Pony from the 1960’s, all had their day in the sun. But no one does those dances anymore, which means that with any luck, by 2050, the Sprinkler and its ilk will be gone for good, and it will be safe to go back on the dance floor!