Funky Chicken dancing videos and lessons

The Funky Chicken is a group dance often performed at skating rinks, family gatherings, and carnival-like amusement dance halls. The Funky Chicken, also known as the Chicken Dance, began in the 1950s when Werner Thomas of Davos, Switzerland composed the “Chicken Dance” song. In 1981, Norm Edlebeck’s Band appeared on America's PM Magazine Show performing the Chicken Dance and the dance soon spread nationwide.

To perform the Chicken Dance, a dancer makes various movements that mimic a chicken. This dance is very sequenced, and is performed to a four count beat of music. To perform, follow these steps:

• Shape a chick beak with your hands, open and close it four times during the first four beats of the music.
• Make chicken wings and flap your wings four times during the next four beats of music.
• Make a chicken’s tail feathers with your hands and arms, and then wiggle downwards during the next four beats of music.
• Clap four times on the next four beats of music.
• Repeat these first four steps a total of four times.
• When the bridge of the song is reached, dancers spread their arms out straight, as if flying like an airplane, and spin around the room in flight until the bridge ends.
• Next, the song picks up the beat and continues to get faster until completed.

Artists:
The original writer of the song was Werner Thomas, yet the song has been released over 140 times. The rights to the song are held by New York publisher Stanley Mills.