Roberta Kulik will teach dances from the 60’s at 11 a.m., Thursday, Jan, 9, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. Classic favorites such as the Twist, Watusi and the Pony will be taught with user friendly steps and choreography.
The Twist, named after the song sang by Chubby Checker that started the craze, was the first major international rock and roll dance style where couples did not have to touch each other while dancing.
The dance has been described by Checker’s entourage to be similar to “putting out a cigarette with both feet, and wiping your bottom with a towel, to the beat of the music.”
Checker again made waves with the Pony, a dance in which various arm and hand motions are performed with no line-of-dance. Although couples generally face one another, they do not touch. In addition, turns and chase positions are also possible.
The Watusi was a solo dance popularized by jazz musician Ray Barretto. Though he didn’t invent the style, his hit song “El Watusi” became connected to the dance.
Other popular dances such as the Swim and the Monkey will also be taught.
Oak Park Arms Senior Living is a rental retirement community which provides senior housing in the form of independent living. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.
The workshop is free and open to the public. For more information call 708-386-4040.
