Boogie The Nights Away on The Ultimate Disco Cruise
The music, fashion and hair of the disco era were bold, shimmery and sexy. But they were all there for one reason, and one reason only – to make us look good on the dancefloor. And like your beloved polyester suits and slinky dresses, huge medallions and blue eyeshadow, we’re here to help you look your best on the Ultimate Disco Cruise. It’s time to brush up on our favorite disco moves so that we’ll be ready for the splits, kicks, spins, struts and jumps when the ship sails in February. Do you remember these?
The Hustle was so popular during the disco era that there were actually several different versions that hit the dancefloor. West Coast, East Coast, New York, Latin, Tango…they all shared a similar mix of swing and Latin line dance. Historians point to the South Bronx in New York City as the birthplace of The Hustle in the early 1970s before Van McCoy turned it into a bona fide global dance phenomenon in 1975 when he released a song whose lyrics were simply, “Oh, do it, do The Hustle.” Two years later, “Saturday Night Fever” put it up on the big screen. Did you know that Ultimate Disco Cruise host Deney Terrio was a choreographer for “Saturday Night Fever” as well as John Travolta’s personal dance coach?
Disco changed the rules of dance. We no longer needed a partner, anyone could join in on the line dances like the Soul Train Line, The Hot Chocolate, The Bus Stop (California and New York versions) and The Electric Slide. Bonus points if you remember The New Yorker. The origins of line dancing are said to go all the way back to folk dances, updated in the 1950s and then again in country music bars in the early 70s before it became a staple in discos around the globe.
But if you liked to keep it simple, there were plenty of other options for you. The Bump was just one move, but packed with rhythm, sexiness and fun. Even more fun? Doing the YMCA, which has withstood the test of time and is still a favorite across generations. Legend has it that the dancers on Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand” came up with the alphabetical choreography. Something else that we’ve kept since the disco era? The Robot. After all these years, it’s as much fun to attempt as it is to watch. French mimes may have inspired the dance move, but Charles “Robot” Washington brought it to the masses when he appeared on “Soul Train.” Coincidentally, that’s where Michael Jackson took the robot to a whole other level when he incorporated it into his Jackson 5 performances way back in 1973 during a performance of “Dancing Machine.” One thing that hasn’t quite aged as well, and probably for the best – Kung Fu Fighting (inspired by Carl Douglas’ song of the same name).
Tell us what your favorite disco moves are and show them off on next year’s Ultimate Disco Cruise!
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