Hand jive
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Hand jive is a dance particularly associated with rock and roll and rhythm and blues music of the 1950s. It involves a complicated pattern of hand moves and claps at various parts of the body, following and/or imitating the percussion instruments. It resembles a highly elaborate version of Pat-a-cake. Hand moves include thigh slapping, cross-wrist slapping, fist pounding, chest slapping and pounding, hand clapping, elbow touching and hitch hike moves.
The hand jive was particularly popularized by Johnny Otis's 1958 hit "Willie and the Hand Jive". Eric Clapton did a version of the song in 1974 that reached the Top 40.[1] It is also featured prominently in Grease, in which the song "Born to Hand Jive" is performed by Sha Na Na. Additionally, the Hand Jive was played on several occasions by the Grateful Dead and also by the Jerry Garcia Band.
The term is also used by some jugglers in reference to certain hand motions in the Mills Mess juggling pattern.
