# Name that Dance

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-dance/17838>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 30, 2000, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-dance/17838 "2000-04-30T05:28:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2000, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-dance/17838/1 "2000-04-30T05:28:44Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> About 30 years ago I remember seeing some film of a French dance performance. It was a man and a woman, wearing neckerchiefs and striped shirts. They were dancing what I can only describe as a stylized, very choreographed physical fight between them - she would slap him, he would throw her down, etc. A modern-day wrestling match is the closest thing I could compare it to, except this was definitely a dance performance on a stage. As I recall, the woman gave as good as she got. Does this ring a bell with anyone?

…asks my mom. (I figured I should let y’all know since I made a big deal in chat about turning 18.) Anyone, anyone?

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**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2000, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-that-dance/17838/2 "2000-04-30T05:56:36Z")

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It sounds like an apache dance - apache (small a) was the name given to a criminal element in France. I’ve seen one in “Charlie Chan in Paris.”

Here’s more on [apache dance](http://www.eijkhout.net/rad/dance_specific/apache.html)