# Was there really a dance to the Orlons "Wah-Watusi?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [August 17, 2021, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-really-a-dance-to-the-orlons-wah-watusi/949037 "2021-08-17T20:51:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jebert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-really-a-dance-to-the-orlons-wah-watusi/949037/1 "2021-08-17T20:51:50Z")
Going way back, the Orlons had a hit record with “The Wah-Watusi”. The lyrics refer to a dance by that name, but I don’t recall ever seeing it at the time or seeing a video that resembles what the lyrics suggest - “… baby when you do the twist, never ever do you get yourself kissed …”, “… when you do the fly, your arms are wasted waving in the sky …”, and " …, the dance made-a for romance …" Was there an actual dance or dance steps for this song? ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-really-a-dance-to-the-orlons-wah-watusi/949037/2 "2021-08-17T21:01:25Z")
> **[Watusi (dance) | Steps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watusi_(dance)#Steps)** > > In the classic Watusi, the dancer is almost stationary with knees slightly bent, although may move forward and back by one or two small rhythmic paces. The arms, with palms flat in line, are held almost straight, alternately flail up and down in the vertical. The head is kept in line with the upper torso but may bob slightly to accentuate the arm flailing. The dance, which became popular in the American surf/beach sub-culture of the 1960s, may be enhanced if one imagines that one's feet are on sa... ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-really-a-dance-to-the-orlons-wah-watusi/949037/3 "2021-08-17T21:07:28Z")
“Learn the Watusi basic steps” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/T1gw3XOC5Zs/maxresdefault.jpg "Learn the Watusi basic step") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1gw3XOC5Zs) a group of people dancing it [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OcQQi9vbZZE/hqdefault.jpg "The Wah Watusi") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcQQi9vbZZE) ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-really-a-dance-to-the-orlons-wah-watusi/949037/4 "2021-08-17T21:47:30Z")
But was there ever really a dance called the [Georgia Slop?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHyLx4psYmc) ---
**Author:** ![jebert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-really-a-dance-to-the-orlons-wah-watusi/949037/5 "2021-08-17T23:03:58Z")
OK, the videos do show some dance steps for the Wah-Watusi, but still nothing like described in the lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-really-a-dance-to-the-orlons-wah-watusi/949037/6 "2021-08-17T23:06:58Z")
Or the Madison? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-really-a-dance-to-the-orlons-wah-watusi/949037/7 "2021-08-17T23:46:53Z")
It’s in “Land Of 1000 Dances”, so of course it was a dance! _Do the watusi_ _Like my little Lucy_ [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/3mz_EXHKGHs/maxresdefault.jpg "Wilson Pickett - Land of 1000 Dances [Full Version] [HQ Audio]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mz_EXHKGHs) ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-really-a-dance-to-the-orlons-wah-watusi/949037/8 "2021-08-17T23:49:05Z")
But those lyrics you quoted - those are not the Watusi. The first two warn you that the Twist and the Fly are not hip dances and won’t make you popular. The last suggests that doing the Watusi instead can augment your romantic life. There’s no instructional content in the song - you’re going to have to look elsewhere for that. I’m not sure about the steps - I assumed it was inspired by a particular African dance, but that could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-really-a-dance-to-the-orlons-wah-watusi/949037/9 "2021-08-17T23:49:59Z")
Not to be confused with the Batusi. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/RsYA8Gr5NTY/hqdefault.jpg "Batman 1966 - The Batusi") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsYA8Gr5NTY) ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2021, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-really-a-dance-to-the-orlons-wah-watusi/949037/10 "2021-08-17T23:54:01Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Or the Madison? [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/w6QWoLXJ9Z4/hqdefault.jpg "Madison Line Dance demo from The Definitive Madison Instructional DVD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6QWoLXJ9Z4) ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2021, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-really-a-dance-to-the-orlons-wah-watusi/949037/11 "2021-08-18T01:45:08Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Or the Madison? [You guys know how to Madison?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umj0gu5nEGs&t=227s) ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2021, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-really-a-dance-to-the-orlons-wah-watusi/949037/12 "2021-08-18T02:00:52Z")
How about the [Nitty Gritty](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S3Yt-NxY0E)? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2021, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-really-a-dance-to-the-orlons-wah-watusi/949037/13 "2021-08-18T02:39:15Z")
Or the [Mouse](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP1_F9zEF7o&t=3m19s). But when I was in high school, the Watusi (and variations of it) was the go-to dance move. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2021, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-really-a-dance-to-the-orlons-wah-watusi/949037/14 "2021-08-18T02:56:46Z")
I’m a late 70s model but I only recognized the term as the dance (twisty and left/right) and didn’t remember the song. ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2021, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-there-really-a-dance-to-the-orlons-wah-watusi/949037/15 "2021-08-18T14:34:50Z")
From The Blues Brothers: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/qdbrIrFxas0/maxresdefault.jpg "The Blues Brothers (1980) - Shake a Tail Feather Scene (4/9) | Movieclips") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdbrIrFxas0)