Harlem shake (dance)

This article is about the dance. For the meme, see Harlem Shake (meme). For the song, see Harlem Shake (song).

The Harlem shake is a style of hip-hop dance characterized by jerky arm and shoulder movements in time to music.[1] The dance was created by Harlem resident Al B. (Albert Boyce) in 1981; the dance was initially called "The Albee" or "The Al. B.".[2] As indicated by the name, it is associated with the predominantly African American neighborhood of Harlem, in New York City.[3] The dance became known as the Harlem Shake as its prominence grew beyond the neighborhood. In 2001 G. Dep's music video for the song "Let's Get It" introduced the dance to the mainstream.

  1. ^ Marberry, Craig; Cunningham, Michael (2003). The Spirit of Harlem: A Portrait of America's Most Exciting Neighborhood. Doubleday. ISBN 9780385504065.
  2. ^ "Harlem Shake". The Encyclopedia of New York. Simon & Schuster. 2020. ISBN 978-1-5011-6696-9. OCLC 1159858094.
  3. ^ Spickard, James V. (2017-03-14). Alternative Sociologies of Religion: Through Non-Western Eyes. NYU Press. pp. 230–231. ISBN 9781479866311.