The Civil War History of the 57^th Indiana (#24)

Peachtree Creek - Outside Atlanta

“The surface of the country where our army was now operating was broken and somewhat hilly. The sluggish waters of a narrow creek, enclosed in a deep channel, wound its way across the field in an irregular, zigzag course. A short distance south of where the road running from Buckhead to Atlanta crosses the stream it enters a dense forest and leads almost due south to the city. On the afternoon of July 20^th, when the enemy had disappeared into the woods, our division moved up and formed a line of battle at the north side of the creek, with the line of Wagner’s brigade extending into the timber.

“General Thomas directed General Newton to send forward one regiment, have them advance nearly half a mile on the Atlanta road, then deploy, face to the south-east, and move forward to the creek to ascertain whether the enemy had any force in the vicinity. General Newton designated the 57^th and Col. Blanch to immediately proceed to carry out his instructions.

“The regiment advanced cautiously to the position indicated, but found no sign of an enemy, and the command halted. We were now nearly one mile from our lines, in the midst of a dense forest, alone and unsupported. Col. Blanch desired to become more fully acquainted with the appearance of things in front; and deeming it imprudent to advance the whole regiment farther, he called for one man from each company to go forward with him and reconnoiter.

“They moved out several hundred yards beyond the regiment before they discovered any of the enemy. A single rebel soldier, who had been sent out to watch for the approach of our pickets, caught sight of Sergeant Vert of Company “F,” and was just in the act of firing on him, when he was hailed by a member of Company “C,” who had already discovered him and had drawn a bead at the head of the “Johnny.” They demanded him to surrender, and while one held his gun ready to fire, the other advanced and took charge of is rifle, which was delivered without further ceremony. He was asked how far it was to their lines and whether they were in force. But he declined to give any other answer than that there were enough there for us, and if we wanted to know any more we could go and see. The captured rebel was then started for the rear, under guard.

“In only a few moments, the forces of the enemy in our front raised a yell, which was taken up and repeated along their lines for fully half a mile, and revealed the fact that they were advancing in heavy force. In a few moments they came in sight of our reconnoitering party, who fired on them and fell back to the regiment, which now beat a hasty retreat; occasionally halting long enough to be certain that the enemy were in pursuit.

“When the noise of the coming attack could no longer be misunderstood, General Thomas made every possible preparation to give them a warm reception. Artillery was promptly placed in position, and the main body of troops was ordered to hold their position. ‘What has become of the regiment you sent out?’ inquired Gen. Thomas of Gen. Newton. ‘They’re out there yet sir,’ he replied. ‘Well, they will all be captured,’ returned Thomas, who was not aware of the activity which the 57^th was just about to show.

“When the regiment had fallen back to the abandoned rifle pits from which the enemy had been driven earlier, the order was given to rally and hold. But it was soon discovered that we would be exposed to the fire of our own artillery, and again the order was given to retreat beyond the creek. A few, failing to hear the order, remained and were taken prisoner. Even in the creek, Maj. McGraw insisted that it was ‘a good place to make a stand;’ but the majority concluded it was rather a watery position, and so passed over to the north bank. As we passed up the ravine among the willows, we saw a column waving a dirty rebel flag over the pits we had just left.

“ ‘Here come the wet dogs,’ said General Thomas, as we came up dripping with water after wading the stream waist deep, and some even swimming in the deepest places. We passed to the left of our brigade, in falling back; and before we were all across the creek, the front lines were hotly engaged with the enemy.

“The battle raged with awful fury. The 20^th Corps, which joined us on the right, met them on open ground with a bayonet charge, held the ground, and drove them back. The enemy attempted to cross the creek in our front but; with the help of the artillery, we succeeded on keeping them back. At dark the battle ceased, and the rebels withdrew from the field. The 57^th retained its position on the creek, and during the night constructed a line of works. The work of death was terrible at the rebel front, where the dead of the enemy lay in heaps. The rebel General Stevens was killed in front of the 40^th Indiana, and his saddle and holsters were taken by one of that regiment.

“During the next day we threw up strong works. In the afternoon a small force was sent forward to reconnoiter, and found the enemy entrenched half a mile off. On the 22^nd (July) we moved forward and discovered that they had now fallen back behind the main line of defenses, two miles from the city. At 3 o’clock the rebel batteries opened on us and gave us a severe shelling until night. How anxious we were until we learned that our forces succeeded in repelling the second onset of John Bell Hood’s army.

“By the death of General McPherson, the Army of the Tennessee lost their commander; and our General Howard was selected by General Sherman to succeed him. General David Stanley, commanding the 1^st Division, succeeded General Howard in the command of our 4^th Corps.

“Cavalry expeditions were sent out to destroy the road and public buildings; in which they were successful in every respect. Having destroyed the rebel communications with Augusta, General Sherman next decided to withdraw the Army of the Tennessee and transfer it to the extreme right of his position. Soon after the troops had taken position on the right, the enemy made another desperate attempt to break their lines; but the attack was repulsed with smaller loss on our part than on the 22^nd. In his official report, General Howard estimated the loss of the enemy in this engagement at 6,000 and our own loss at 600, all told.

“Thus it was that, by a series of unsuccessful and fool-hardy assaults against our lines, Hood lost in three days not less than 15,000 of his best men, and when his last gun was fired we were virtually stronger than when he dealt the first blows. General Sherman gave orders to ‘make the works impregnable.’ 

“Now commenced in earnest the siege of Atlanta.”  

(Atlanta Campaign, northern Georgia, late July, 1864)

Excerpts taken from “Annals of the Fifty-Seventh Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry: Marches, Battles, and Incidents of Army Life” written by Asbury L. Kerwood immediately after the war.

THE LINGERING EFFECTS

At 4:00 a.m. on March 28, 1979, workers at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Facility were clearing a blockage in a cleaning filter when the pumps being used stopped dead. A valve was stuck and would not open. Water supplying the steam generators ceased flowing. At this point things were still under control, but procedures dictated that an emergency shutdown routine was to be initiated. Control rods were inserted into the core to halt the nuclear chain reaction, but the reactor continued to produce heat.

Later it was discovered that the emergency auxiliary pumps had been closed for maintenance in violation of the standard NRC procedure which says that a reactor cannot be operated when the emergency pumps are shut off for maintenance. Additionally, control panel lights did not indicate the true position of the valves so operators were not able to determine the problem or take appropriate action.

By 7:30 a.m., a general emergency was announced to the public. People were told that a “small release of radiation” had occurred but that there was no increase from normal levels. In reality, the reactor temperatures were near the melting point and half of the uranium fuel had already melted by 8:00 a.m.

Schools were closed and people were advised to stay inside their homes. The next day an evacuation zone was established at 20 miles. Pregnant women and young children were the first to be evacuated. Most people didn’t return to their homes for about three weeks.

Nuclear mishaps are grouped into two broad categories: incidents and accidents. An “incident,” which has 3 levels (1 to 3), involves radiation release above 10 times the annual safe exposure, and has a lower probability of significant public exposure. San Onofre Reactor (San Diego) had a level 3 incident in 2011.

 An “accident,” which has 4 levels (4 to 7), is a major release of radioactive material with widespread health and environmental effects. The possibility of loss of life and property damage is high. Chernobyl (1986, level 7), Fukushima (2011, level 7), and Three Mile Island (1979, level 5) are examples of an accident. 

Three Mile Island (an "accident") was a near miss; but a partial meltdown none the less. People in the surrounding communities had been frightened and confused by the contradictory information being disseminated, and to what extent their health was jeopardized. There were few physical injuries, but mental health is as important as physical health. Poor mental health will, over time, lead to physical problems and social and family dysfunction. A Presidential Commission later found that high levels of depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms like headaches were experienced across the population (of nearly 660,000).

 

Dr. Evelyn Bromet is recognized as a “Distinguished Professor” in her position with the State University of New York. She is an expert on the psychiatric effects of disasters and has researched the Three Mile Island event in detail over the years. Dr. Bromet identified and interviewed the high risk group of mothers of young children living near the nuclear plant. She found that they had rates of depression and anxiety that were twice as high as control group living farther away.

Ten years later, her study was repeated and found that their level of depression and anxiety was as high as they had been just after the accident. 75% said that they were worried about the effects of the accident on their long term health and the health of their children. Clearly the psychological effects of a radiation leak will be both wide spread and long lasting. Government health officials and physicians should be open with people about their exposure and their fears. They should treat mental as well as physical symptoms with equal vigor.

So what have we learned? What does this mean for the future?

Nuclear energy is a potential replacement source for fossil fuel. We recognize that we desperately need replacements. But are safeguards adequate? There have been nuclear accidents before Three Mile Island and others after it. Each time we learn something new. The question is - have we learned enough to safely control its production? None of us here on the ground can answer this question. We must rely on experts to reassure us. Not politicians or industry lobbyists, but experts; nuclear scientists and engineers without something to gain for themselves. Who do you feel you can trust?

 

As a post script, the film “The China Syndrome” opened across the country twelve days after Three Mile Island. It portrayed a nuclear accident at a California reactor where a meltdown was narrowly avoided. Where ever you lived, Three Mile Island was on your mind. The film’s box office receipts were bolstered by this real-life emergency in Pennsylvania.

“All along . . .  there were incidents and accidents . . . there were hints and allegations.” (from “You Can Call Me Al” by Paul Simon, 1986)

THE MYSTERIOUS “X”

The 24^th letter of our alphabet, “X,” can be mysterious or even forbidden; but it is seriously undervalued among all the other letters (except in Scrabble). It’s not like the boring “B” or overused like the “E.”

In western civilization, we owe the “X” to the Greeks. They even had some words beginning with “X.” The Greeks in turn sent it off to Rome. The Romans thought it unworthy of being able to stand alone and felt the need to add a vowel before it, as in “ex.” Today, the “X” is very rare in any common words, other than those with the “ex” prefix. “X” words tend to be hard to pronounce, tongue-twisting, an easily avoided.

But the “X” is experiencing a rebirth of sorts. Modern culture and technology wouldn’t be the same without the “X.” The “X” can mean greater or extra: X-Games, X-treme, X-Men, X-Rated, and XS/XL/XXL (clothing sizes). It can also mean unknown or unspecified: X-Factor, X-Ray (originally meant unknown ray), X-Files, Planet X (assumed to be just beyond Pluto), Project X, Brand X, X-axis, and the unknown, or “X,” in algebraic equations. Used less often, it can mean experimental: X1 and X15 (aircraft) and the “X” prefixes assigned to stealth bombers.

“X” is more widely used as a cultural term: Xbox, X-Wing Fighter (Star Wars), Malcolm X, Generation X, Xmas (the “mas” is Anglo-Saxon for festival), the XXX Olympiad (2012 London Olympic Games), X-chromosome (female), “xxx” meaning kisses, X marks the spot (for pirate maps and ballots), X as a signature of an illiterate person, Ped Xing (a pedestrian crossing), Microsoft’s XP system, and xenophobia. Although not a modern invention, the use of “X” to mean Christ or Christianity is used worldwide.

There are 218 companies in the world whose name begins with “X.” Some are well known like Xerox (electronics) and Xcel (clothing), most are not. An “X” in your company name is often associated with high technology and innovation, and it also has a strong impact in print advertising. Chinese businesses lead the world in company names beginning with an “X” with 132 (52% of the total); their “X” actually has a “sh” sound. The U.S. is second with 41 (19%).

There are a staggering 508 pharmaceutical drug product names starting with “X.” Branding specialists believe that these names are perceived as making products stand out in a crowd, and words using “X” are gender neutral. Some common pharmaceuticals are Xanax, Xantium, Xenon, Xylestesin, and Xylocain. While not starting with the letter, Vitamin X (MDMA) is also known as Ecstasy.

 

Foods names beginning with “X” are a little harder to find: Xiao long bao (Chinese dumplings), Xiao hong dou (a small, sweet red bean), Xeres (sherry wine), xocolate (the Catalan Spanish for chocolate), Xcatic chiles, and Xylopia (a tree in the apple family). If you don’t care where the “X” is in the name of the food, try these: wax beans, pretzel stix, Pixy Stix, Crispix and Trix cereals, and Chex Party Mix. It’s not fair to count Xmas cookies. Animal names beginning with “X” are even harder to find: Xenops (a rain forest bird in South America), Xantus (a yak), Xerus (a ground squirrel in Africa), and Xenpus (a frog in Africa).

There is even “The X Song” used to teach children how to pronounce “X” in words: “There was a fox who got a box from an ox, it was a tux. The Tyrannosaurus Rex is extinct; I saw its X-ray - it was exciting.”

One more; how many countries have an “X” in their names? Answer: none (we tried).

Enough, enough!!

As a little bonus today, here are some legitimate 8-letter words starting with “X” that you can use in Scrabble: xerosere, xylidins, xiphoids, xenogamy, and xylitols. Of course you can also use the old reliable “ox.”  

WOULD YOU LOVE TO HAVE A TIME MACHINE?  . . . WELL, YOU DO!!

You can see your time machine at work every night just by looking upwards.

Light is considered the fastest thing in the universe (although recently doubt has risen about this). It travels at 186,000 miles per second. Even at that speed, the distances between stars and galaxies is so great, that it still takes light a long time to make the journey to us. A “light year” is the distance that light will travel in one Earth year.

The twinkling of the stars we see at night has taken years, and sometimes many years, to reach us. The light left its star so long before WE see it, that we are witnessing an event that occurred in the past from where the light originated. We are watching history via an “astral time machine.”

To get a sense of the age of the light we are seeing today, we can correlate what was occurring on the Earth when this light first left its star. Below is a list of prominent stars in our night sky. We have included the number of “light years” (LY) the star is away from us, when the light we are seeing right now left that star, and what was happening on Earth at the time the light STARTED on its journey.

ALPHA CENTAURI (a triple star, 4.4 LY away)

Today we see the light that left Alpha Centauri in August, 2008. What was happening on Earth then?

The Summer Olympics in Beijing are in full stride as Usain Bolt sets a new 100 meter dash world record of 9.69 seconds. The Republic of Georgia launches a military offensive against the Russian incursion. The “5 Day War” ends shortly after when Russia recognizes their independence. Barrack Obama becomes the first African American to be nominated for President of the U.S. by a major political party.

SIRIUS (8.6 LY away) 

Today we see the light that left Sirius in April, 2004. What was happening on Earth then?

Oldsmobile builds its final car after 107 years. The media releases graphic photos of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib Prison. Google introduces G-mail. The Queen Elizabeth II embarks on its first trans-Atlantic voyage. A ceasefire agreement is signed by the Sudanese government and two rebel groups in Darfur.

ALTAIR (16.7 LY away)

Today we see the light that left Altair in June, 1997. What was happening on Earth then?

Timothy McVeigh found guilty of 1995 Oklahoma City bombings. The U.S. Air Force reports that the Roswell “space aliens” were dummies. The Supreme Court upholds the ban on doctor-assisted suicides. Christie’s auctions off Princess Di’s clothing for $5.5 million. The first MLB inter-league baseball game is player (Giants 4, Rangers 3).

VEGA (25.0 LY away)

Today we see the light that left Vega in September, 1988. What was happening on Earth then?

The 24^th Summer Olympics open in Seoul, S. Korea.; two days later American diver Greg Louganis hits his head on a diving board but the following day he wins a gold medal. Hurricane Gilbert (160 + mph) kills 300 in Jamaica, Texas, and Mexico. Orel Hershiser sets a record for pitching 59 consecutive scoreless innings in baseball. Military coup in Haiti.

ARCTURUS (36.7 LY away)

Today we see the light that left Arcturus in March, 1976. What was happening on Earth then?

The first female cadets are accepted to West Point. Queen Elizabeth II sends out the very first Royal e-mail. Patty Hearst is convicted of armed robberEight Ohio National Guardsmen are indicted for shooting four Kent State students.

ALDEBARAN (65.0 LY away)

Today we see the light that left Aldebaran in September, 1948. What was happening on Earth then?

Groundbreaking commences for the UN Headquarters in New York City (also the UN’s World Health Organization - WHO - is organized. Honda Motor Company is formed. Milton Berle’s “Texaco Star Theatre” premiers on TV. Ralph Bunche is named the UN negotiator in Palestine.

REGULUS (77.5 LY away)

Today we see the light that left Regulus in June, 1935. What was happening on Earth then?

Babe Ruth announces his retirement from baseball as a player. U.S. Congress accepts FDR’s “New Deal.” Alcoholics Anonymous is organized. First driving tests and license plates introduced in England. Joe Louis defeats Primo Carnera at Yankee Stadium.

BETELGEUX (527.0 LY away)

Today we see the light that left Betelgeux in September, 1486. What was happening on Earth then?

Tizoc, the Aztec ruler, is poisoned and succeeded by his brother. Utrecht surrenders to the Habsburg Army. King Henry VII (House of Lancaster) marries Elizabeth of York (House of York) at the conclusion of the War of the Roses.

ANTARES (600.0 LY away)

Today we see the light that left Antares in September, 1413. What was happening on Earth then?

Donatello creates religious sculptures in Florence. The Joseon Dynasty begins in Korea.

RIGEL (772.5 LY away)

Today we see the light that left Rigel in June, 1240. What was happening on Earth then?

Innocentus is elected Pope in Rome. The Parliament of Ireland meets for the first time.

THE ART OF THE DEAL

On May 24, 1626, 387 years ago, the newly arrived leader of the Dutch colony of New Netherland, Peter Minuit, arranged to trade goods valued at 60 guilders to the Lenape Indians for the acquisition of the island of Manhattan (in present day New York). This act has been heralded down through history as a prime example of how Europeans took advantage of Native Americans, but was it really?

  

The exchange was first acknowledged six months later in a letter written by Peter Schaghen, a member of the board of the Dutch West India Company, the organization that employed Minuit and funded the Dutch colony. He reported that a deal was made with the local Indians to purchase 11,000 morgens (about 22,000 acres) of land on the island of “manhattes” for a value of sixty guilders. He did not specify if it was in coin or bartered goods. His report of the acquisition was only two sentences in length. Most of his letter was a list of furs and grains that were brought back from New Netherland.

Two hundred years later, the value of 60 guilders, in 1626, was determined to be about $24 in U.S. money. That number has stuck ever since in story and song. Today, those 60 guilders is estimated at $1,000 U.S. The myth of the trade was enhanced in the late 19^th century to be a payment in bead, trinkets, and buttons. It is really quite irrelevant since the value of Manhattan is many times either amount; and the value paid to the Lenape people was not considered by either side as the primary purpose of the transaction.

Many historians believe that the Lenape lived on Long Island (actually today’s Brooklyn) and not Manhattan at all. Manhattan Island at the time was an unsettled hunting ground that was used by several tribes, and was simply a route used to move from the mainland to Long Island. Like most Native American tribes, the idea of “owning” any natural environment was ridiculous. The land, the trees, and the water were given to them by the spirits to support life; it could not be the property of any man or tribe. The right to use these things belonged to all. The European concept of ownership was quite different. Yet neither party returned home feeling that they had been deceived.

Why then, was the apparent barter of artifacts for land consummated? The basic theory is that both sides received far more than what was reported in Peter Schaghen’s letter. The Lenape received two intangible advantages. First, they received from the Dutch technology which was more advanced than what they had. This probably took the form of metal axes, hoes, shovels, and iron cooking ware that made their lives easier and more productive. Second, they formed a military alliance with the Europeans that strengthened their defensive position with competing tribes.

The Dutch received the assurance of expanded trade with the native peoples, which was the purpose of their future little settlement of New Amsterdam at the tip of Manhattan anyway. They were fur traders and access to hunting and trapping grounds, not to mention barter with the Indians for furs, was the primary reason the Dutch West India Company was even there. It was a win-win proposition for both parties - “the art of the deal.” The $24 in trinkets and beads could be considered just a finder’s fee.

So, how did this deal work out in the long run? The Lenape are gone. The Dutch are gone. Manhattan is part of the United States. In 2006, the estimated value of property on Manhattan Island was $802.4 billion. That equates to $2.08 billion for every year since 1626; $56.9 million for every day or $2.37 million every hour (for all 3,381,360 hours since Peter Minuit made the trade). Donald Trump would be envious.

OPPORTUNITY ONLY DANCES WITH THOSE WHO ACTUALLY TAKE TO THE DANCE FLOOR

Dance is art; dance is culture. American dance styles of the late 20^th Century reflected the times in which we were living. There was a mixing of cultures on the dance floor, in the clubs, and even in the aisles of movie theaters. Today, we are taking a look at just a few of the dances that most of us at least attempted to perform . . . once upon a time.

SOLO DANCES (Partners are optional; showmanship is rewarded)

THE LIMBO (1956) - From Trinidad; you bend backwards and walk underneath a bar without touching it. Yes, it is considered a dance. (Inspiration: The film “Where the Boys Are.”)

BREAK DANCING (1980) - Created in NYC, break dancing is a collection of rhythmic moves that are largely improvisational. It was in response to early rap music.

THE RUNNING MAN (1982) - Basically running in place. The dancer slide steps with the feet rapidly moving back and forth while swinging the arms. (Inspiration: M C Hammer)

THE ROBOT (1983) - A dance that imitates the movement of a robot; it isolates different parts of the body that freeze or lock, then reactivate.

PARTNER DANCES (The customary dances; but some may take courage)

THE MASHED POTATO (1962) - Similar to the Twist; dancers move their feet in and out, and back and forth. (Inspiration: Dee Dee Sharpe’s “Mashed Potato Time” and James Brown’s “Do the Mashed Potato”).

THE FRUG, pronounced “Froog” (1964) - Dancers make lateral movements rather than moving their hips. Basically the Twist with more arm movement, and while standing still. This style was a precursor to the Monkey and the Swim.

THE JERK (1966) - It was similar to the Monkey, but with finger snapping.

THE BUMP (1972) - Just what it sounds like; bumping hips to the beat of the music.

THE LAMBADA (1989) - a.k.a. The Forbidden Dance, it’s a fast and sensual Brazilian dance. (Inspiration: the film “The Lambada”)

GROUP DANCES AND LINE DANCES (Great after a few drinks)

BUNNY HOP (1952) - Created in San Francisco; you stand in a line holding the hips of the person in front of you and hop forward and backward.

THE HULLY GULLY (1964) - A line dance where an MC calls out various dance moves while the music speeds up. (Inspiration: The Groups the Olympics and The Marathons)

THE HUSTLE (1971) - Either a line dance or a partner dance; it’s based on the mambo and originated in the Hispanic NYC. It involves walking side to side and back and forth (mass exposure through the film “Saturday Night Fever”)

THRILLER DANCE (1984) - Pop culture’s biggest group dance number still being performed today. It was also one of the first grand music videos. (Inspiration: Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video)

ANIMAL DANCES (Duplicating animal motions; named appropriately)

THE PONY (1961) - Dancers hop from side to side in a galloping motion. (Inspiration: Chubby Checkers’ “Pony Time”)

THE CHICKEN / THE FUNKY CHICKEN (about 1960) - A variation of the Twist; dancers put their hands on their hips and swing their arms back and forth like, well, chickens.

THE MONKEY (1963) - Dancers move their arms up and down in front of their bodies rapidly while twisting their hips. (Inspiration: Major Lance’s “Monkey Time” and the Miracles’ “Mickey’s Monkey”)

FREE-FORM DANCES (Dances with few steps; they allow a lot of creativity)

THE TWIST (1960) - Within a year of the song’s recording, all generations were doing it. Dancers twist from side to side; feet may or may not move their feet. (Inspiration: Chubby Checkers, who got his name from Dick Clark).

THE SWIM (1961) - With limited movement of the legs, dancers’ arms imitate swimming strokes. (Inspiration: Bobby Freeman’s “C’mon and Swim”)

THE WATUSI (1967) - Ultimately you can do whatever twisting and turning you want to do. (Inspiration: The Orlons’ “The Wah-Watusi”)

DISCO (1970’s) - Disco includes both music and dance. Dancers move to a thumping beat and dance closer to each other than styles of the 1960’s. Synthesized music is common. The “hustle” and “bump” are off shoots of disco.

VOGUE (1993) - This is a throwback to the 1930’s. “Voguing” is a dance style incorporating model-like poses and using rigid body movements. (Inspiration: Madonna’s “Vogue” video)

FAD DANCES (numerous, short-lived, but ever present)

THE FREDDIE (1964) - Standing in place, lift your left leg and left arm together, then alternate to the right side. (Inspiration: Freddie and the Dreamers’ “I’m Telling You Now”)

THE TIME WARP (1975) - A parody of earlier styles, it became an accepted dance on its own. Frequent audience participation. (Inspiration: the film “Rocky Horror Picture Show”)

WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN (1986) - A fad dance where dancers pose similar to the poses on ancient Egyptian reliefs. (Inspiration: The song by the Bangles and Steve Martin comedy routines)

DANCES FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN’T DANCE

(Dances for the rest of us)

Y.M.C.A. (1979) - It’s a dance where you put your hands in the air and form the letters y, m, c, and a along with the chorus of the song “Y.M.C.A.” by the Village People. No need to use your feet. Strong on audience participation.

THE MACARENA (1996) - This is a “dance” where all the action is done with the arms. An old flamenco melody. (Inspiration: the 1995 Bayside Boys’ song “Macarena”)

How many of these dances do you remember? Can you tell us about some others? How many did you do?