I’ve been thinking about the two dances I learned while away at school at South Carolina State University. I learned the finger wag and I remember utilizing it at the parties.
The other joint, now that I recall, came to be after listening to some Go-Go. It was about two years later. Me and my friends from South Carolina State University would always do what we called the “Orangatang Clyde” whenever we were playing some Go-Go music. I called it that because that’s what it looked like to me with our hands all waving wildly above our heads, clapping.
It took me some time to start dancing to some Go-Go. That was the camaraderie we often showed amongst us when we all converged somewhere, like at the parties. “You didn’t see them roughing off everybody at the party!” That was our giveback dance!
One of our native D.C. dances was brought to us by The Junkyard Band. It’s my hometown flavor. Their other original dance to Go-Go music was the heehaw!
