Chicken Dance
Encyclopedia
The "Chicken Dance" is an oom-pah
song and its associated fad dance is now a contemporary American folk dance. The song was composed by accordion
(Handharmonika) player Werner Thomas
from Davos
, Switzerland
, in the 1950s.
This is not the same dance as "The Chicken", which was popular in American rhythm and blues
in the 1950s, in which the dancers flapped their arms and kicked back their feet in an imitation of a chicken.
The name of the original Swiss song was "Der Ententanz" (The Duck Dance). Sometime in the late 1970s, the song acquired the name "Vogeltanz" (The Bird Dance) or "Vogerltanz" (Little Bird Dance or Birdie Dance), although these names never caught on seriously in Germany. On some sheet music and recordings it is called "Dance Little Bird." It appears that no one in Germany uses the term "Kükentanz" (Küken means chick). Since 1963 Werner Thomas had played it in restaurants and hotels. During one of Thomas' performances, Belgian producer Louis van Rijmenant heard the song. Van Rijmenant had some lyrics created and in 1970 released it to the public, without much success. However, on subsequent releases of the song, Van Rijmenant was listed as co-author under the pen name of Terry Rendall.
In 1980, Dutch local band "De Electronica's" released an instrumental version called "De Vogeltjesdans" ("The dance of the little birds") as the B-side of a single. The A-side wasn't a hit, but local radio stations in the south and east of the Netherlands decided to flip the disc and started playing "De Vogeltjesdans". The record entered the Dutch charts and stayed there for over seven months, and started the international success of the song. On some recorded releases of the music Werner Thomas is listed as the sole composer, while on others other authors are listed, e.g., as "Thomas/Rendall/Hoes", the last name referring to Dutch singer/producer Johnny Hoes, who re-arranged the song for the Electronicas recording (which was released on Hoes' own record label, Telstar Records). He also wrote new Dutch lyrics for the song, although the Electronicas version is an instrumental one (Hoes himself recorded the vocal version, but that did not become a hit).
Since then the song has become known under numerous other "birdie" names, including "Vogerltanz" (Bird Dance), "Danse des Canards", "Baile de los Pajaritos," "Chicken Dance," and "Dance Little Bird". Over 140 versions of it are recorded worldwide, including Walt Disney Records
, together making over 40,000,000 records.
The dance was introduced in the United States in 1981 during the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Oktoberfest by the Heilbronn Band from Germany. They wanted to demonstrate the dance in costume, but there were no duck costumes available anywhere near Tulsa. At a local television station, however, a chicken costume was available which was donated for use at the festival, giving the "Chicken Dance" its name.
In the Hispanic
realm around this time, "Pajaritos a bailar," a localized version of the song, was popularized by acordeonista Maria Jesús in several television appearances. The dance and song was originally brought from Germany to the US by Eddie Duling and Larry Karhoff of Glandorf Ohio in 1974. They gave a copy of the song to the local radio station and history was made.
Despite other claims as to the name "Chicken Dance", the name had come about because an Austrian tour guide translated "Bird Dance / Dance Little Bird" and other similar names, from German to English by calling it "The Chicken Dance" when Norm Edlebeck's Band appeared in Austria in the fall of 1981. Edlebeck recorded it on the "End of The Trail" record label and used his nickname "Whoopee" as the artist. It was introduced to the United States In April 1982 on the Nationwide Television Show "P M Magazine" produced by "Group W Productions" of San Francisco as "The Chicken Dance" and featured Wisconsin Orchestra Leader Norm Edlebeck playing it on a $25K Electronic Organ and presented in a "Blue Grass" rendition. "Group W Productions" repeated the segment again nationwide on August 9, 1983 and included Edlebeck's picture in their weekly ad slick sent to every station in their network for publication in TV Guide
. Group W titled the segment the "World's Stupidest Dance".
The LP "Bird Dance" sold millions of copies in the first year. It has become a standard request at weddings and family gatherings. Contrary to some misconceptions, it is not an Austrian folk dance
, although it was presented as one in the Austrian film Das Fest des Huhnes
. In the United States, the publishing rights for the song were acquired by a New York
publisher Stanley Mills. In Denmark
, a version of this song is used by the brewery Tuborg in their commercials for their "Easter Brew" ("Påskebryg" in Danish).
as an instrumental novelty tune
"The Birdie Song" by The Tweets. It reached number two in the singles chart in October 1981, selling over 1.6 million in the UK alone, making it the most popular version. In 2000, this version was voted "the most annoying song of all time" in a poll commissioned for the website dotmusic
. The song is often sung with lyrics with a little bit of this and a little bit of that and shake your bum to the tune.
requiring a group of people
, and it goes as follows:
on September 20, 2004, rock
musician Vince Neil
served as the Grand Marshall of the World's Largest Chicken Dance. The U.S. cable television channel VH1
, in its compilation of the 40 Least Metal Moments panned this performance as the single least metal moment in Heavy Metal history.
The Chicken Dance is featured in Judson Laipply
's Evolution of Dance.
Simon Tedeschi
on Micallef Tonight
.
On November 13, 2009, CIHT-FM
played the Chicken Dance continuously until 389 Tickets for the CHEO Dream of a Lifetime were purchased at $100 each, to support the Childrens Hospital of Eastern Ontario. This played for over 3 hours.
In a fund raiser for Helen DeVos Children's Hospital
, an attempt at the world's largest chicken dance record was held at Byron Center, Michigan
on 23 April 2010, at Jake's restaurant, the site of a giant plastic chicken sculpture.
On September 13, 2010, two Swedes set out on a Chicken Dance Tour across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
, Bébé Lilly
, Pigloo
, Crazy Frog
, Gummy Bear
and others.
On January 2012.
. A "chicken dance" is the result of a crash breaking all means to shutdown a running nitro engine
, leaving the body of the helicopter flopping around wildly in a circle, driven by the spinning rotorhead. Usually a chicken dance ends with the model's engine getting destroyed by foreign object damage
.
The song itself has also been used for the flash animation "Madness Combat".
Oom-pah
Oom-pah, Oompah or Umpapa is the rhythmical sound of a deep brass instrument in a band, a form of background ostinato.The oom-pah sound is usually made by the tuba alternating between the root of the chord and the 5th — this sound is said to be the oom...
song and its associated fad dance is now a contemporary American folk dance. The song was composed by accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
(Handharmonika) player Werner Thomas
Werner Thomas
Werner Thomas is an accordionist from Switzerland credited with composing a tune popularly known as the "Chicken Dance" or the "Birdie Song" while working as a restaurant musician in Davos during the early 1960s.-External links:* *...
from Davos
Davos
Davos is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of 11,248 . Davos is located on the Landwasser River, in the Swiss Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, in the 1950s.
This is not the same dance as "The Chicken", which was popular in American rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
in the 1950s, in which the dancers flapped their arms and kicked back their feet in an imitation of a chicken.
History
In 1980, Dutch local band "De Electronica's" released an instrumental version called "De Vogeltjesdans" ("The dance of the little birds") as the B-side of a single. The A-side wasn't a hit, but local radio stations in the south and east of the Netherlands decided to flip the disc and started playing "De Vogeltjesdans". The record entered the Dutch charts and stayed there for over seven months, and started the international success of the song. On some recorded releases of the music Werner Thomas is listed as the sole composer, while on others other authors are listed, e.g., as "Thomas/Rendall/Hoes", the last name referring to Dutch singer/producer Johnny Hoes, who re-arranged the song for the Electronicas recording (which was released on Hoes' own record label, Telstar Records). He also wrote new Dutch lyrics for the song, although the Electronicas version is an instrumental one (Hoes himself recorded the vocal version, but that did not become a hit).
Walt Disney Records
Walt Disney Records is a family music record label owned by the Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Records was formed in 1956 as Disneyland Records. Before that time, Disney recordings were licensed out to a variety of other labels such as . It was Walt Disney’s brother Roy O...
, together making over 40,000,000 records.
The dance was introduced in the United States in 1981 during the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Oktoberfest by the Heilbronn Band from Germany. They wanted to demonstrate the dance in costume, but there were no duck costumes available anywhere near Tulsa. At a local television station, however, a chicken costume was available which was donated for use at the festival, giving the "Chicken Dance" its name.
In the Hispanic
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
realm around this time, "Pajaritos a bailar," a localized version of the song, was popularized by acordeonista Maria Jesús in several television appearances. The dance and song was originally brought from Germany to the US by Eddie Duling and Larry Karhoff of Glandorf Ohio in 1974. They gave a copy of the song to the local radio station and history was made.
Despite other claims as to the name "Chicken Dance", the name had come about because an Austrian tour guide translated "Bird Dance / Dance Little Bird" and other similar names, from German to English by calling it "The Chicken Dance" when Norm Edlebeck's Band appeared in Austria in the fall of 1981. Edlebeck recorded it on the "End of The Trail" record label and used his nickname "Whoopee" as the artist. It was introduced to the United States In April 1982 on the Nationwide Television Show "P M Magazine" produced by "Group W Productions" of San Francisco as "The Chicken Dance" and featured Wisconsin Orchestra Leader Norm Edlebeck playing it on a $25K Electronic Organ and presented in a "Blue Grass" rendition. "Group W Productions" repeated the segment again nationwide on August 9, 1983 and included Edlebeck's picture in their weekly ad slick sent to every station in their network for publication in TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
. Group W titled the segment the "World's Stupidest Dance".
The LP "Bird Dance" sold millions of copies in the first year. It has become a standard request at weddings and family gatherings. Contrary to some misconceptions, it is not an Austrian folk dance
Austrian folk dance
Austrian folk dancing is mostly associated with Schuhplattler, Ländler, Polkaor Waltz. However, there are other dances such as Zwiefacher, Kontratänze and Sprachinseltänze.-Types of dance:...
, although it was presented as one in the Austrian film Das Fest des Huhnes
Das Fest des Huhnes
Das Fest des Huhnes is a 1992 Austrian film, directed by Walter Wippersberg. It is a production of the ORF local studio in Oberösterreich, for the series "Kunst-Stücke" .-Plot:...
. In the United States, the publishing rights for the song were acquired by a New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
publisher Stanley Mills. In Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, a version of this song is used by the brewery Tuborg in their commercials for their "Easter Brew" ("Påskebryg" in Danish).
Chart success
In 1981 Henry Hadaway produced a version of the "Chicken Dance" which was released in BritainUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as an instrumental novelty tune
Novelty song
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
"The Birdie Song" by The Tweets. It reached number two in the singles chart in October 1981, selling over 1.6 million in the UK alone, making it the most popular version. In 2000, this version was voted "the most annoying song of all time" in a poll commissioned for the website dotmusic
Dotmusic
Dotmusic was a music website that existed as a standalone website from June 1995 to December 2003. Initially intended as the web complement to the UK music industry trade magazine Music Week, the site was relaunched in December 1998 as a website for music fans.In addition to music news, reviews,...
. The song is often sung with lyrics with a little bit of this and a little bit of that and shake your bum to the tune.
Dance steps
The "Chicken Dance" song is accompanied by a danceDance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
requiring a group of people
Group dance
Group dances are danced by groups of people simultaneously, as opposed to individuals dancing alone or individually, and as opposed to couples dancing together but independently of others dancing at the same time, if any....
, and it goes as follows:
- At the start of the music, shape a chicken beak with your hands. Open and close them four times, during the first four beats of the music.
- Make chicken wings with your arms. Flap your wings four times, during the next four beats of the music.
- Make a chicken's tail feathers with your arms and hands. Wiggle downwards during the next four beats of the music.
- Clap four times during the next four beats of the music while rising to your feet.
- Repeat this process four times.
- At the bridge, hold your arms straight, in imitation of an aeroplane. All dancers spin around the room in "flight" until the bridge ends.
- (Alternately: At the bridge, link arms with the nearest personDosadoDosado or Dos-a-dos or do-si-do is a basic dance step in such dances as square dance, contra dance, polka, various historical dances, and some reels....
, turn right eight steps, switch arms and turn left eight steps, then repeat until the bridge ends) - (Alternatively: Assume close position with partner and polka until bridge ends.)
- The dance repeats, progressively getting faster and faster, until the music stops.
This song in other languages
- Brazilian Portuguese: Baile dos Passarinhos
- Bulgarian: Патешкият танц (Pateshkiyat Tants)
- Czech: Ptačí tanec (kuřátka)
- Dutch: De Vogeltjesdans
- Estonian: Tibutants
- Finnish: Tiputanssi
- French: La danse des canards
- German: Ententanz, Vogerltanz
- cover version: Ja, wenn wir alle Englein wären ("Yes, if we were all little angels", 1981, Fred Sonnenschein und seine Freunde aka Frank Zander)
- cover version: Gib mir bitte einen Kuß ("Give me a kiss please", 1981, Helga FeddersenHelga FeddersenHelga Feddersen was a popular German actress, comedienne, singer, author, and theater director....
)
- Greek: Τα παπάκια (the ducklings)
- Hebrew: ריקוד הציפורים (Rikud HaTziporim) - The Bird Dance
- Hungarian: Kacsatánc (Release after the Spanish version)
- Icelandic: Fugladansinn
- Italian: Il ballo del qua qua (Romina PowerRomina PowerRomina Francesca Power is an American-born singer and actress.-Biography:Born in Los Angeles, California, Romina Power is the eldest daughter of American actor Tyrone Power and his second wife, actress Linda Christian....
, 1981) - Japanese: 可笑しい鳥 (Okashii Tori - "The Crazy Bird")
- Korean: 모두가 천사라면 (Moduga cheonsaramyeon - If Everybody Were Angels)
- Lithuanian: Ančiukų šokis (Duckling Dance)
- Norwegian: Fugledansen
- Portuguese: Passarinhos a bailar
- Polish: Kaczuszki, Kaczuchy (Duckies)
- Romanian: Gaina (The hen)
- Russian: Танец маленьких утят (Tanets Malenkih Utyat) - "Little Ducklings Dance"
- Slovak: Kačací tanec / Vrabčák (Duck Dance / Cock-sparow 'er)
- Slovene: Račke (Ducks)
- Spanish: Pajaritos a bailar / El baile de los pajaritos / Pajaritos a volar
- Y el mundo a bailar. (And the whole world dancing.)
- Swedish: Fågeldansen ("The Bird Dance", although sometimes called "Kycklingdansen" - "The Chicken Dance". The English title "Chicken Dance" is also sometimes used.)
- In 1981 in the UK, known as "The Birdie Dance", performed to a song called "The Birdie Song", performed by "The Tweets".
- The tune for the birdie song may have been influenced by the first theme in the third movement of William AlwynWilliam AlwynWilliam Alwyn, CBE, born William Alwyn Smith was an English composer, conductor, and music teacher.-Life and music:...
's Concerto Grosso No.1 in B flat major of 1943.
Notable performances
At the Cincinnati OktoberfestOktoberfest
Oktoberfest, or Wiesn, is a 16–18 day beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The...
on September 20, 2004, rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
musician Vince Neil
Vince Neil
Vincent Neil Wharton is an American vocalist and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe.-Early life:Neil was born in Hollywood, California to Odie and Shirley Wharton...
served as the Grand Marshall of the World's Largest Chicken Dance. The U.S. cable television channel VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, in its compilation of the 40 Least Metal Moments panned this performance as the single least metal moment in Heavy Metal history.
The Chicken Dance is featured in Judson Laipply
Judson Laipply
Judson Laipply is an American motivational speaker and dancer from Bucyrus, Ohio. He is best known for his performance in the Evolution of Dance viral video clip. He has worked as a public speaker since 2000.-The Evolution of Dance:...
's Evolution of Dance.
Simon Tedeschi
Simon Tedeschi
Simon Tedeschi is a Boston-based classical pianist from Australia.-Life and career:Simon Tedeschi was born in Sydney to Mark Tedeschi QC, the New South Wales Crown Prosecutor and a prominent photographer and Vivienne Tedeschi, who is the daughter of a Polish Holocaust survivor, Lucy Gershwin,...
on Micallef Tonight
Micallef Tonight
Micallef Tonight is a short-lived Aria Award–winning Australian variety show that aired on the Nine Network in 2003. It was hosted by comedian Shaun Micallef and also featured the talents of Francis Greenslade, Jason Geary, Livinia Nixon and Pete Smith....
.
On November 13, 2009, CIHT-FM
CIHT-FM
CIHT-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts a CHR format at 89.9 on the FM dial in Ottawa, Ontario under the branding Hot 89.9 The station is owned and operated by Newcap Broadcasting....
played the Chicken Dance continuously until 389 Tickets for the CHEO Dream of a Lifetime were purchased at $100 each, to support the Childrens Hospital of Eastern Ontario. This played for over 3 hours.
In a fund raiser for Helen DeVos Children's Hospital
Helen DeVos Children's Hospital
Helen DeVos Children's Hospital is a pediatric hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan and a division of Spectrum Health. It is named for Helen DeVos, wife of Amway founder Richard DeVos, a major donor.-Awards and recognition:...
, an attempt at the world's largest chicken dance record was held at Byron Center, Michigan
Byron Center, Michigan
Byron Center is an unincorporated community in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan It is a census-designated place used for statistical purposes. The population was 3,777 at the 2000 census....
on 23 April 2010, at Jake's restaurant, the site of a giant plastic chicken sculpture.
On September 13, 2010, two Swedes set out on a Chicken Dance Tour across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Return and collaboration in 2012
With René la TaupeRené la Taupe
René la taupe is a virtual singing character created in 2009 by Fox Mobile Group studios. The character, which is in fact a groundhog, was made famous through a music for mobile phone and a music video available on the Internet...
, Bébé Lilly
Bébé Lilly
Bébé Lilly is an animated baby girl singer in France. She has released thirteen singles, mainly in French, but several have also been recorded in other languages. She also has four albums and a DVD...
, Pigloo
Pigloo
Pigloo is a baby penguin and the main character of a Franco-German bubblegum dance musical project. The project's first and most successful single came in 2006: "Papa Pingouin," a cover of a song performed in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1980. Pigloo is most popular in France.-Biography:An...
, Crazy Frog
Crazy Frog
Crazy Frog, originally known as Adam King, is a computer-animated character created in 2003 by Erik Wernquist. Marketed by the ringtone provider Jamba!, the animation was originally created to accompany a sound effect produced by Daniel Malmedahl in 1997 while attempting to imitate the sound of a...
, Gummy Bear
Gummibär
Gummibär is a meme character who sings the Gummy bear-related series of songs on various albums I Am Your Gummy Bear and La La Love to Dance and most famous for the song and video for "I Am Your Gummy Bear "....
and others.
On January 2012.
Other uses
The term also refers humorously to a particular kind of accident with a radio-controlled helicopterRadio-controlled helicopter
Radio-controlled helicopters are model aircraft which are distinct from RC airplanes because of the differences in construction, aerodynamics, and flight training...
. A "chicken dance" is the result of a crash breaking all means to shutdown a running nitro engine
Nitro engine
A nitro engine generally refers to an engine powered with a fuel that contains some portion of nitromethane mixed with methanol. Nitromethane is highly combustible substance that is generally only used in very specifically designed or modified engines.Nitro engines used for R/C models are highly...
, leaving the body of the helicopter flopping around wildly in a circle, driven by the spinning rotorhead. Usually a chicken dance ends with the model's engine getting destroyed by foreign object damage
Foreign object damage
Foreign Object Debris is a substance, debris or article alien to a vehicle or system which would potentially cause damage.Foreign Object Damage is any damage attributed to a foreign object that can be expressed in physical or economic terms that may or may not degrade the product's required...
.
The song itself has also been used for the flash animation "Madness Combat".