Turkey Trot -Popular Dances For Wedding and Social dance

 Turkey Trot -Popular Dances For Wedding and Social dance

Wild on Littleton Block Party

The Turkey Trot was a dance from California in the early 1900’s. It was one of the Barnyard dances, along with the Bunny Hug, the Grizzly and the Foxtrot. It was banned by the Vatican, and people were fired for doing the Turkey Trot during lunch. Verne and Irene Castle even danced the turkey trot in the Sunshine girl. It was danced to fast ragtime music. The Turkey trot is danced with bouncing or hopping steps and sideways kicks, encouraging the flapping of the arms like a turkey.

How to Dance the Turkey Trot-
Basic Step:
Gentlemen step forward with your weight toward the balls of your feet, commencing with your left foot for 8 steps forward flapping your elbows.
Ladies with your weight toward the balls of your feet and flapping your elbows follow the gentleman starting with your right foot for 8 steps backward.

Charleston variation:
Gentlemen step forward left foot, kick right foot, step back right foot, kick left foot back. Repeat
Ladies step back step back right foot, kick left foot back step forward left foot, kick right foot. Repeat

Turkey hop:
Gentlemen hop to left foot, kick Right foot side bounce, hop to right foot kick left foot side bounce, repeat.
Ladies hop to right foot kick left foot side bounce, hop to left foot, kick Right foot side bounce, repeat

Promenade:
Gentlemen left foot side in promenade position, right foot forward and across in promenade position, left foot side stick your bum out, right foot closes to left foot, bum in.
Ladies right foot side in promenade position, left foot forward and across in promenade position, right foot side stick your bum out, left foot closes to left foot, bum in.

The Turkey Trot video transcription:

Hi this is Holly from Adventures in Dance. We are going to take a dance adventure back in time to the early 1900’s for the Turkey Trot, originating in San Francisco California. It was one of the Barnyard or Animal dances that was so scandalous that people lost their jobs when they were caught Turkey Trotting at lunch. So let’s go learn a little about the Turkey Trot today.

Ok Turkey Trotters, let’s take a trot down memory lane with a nice little bouncy action dance. You can get your elbows into the act and it will look like this.

Craig will demonstrate the man’s gentleman’s part, and I will do the lady’s part. We are going to with eight steps forward, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. Then we have a Charleston action 1,2,3,4, we are going to do that again, 5,6,7,8. Then we are going to do some hop kicks, hop kick, 2,3,4 and again. And then we are ready for a promenade. Walk, across, side with our bottoms out like a Turkey with your wings flapping and close. Once again, walk, across, out, together and that is how you Turkey Trot. Now we will dance it.
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