To 'Skank' is a specific way of dancing to ska music which previously was referred to as "Rootsman skank","S-90 Skank" or the "Backy Skank". It also refers to the offbeat rhythm groove played by the guitar or keyboard. As ska music developed into different styles over the years, so to have the dance steps developed.
The Basic Jamaican Ska Step (1st Wave)
The classic, and original ska dance was first demostrated to audiences by Ronnie Nasralla and Jannette Phillips at The Worlds Fair 1964 in New York and was simply called the 'the Ska'. These pictures show three of the original ska moves and are provided courtesy of 'Ska Trek' A Brisbane Ska radio Show on 4ZZZ FM.
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The Ska
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Rowing Across
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Ska Riding
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These dance moves
demonstrated by Ronnie and Janette were somewhat watered down for the general
public. The Jamaican rude boys adopted a more menacing stance when dancing
to ska. This led to the 'Skinhead Stomp' type of skanking that was popular
around the time of early reggae. The stomp is when you lift your boots off
the ground and start slamming down against the floor. Good to do to tunes
such as Symarips 'Skinhead Moonstomp' naturally!
Two Tone Skank (2nd wave)
The
classic 80s skank that is probably the most popular ska move cause it's easy
to do. Move your arms back and forward as if your running and add a kick with
alternate feet. Check out LINK for some cool animations. Cathal (Chas Smash)
from Madness, took his skanking 'One Step Beyond'. Cathal's father was an
Irish dancing champion and some of this influene can be seen in these moves.
Third Wave (current)
Although the Two tone skank is still very popular today some of the more Ska-core fans favour a moshpit type of dancing, which is quite removed from the original Jamaican Skank. Another current move involves just running on the spot as fast as you can?? (Woo hoo...... enjoy yourself!!!)
