From the Cambridge Dictionary - - go-go dancer. noun. (also go-go girl) - a dancer who performs in places such as bars, dancing energetically to modern music with a strong beat, often in a sexually exciting manner and while wearing very little clothing.
From the Random House Dictionary - - go-go - of or pertaining to the music and dancing performed at discotheques or nightclubs.
From The Free Dictionary.com - "A go-go dancer is a female erotic dancer who is scantily-clad and usually wears "go-go boots". It comes from the French a go-go, meaning galore or aplenty. Go Go dancers often dance on stages in an erotic revue, on elevated platforms or in bird cages above the crowd in clubs, bars or discotheques, to set the tone or increase the energy of a dance floor."
"Go-Go is also a form of funk music which arose in the 1980's in Washington D.C. In the late 1970's funk had gone electronic, influenced by then popular disco acts, and began using drum machines, synthesizers and other instruments that many purists derided. Go-Go arose as an alternative that stuck to the James Brown inspired roots of funk, with the psychedelic rock influences of George Clinton."
1960s GO-GO - HYBRID STYLE
My friends and I saw the first 60s go-go resurrection again in the late 70s and early 80s with the mod revival although some remnants of my own dancing in little go-go dresses during the late 1960s happily come to my mind. It was young-set, fashion-stakes go-go then with striking girls who were fully clothed. The girls of the mod revival knew how to dance and put together a fetching costume. Ruth and Ollie up in their cages at Kingston Rock dancing with Davy Jones and Peter Tork from The Monkees in their black sleeveless turtleneck tops and slim-fit (possiblly ski pants)trousers slid into the top of their original short white go-go boots. You could very well have mistaken any of the go-go girls at the time for the real-deal. They were also 60s enthusiasts who lived and breathed the 60s and never messed with originality. They weren't just 'weekend go-go girls' either. Sixties shows back in the 80s were so much different to what they are now especially when we had such establishments as The Sixties Appreciation Society filled with purists and baby-boomers. We were so lucky. Back then it was a slender well-fitted modish or Swinging London looking go-go dancer who hit the stage whereas, bar a few troupes today like The Actionettes whose costume sense is very good, it is the more sexual, chunkier, seedy 60s club style go-go dancer that has re-emerged.
Sixties style go-go has made a come back in recent years (now known as hybrid go-go) but the atmosphere and accuracy of old have gone. Its reproduction today sees it being taught by young, un-trained teachers with class material sourced from old movies and You Tube. The classes are advertised as 1960s go-go however consist of some original moves mixed with those the teacher has invented and at times is danced and choreographed to music outside of the 60s. Hence the term hybrid.
Dance classes tend to be tied in with the burlesque fad and a constant reference to drinking cocktails? The early, pretty frump or stylish girl-next-door television image of a go-go dancer is now well and truly dead. Pop on to You Tube and you'll find that today's go-go image is based more on the Russ Meyer type of girl who is too large up top, has tattoos and bad dancing that doesn't flow. The interest lies more in bare skin and what's hanging out than in how skilled you are at dancing. And why don't we see trousers on 1960s go-go dancers anymore?
Like the moves, the original, classic, short, flat heeled white go-go dancing boot created by Andres Courrege has disappeared. Today's dancers wear a 1970s style knee-high, white, chunky heeled, clobber hopper boot (commonly known as kinky boots because they are often worn by the erotic dancers) as the symbolism of their costume. Boot length should correlate to dress/skirt length. The longer the dress, the shorter the boot. But boots weren't the only go-go footwear. As the 60s progressed and fashion changed, flat shoes and even bare feet became the favoured footwear. Although at times an occupational hazard.
The go-go style over the past 10 or so years seems to have spat up a 21st Century Frankenstein of a go-go girl with over-teased hair, bob or flip wigs, 1950s Betty Paige replicas in fringed corsets, monster looking eye make up and arm lengths of sailor style tattoos (which reminds me of the circus lady). When people are mixing original go-go with everything from the 1950s to Yoga to Goth and Bollywood and advertising it as authentic 1960s go-go, you have to accept that the original go-go dancer really did wave good-bye forever with the previous century.
It's much easier today to get a gig as a go-go dancer than it was back in the 60s. Forty or so years ago, proprietors of clubs like the Whisky A Go-Go in Kings Cross were surprisingly very strict on hiring go-go dancers. You had to have the right look, give the impression of respectability and have a physical audition to see if you could really dance. Those sorts of restrictions on dancers ensured good publicity, crowds and dancer call-backs. Today it's open to anybody talented or not.
She has choreographed go-go routines for others, instructed classes, demonstrated for primary schools and corresponded with other authentic 60s go-go dancers around the world. She receives requests for information on go-go dances and the hairstyles and fashion of the 1960's go-go dancer from school teachers, dance teachers, students, both the elderly and very young, 60's fanatics, dance fanatics, playwrights, bands and baby boomers.
Little Miss Go-Go! danced regularly with Melbourne ska band, The Ska Vendors where she introduced the audiences to the early 1960's Jamaican dance moves known as The Ska and the later style of The Rocksteady and was an original Soul-a-Go-Go dancer for PBS-FM radio. Due to her longevity and professional training she is sought for dance shows and classes and has been approached for choreography and teaching work. Today, she rarely accepts show offers and is happy to be in charge of her own projects.
The movie was later remade with John Travolta and Billy Crystal.
The stage musical played in the USA and was due to play in Australia in 2005 but didn't reach Melbourne until 2010.
From the 1950's she'll show you her versions of the Bunny Hop, Conga, Hand Jive, Madison, Stroll and Swing.
From the 1960's you'll learn Christy's versions of The Egyptian, Jerk, Locomotion, Mashed Potato, Monkey, Pony, Shimmy, Skate, Swim, Temptation Walk and Twist. (40 minutes)
Arthur Murray Dance Schools - The Arthur Murray Dance School was established in 1912 and still operates today. It has chapters worldwide including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Europe, Jordan, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Puerto Rico, South Africa and the USA. Arthur Murray retired in 1964.
