The Mule was a

dance fad Novelty and fad dances are dances which are typically characterized by a short burst of popularity. Some of them, like the Twist, Y.M.C.A. and the Hokey Pokey, have shown much longer-lasting lives. They are also called dance fads or dance craze ...

created in 1965 by famed dance instructor

Killer Joe Piro Frank "Killer Joe" Piro (2 March 1921 – 5 February 1989) was a dance instructor to upper class, high society who popularized steps of the discotheque era of the 1960s and 1970s. Early life Piro was born in East Harlem, the son of an Italian ...

based on the earlier "Mule Walk" which was popular in the 1910s.

The Mule Walk

The dominant step of the "mule" is from the "Mule Walk," inspired by the

James P. Johnson James Price Johnson (February 1, 1894 – November 17, 1955) was an American pianist and composer. A pioneer of stride piano, he was one of the most important pianists in the early era of recording, and like Jelly Roll Morton, one of the key ...

song of the same title. The dance was popular in the 1910s. The song is in a stride style of music, which is similar to ragtime. Johnson is said to have composed it based on a number of country and

square dance A square dance is a dance for four couples, or eight dancers in total, arranged in a square, with one couple on each side, facing the middle of the square. Square dances contain elements from numerous traditional dances and were first documente ...

s he was doing while working at The

Jungles Casino A jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past recent century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''ja� ...

around 1913, he later published it in 1938.

How to do the "Mule Walk"

1) Start by standing straight and feet a few inches apart, facing your partner. 2) Lift your right hand high over head, Elbows slightly bent, palms facing forward towards your partner. Lift the right knee forward and bent, about hip height and as you bring the right arm down alongside it with the chest also coming forward. The movement should be vigorous and strongly accented like the 2nd count of the Jerk. 3) Foot comes down, body straightens as left hand is raised overhead. 4) Repeat step 2 with the left arm and foot.

The Mule

In 1965, Smirnoff Vodka hired

to create a new dance called the Mule for their new drink of the same name (vodka with a 7-Up mixer), and to release an album of music by Skitch Henderson that included a track with the same name (''Skitch Plays The Mule'', Mainstream Records - KP-326). However, the track didn't include calls to help people dance the mule. Instead, the singers tell you how to fix yourself the drink. Piro and his partner also appear in an advertisement for the drink. As for the dance itself, the Mule Walk was usually done at the beginning, partners facing each other and most of the patterns of the dance were based on the Mule Walk. Once the person learned the basic step the rest was said to be easy.StreetSwing's Dance History Archives - The Mule / Mule Walk - Main1
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How to do the Mule

One must practice the Mule Walk above well before advancing onto the Mule. Get into that straightening and bending groove when lifting the legs/knees with its strong accents. These accents lamely portray a mule walking. To make the above into 'The Mule' you would start to turn, Kick your feet, and flap your hands like a Mule and generally do whatever you felt like, keeping the above rhythm going which at times could get difficult to do.

"The Mule" in Pop Culture

* James P. Johnson's recording of "The Mule Walk" is featured on the score of the 1991 film ''Billy Bathgate'' starring Nicole Kidman, Dustin Hoffman, and Bruce Willis.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mule Novelty and fad dances