The pogo is a
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...
in which the dancers jump up and down, while either remaining on the spot or moving around; the dance takes its name from its resemblance to the use of a
pogo stick
A pogo stick is a device for jumping off the ground in a standing position, through the aid of a spring, or new high performance technologies, often used as a toy, exercise equipment or extreme sports instrument. It led to an extreme sport named ...
, especially in a common version of the dance, where one keeps one's torso stiff, one's arms rigid, and one's legs close together. Pogo dancing is most associated with
punk rock, and is a precursor to
moshing.
Style
The basic steps allow for a variety of interpretations, some of which might appear quite violent. Pogo dancers have their choice of:
*Keeping their torsos rigid or thrashing them about;
*Holding their arms stiffly at their sides or flailing them;
*Keeping their legs together or kicking about;
*Jumping straight up and down, jumping in any direction, or spinning in the air.
History
In ''
The Filth and the Fury
''The Filth and the Fury'' is a 2000 British rockumentary film directed by Julien Temple. It follows the story of punk rock pioneers the Sex Pistols from their humble beginnings in London's Shepherd's Bush to their fall at the Winterland Ballr ...
'',
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...
bassist
Sid Vicious
John Simon Ritchie (10 May 1957 – 2 February 1979), better known by his stage name Sid Vicious, was an English musician, best known as the bassist for the punk rock band Sex Pistols. Despite dying in 1979 at age 21, he remains an icon of the ...
claimed that he invented the pogo sometime around 1976 at punk shows in the early days of
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
's punk scene. Vicious supposedly invented the dance as a way of mocking people who came to see Sex Pistols' performances, but who were not part of the punk movement. Whether Vicious actually invented the dance or not, the pogo quickly became closely associated with
punk rock.
Shane MacGowan
Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan (born 25 December 1957) is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead singer and songwriter of Celtic punk band the Pogues. He was also a member of the Nipple Erectors and Shane MacGo ...
, himself an early follower of the punk scene, also attributes pogo dancing to Vicious, claiming that a leather poncho he wore to gigs prevented him from any form of dancing other than jumping up and down. In her autobiography, ''Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys.'',
Viv Albertine
Viviane Katrina Louise Albertine (born 1 December 1954) is an Australian-born British musician, singer, songwriter and writer. She is best known as the guitarist for the punk band the Slits from 1977 until 1982, with whom she recorded two studio ...
of
The Slits
The Slits were a punk and post-punk band based in London, formed there in 1976 by members of the groups the Flowers of Romance and the Castrators. The group's early line-up consisted of Ari Up (Ariane Forster) and Palmolive (a.k.a. Paloma ...
claims that the Pogo was inspired by the way Sid jumped up and down while playing saxophone.
See also
*
The Safety Dance
"The Safety Dance" is a song by Canadian new wave/ synth-pop band Men Without Hats, released in Canada in 1982 as the second single from ''Rhythm of Youth''. The song was written by lead singer Ivan Doroschuk after he had been kicked out of a ...
*
J. H. Stead
References
External links
*
About the pogo dance
Syllabus-free dance
Novelty and fad dances
Punk rock
1970s fads and trends
1980s fads and trends
{{Street dance