Topic summary

Juba dance

The Juba dance or hambone, originally known as Pattin' Juba (Giouba, Haiti: Djouba), is an African-American style of dance that involves stomping as well as slapping and patting the arms, legs, chest, and cheeks (clapping). "Pattin' Juba" would be used to keep time for other dances during a walkaround. A Juba dance performance could include steps such as the "Yaller Cat", "Pigeon Wing" and "Blow That Candle Out". The dance traditionally ends with a step called the "Long Dog Scratch". Today, Juba's rhythm lives on in Bo Diddley's "Bo Diddley Beat" and the step-shows of African AmericanGreek organizations.