The Mule (dance)
Encyclopedia
The Mule was a dance fad
created in 1966 by famed dance instructor Killer Joe Piro
based on the earlier "Mule Walk" which was popular in the 1910s.
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
s he was doing while working at The Jungles Casino around 1913, he later published it in 1938.
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.
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. 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.
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.
Novelty and fad dances
Fad dances are dances which are characterized by a short burst of popularity, while novelty dances typically have a longer-lasting popularity based on their being characteristically humorous or humor-invoking, as well as the sense of uniqueness which they have.-Fad dances:These are also called...
created in 1966 by famed dance instructor Killer Joe Piro
Killer Joe Piro
Frank "Killer Joe" Piro was a dance instructor to high society and popularized steps of the discotheque era of the 1960s and 1970s.- Early life :...
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. JohnsonJames P. Johnson
James P. Johnson was an American pianist and composer...
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
Ragtime
Ragtime is an original musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918. Its main characteristic trait is its syncopated, or "ragged," rhythm. It began as dance music in the red-light districts of American cities such as St. Louis and New Orleans years before being published...
. Johnson is said to have composed it based on a number of country and square dance
Square dance
Square dance is a folk dance with four couples arranged in a square, with one couple on each side, beginning with Couple 1 facing away from the music and going counter-clockwise until getting to Couple 4. Couples 1 and 3 are known as the head couples, while Couples 2 and 4 are the side couples...
s he was doing while working at The Jungles Casino 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 1966, Smirnoff Vodka hired Killer Joe PiroKiller Joe Piro
Frank "Killer Joe" Piro was a dance instructor to high society and popularized steps of the discotheque era of the 1960s and 1970s.- Early life :...
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
Skitch Henderson
Lyle Russell Cedric “Skitch” Henderson was a pianist, conductor, and composer. His nickname reportedly derived from his ability to quickly "re-sketch" a song in a different key.- Biography :...
that included a track with the same name. 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.
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.