Table Talk

One of those wacky little 1960s dance books, The Hullabaloo Discothèque Dance Book (Parallax Publishing, 1966; Scholastic Books, 1967), contains three novelty dances created especially for it.  Table Talk is a sort of half-speed poor man's version of the 1950s hand jive and is useful in the same contexts: sitting down, around a table, too crowded or tired to move, or for people who can't move their legs at speed or at all. 

Hullabaloo was a television show, airing on NBC in 1965 and 1966.  There are plenty of clips from it on YouTube, and you can actually purchase compilations on DVD.  Along with musical acts, it featured a small cast of dancers whose most notable alumni are Michael Bennett and Donna McKechnie, the director/choreographer and original Cassie of the musical A Chorus Line.

I have my doubts about whether Table Talk was ever actually done other than in the photo shoot for the book, but since sitting-down arm and hand dances still have their uses, here it is. 

Hands are on lap or hanging loosely at sides when not otherwise occupied.

Count       Move
1,2            Extend right arm, palm down
3,4            Extend left arm, palm down
5,6            Right hand to left shoulder
7,8            Left hand to right shoulder
1,2            Left hand to left knee
3,4            Right hand to right knee
5,6            Clap hands twice
7,8            Extend left arm, palm down, and look at your hand
1,2            Extend right arm, palm down, and look at your hand
3,4            Turn left palm up and look at it
5,6            Turn right palm up and look at it
7,8            Clap hands twice
1,2            Bend left arm upward (making a fist) and tap right fist on left elbow twice
3,4            Bend right arm upward (making a fist) and tap left fist on right elbow twice
5,6            Palms down, pass left hand over right twice
7,8            Palms down, pass right hand over left twice
1,2            Clap twice

You can then restart from the beginning with the same pattern, though the counts won't match up since the dance has an irregular length.  The pattern is easy enough that with one person who knows the dance it shouldn't be hard for everyone else to pick it up anyway.  The book also suggests that you can "make up as many variations as you wish, with partners following each other a beat late, à la Simon Sez [sic]."

I have no musical recommendation for Table Talk other than to use something lively and fast from the late 1960s.