The Disco Duck

Yes, here I go again with another easy line dance from The Complete Book on Disco and Ballroom Dancing (1979).  I actually like these dances (which date back to my childhood), though I don't usually do them in batches.  The immediate excuse for this extended excursion into the 1970s is that I'm going to be teaching an entire session of disco line dances a week or so from now at the Dance Flurry.  This one is twice as long as Hot Chocolate/Bonaparte's Retreat (described here and here) and has slightly harder steps and "quick-quick-slow" rhythm sections which make it a more interesting dance.

The obvious music is the song "Disco Duck" by Rick Dees, which was a top Billboard hit for a couple of months in 1976, but it will work to any piece of lively disco music.  Happily, the dance does not include any arm-flapping or other duck-like miming.

The Disco Duck (32 beats)
1&2-3&4
Kick-ball-change (kick R forward, close R to left, step L in place; repeat)

5-6-7-8
Heel/toe swivels (turn both heels to R, toes to R, toes to L, heels to L)

1&2-3&4-5-6-7-8
Repeat all of the above on opposite feet

1-2-3&4
Forward cross and side-slide (cross R foot in front of L, step L in place, R to side, close L, R to side)

5-6-7&8
Repeat on opposite feet

1&2-3&4
Kick-ball-change (kick R forward, close R to left, step L in place; repeat)

5-6-7-8
Touches & turn (touch R foward, back, side, and kick R gently forward making a quarter-turn to the left)

Repeat as many times as needed for the music, making a quarter turn at the end of each repetition.  The final kick needs to be quite minimal, since the first motion of the dance is a kick forward, which doesn't work very well if the foot is already extended.  Note that this dance is asymmetrical; you spend more time balancing on the left leg and kicking with the right.  This is especially noticeable in the last eight counts of the dance combined with the first four of the next repetition.

Comments

[Jeff]

My god. I actually remember that and remember doing it. I would have been 11 or 12. Oy. The nightmares :)

[Susan de Guardiola]

I don't recall doing this particular dance, but I remember the genre quite well and of course I remember the song.

I've been having an amusing time shopping for MP3 files of 1970s dance tunes so that I'll have a good range of music for the Flurry session. Quite the nostalgia trip.

[Jeff]

Oh. And how I wish we could go to something like Dance Flurry!

What a stupendous selection of dance!

[Susan de Guardiola]

Jeff:
That's what happens when you take on these 18-year development projects. :)

I've only taught there once before, which was only five days after Patri's death, so I wasn't in a good mood to properly enjoy it. But even so, I could see how marvelous it was. I'm looking forward to a better experience this year.

[trish]

trying to find a video of someone dancing this!