I described a basic hand jive sequence, as shown in the popular 1978 movie-musical, Grease, a while back, but it's not the only version. I heard the sad news of "Willie and the Hand Jive" artist Johnny Otis' death today, so in his memory, let's look at the hand jive variations demonstrated on his show in the late 1950s by Three Tons of Joy, a trio featuring R&B singer Marie Adams with sisters Sadie and Francine McKinley. Here's the video clip of the show from which I've taken the sequences described below:
The usual hand jive sequences are very even and regular in rhythm: two slaps, two claps, two "thumbs", two fist bumps, etc., all counted 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8.
The Three Tons of Joy actually demonstrate four separate hand jive sequences over the course of the song, often with individual flair and musicality that meshes with the specific accents of the song. I'd encouraging anyone wanting to use these sequences to watch the video carefully and look at how much variation there is in the details of the motion of each dancer. It's a joy to watch their expressiveness.
The first sequence shown is a simple one:
1,2 slap slap (both hands slap thighs twice)
3,4 clap clap (clap hands twice)
5,6 fist fist (vertical fist bumps, right over left twice; sometimes only once)
7,8 fist fist (repeat, left over right; sometimes only once)
1,2,3,4,5 hand roll (circling hands around each other)
& hands out (pull hands apart)
6,7 clap clap (clap hands twice)
8 (pause)
The first half of the sequence is a very typical set of hand jive moves, but occasionally there are minor individual variations. Marie, the front dancer, is particularly relaxed about her hand jiving and often doesn't bother with the double fist bumps -- she'll just do a single bump with each fist. Sometimes there's also an irregular set, with two bumps with the right fist on top and then a single one with the left, for a 5-6-7-pause rhythm, matching the beat of the music.
The second half of the sequence is more irregular, with the extended hand roll followed by a pair of claps on the sixth and seventh beats, again matching the music nicely, and a pause at the end. These eight counts are repeated at the end of the next two hand jive sequences as well. The hand rolls are done with the fists loosely clenched.
The second sequence starts with a similarly regular pattern:
1,2 fist fist (vertical fist bumps, right over left twice; sometimes only once)
3,4 fist fist (repeat, left over right; sometimes only once)
5,6 thumb ("hitchhiker" thumb over right shoulder, left arm across body)
7,8 thumb ("hitchhiker" thumb over left shoulder, right arm across body)
This is followed by the second part of the first sequence given above. The "thumb" motion is only once over each shoulder, not twice.
The third sequence also varies the first half, mixing it up a little bit rhythmically:
1,2 slap slap (right hand slaps thigh twice)
3,4 clap clap (clap hands twice)
5,6 shake shake (arms crossed slightly, shake right fist twice, sometimes only once
7 shake (repeat, shaking left fist once)
8 (pause)
Once again there is some variation among the dancers: some shake the right fist twice, some only once, for either a 5-pause-7-pause or 5-6-7-pause rhythm. The fist is not as tight as in the fist-bumps in the first two sequences (it's more of a hand curl) and the height varies from even with the upper arm to all the way up in front of the face The lower hand is also loosely held, and one dancer actually points the index finger on that hand forward occasionally.
The moves given are followed by the same hand-roll second half as in the first two sequences.
During the performance, the three sequences above are repeated to the first few verses of the song as follows:
1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 2, 2
When the song moves to the "hand jive...hand jive...doing that crazy hand jive" chorus, the dancers switch to the fourth sequence:
1,2 hands out, palms down
3,4 cross hands, right over left, palms down
5,6 hands out, palms down
7,8 "hitchhiker" thumb over right shoulder, left arm across body
1,2 hands out, palms down
3,4 cross hands, right over left, palms down
5,6 hands out, palms down
7,8 "hitchhiker" thumb over left shoulder, right arm across body
This is half the speed of similar sequences and looks much less frantic. It also reverses the usual order by having the dancers bring their hands out first rather than in. I really like the casual style of the Three Tons here: no one is going to make these ladies rush their moves!
When the verses resume, the dancers repeat first three sequences with rather less precision -- at some points different dancers are doing different sequence and Marie looks back as if she wonders whether she or one the others are doing it wrong. Ah, the joys of live television!
Marie Adams had a long musical career and some hit singles with the Three Tons of Joy and with Otis, but faded from the music scene in the early 1970s. You can read more about her career and see a video of the Three Tons of Joy performing the hit "Goody Goody" at WNEW's website, and read a more extended biography of Adams here. I can't vouch for the accuracy of the latter site. There are other videos of both Otis and the Three Tons available on YouTube as well.
1/23/12 EDITED TO ADD: I've made a follow-up post that describes the clapping sequences shown towards the end of this video a well.
You can hand jive to any suitable tune, but here are some shopping links for Otis' original 1958 tune and the famous 1974 Eric Clapton cover:
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