What the Cluck? May 14 is Dance Like a Chicken Day!

Who hasn't participated in the infamous chicken dance, especially when attending an Oktoberfest or San Jose Sharks hockey game? Once that polka-style "Chicken Dance" music starts, it's time for everyone to "Dance Like a Chicken".

While the creator of "Dance Like a Chicken Day" is unknown, the composer of the "Chicken Dance" is known. He is Swiss accordianist Werner Thomas. Written in the 1950s, Thomas' "Chicken Dance" first arrived in the United States in the 1970s. 

Werner Thomas' tune was originally named Der Ententanz (The Duck Dance), which was rumored to have originated as an Oktoberfest drinking song. It changed to Vogeltanz (The Bird Dance) before arriving in America. Once in the US, it acquired the fully-fledged choreography it's now famous for, with repetitive beak, wing, and tail (butt) motions as well as the somehow more musical new name, The Chicken Dance. 

The tune is so well-known and associated with accordions that "Weird Al" Yankovic started off his 2006 "Polkarama" accordion medly of polkas with the Chicken Dance. 

On July 4, 2010, people in Mandan, North Dakota established a new World Record for the Longest Chicken Dance at their annual Independence Day Parade and Street Festival. The Mandan, ND “Chicken Dance” line covered twenty-four city blocks and was 1.627 miles long.

It's easy to observe and celebrate the Chicken Dance-simply play the tune and dance along! For extra fun, film a video of yourself, friends and family doing the Chicken Dance and post it on social media such as Facebook, Instagram and You Tube. 

The Chicken Dance lyrics go something like this:

"I don't want to be a chicken,

I don't want to be a duck,

So that's why I shake my butt,

Quack, quack, quack, quack!" 

Images courtesy of "Dance Like a Chicken Day" and "National Day Calendar".

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