How to Do the Cotton Eyed Joe Dance
Cotton Eyed Joe is a country song that’s very popular in Canada and America. The song is linked with White American South folks and has a popular dance based upon it. The movie named ‘Urban Cowboy’ sparked renewed interest in the song, whose popularity has never decreased since then.
Instructions
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1
Don’t rush into dancing when the song starts. Take your time, feel the song, and then let your body move according to the song. You’ll need to wait two counts of eight, before you start dancing.
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2
Move your right foot slightly away from your left. Put your right foot forward and tap the ground twice with the heel. Then move the right foot back to its original place, adjacent to the left foot, and start tapping the ground twice with you toe. This step is called "heel, heel, toe, toe".
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3
Tap it once with your right heel, followed by tapping it with you again with your right toe. This move is known as the "heel, toe".
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4
Repeat the same movement again. Tapping the floor with your right heel and then with your right toe. The movement of your first eight-count should use your right foot only, following the pattern of "heel, heel, toe, toe, heel, toe, heel and toe."
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5
Once you’ve completed the eight-count pattern, you’ll need to change your movement. The next step is not really hard. All you have to do is to tap your right toe on the ground to your right side and then kick your right foot behind you. You should kick in such a manner that you hit your right foot with your left hand.
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6
Tap the right toe on the ground towards your right side again. Kick the entire right foot across your front. Try to make sure that you hit your right foot with your left hand while doing that.
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7
Return both feet to their normal position and stand straight.
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8
Next, you’ll have to grapevine (side steps and steps across the support foot) three steps towards your right side while stepping outward with the right foot. Cross your left foot behind the other foot and step left again with your right foot, returning both feet together after that. Don’t forget to clap your hands once.
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9
Grapevine three steps to your left side while clapping your hands once again.
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10
Take three steps backwards and clap once more.
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11
Move in the forward direction three steps, clapping once.
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12
Bend your arms in the chicken wing position and flap up and down four times.
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13
Repeat these steps from the beginning, doing the steps once the song is over.
