Move and Groove: Dance and Movement for Children

Do you know how low you can go?

Setting up a quick, easy limbo dance is your way to find out, and guaranteed good, silly fun for all involved. It couldn’t be easier since only three tools are required: great music, the limbo stick, and willing, enthusiastic players of any age who are into it. This is a foolproof way to entertain a group, or help young children get “the sillies” out of their systems. It could even be your salvation when the next bout of cabin fever strikes in your house.

Limbo became popular in the United States in the 1950s, but originated in the 1800s on the Caribbean island of Trinidad. It is often still practiced in many Caribbean resorts, with a little Caribbean music for a little Caribbean flavor, and is often a competition for prizes. But to be a champion limbo dancer you must be extremely limber. According the Universal Record Data Base, the limbo record is held by Sabrina Ansari, who danced under a thirty-four inch pole in 2005. Can you spell f-l-e-x-i-b-l-e?!

To start the dance, select any music you like that has a good, strong beat, Caribbean or otherwise. Grab your limbo stick, which can be a broom, a mop or any long pole you have on hand. Assign two pole handlers to hold the stick on either side. Dancers line up, single file, and dance under the pole while leaning backwards. If they touch the pole or fall down during their attempt, they are “out.” The competition continues as the pole is gradually lowered each time the entire group has successfully (or unsuccessfully) limboed.

This dance is completely contagious, and the competition can get fierce! The final dancer can be awarded a prize, or simply the undying admiration of the rest of the group. Oh, and shorter people definitely have the advantage.

Fast, fun and furious, the limbo is ridiculously simple and exceedingly energizing. The next time you find yourself with a group of stir-crazy children, trying to plan some birthday party fun, or attempting to unite a group of painfully shy adults…or looking at a group of people that are either seriously fun-deprived or half-asleep, grab a pole, throw on your favorite tunes, and pose the challenge: “How low can you go?”