How did shuffling start?

Answer 1

The shuffle

The Melbourne shuffle is a dance involving quick movement of the toes and heels. Explore the history of the Melbourne shuffle and how it spread throughout the world. Get insights on how the internet has helped popularize this dance.

The Melbourne shuffle dancing style involves rapid movement of the toes and heels. Depending on the variation, the dance may involve some arm movements. The dance is performed to electronic music.

Historical Background

This dance emerged in the Melbourne underground dance scene in the mid to late 1980s. The pioneer is not known, but the most likely source were Irish immigrants. Originally, it was simply another variant of the various trance and house dance steps popular in the underground scene.

Over time however, the dance came into its own. It has become known for the variants that employ hand movements, something not usually seen from other dances before it.

Middle - Late 1990s to the Present

While the Melbourne shuffle dance came from the underground, it became very popular and by the mid 1990s had become a staple in many clubs. As it became more popular, several variants emerged. However, the basic motion -heel to toe- remains present in all variants.

The dance would gain even more popularity thanks to sites like YouTube. This provided an avenue for the dancers to showcase their wares online.

At the same time, the dance became known to people other than those in the underground dance scene. The rapid growth of online videos allowed people to learn many of the variants. At the same time, new styles came into being.
shuffling started in 1980