What The TV Show Glee's "Shakin My Head" Song REALLY Means

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases the song "Shakin' My Head" as performed by "Meredith", an African American female character who is part of the American television show "Glee". The focus of this post is the meaning that is given to the phrase "shakin' my head" rather than to the performance of the song itself. As such, this post is a continuation of previous pancocojams posts on the vernacular meanings of the shaking my head gesture.* This post also presents my take on the meaning of Glee's "Shakin' My Head" song.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, sociological, enteertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to Rachel Perry and all others who are featured in this showcased video, and thanks to the publisher of that video on YouTube.

*Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/10/what-smh-really-means-information.html and http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/10/what-smh-really-means-information_1.html for those pancocojams posts.

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INFORMATION ABOUT GLEE'S "SHAKIN' MY HEAD" SONG
From http://glee.wikia.com/wiki/Shakin'_My_Head
"Shakin' My Head is an original song that is featured in The Untitled Rachel Berry Project, the twentieth and final episode of Season Five.[of the American television show Glee. It is sung by Mercedes with Brittany as one of the backup dancers and is Mercedes' single from her debut album with Sony Music Entertainment"...
-snip-
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glee_(season_5) for information about the show Glee. The word "Glee" stands for "glee club" (a group of people who perform musicially).

Also, click http://farsider.wordpress.com/2014/05/14/glee-review-recap-season-5-episode-20-the-untitled-rachel-berry-project-shakin-my-head/ for a review of that episode. Here's an excerpt from that article:
"Glee Review-Recap Season 5 Episode 20 ‘The Untitled Rachel Berry Project': Shaking My Head
"But I did love one song: a rare Glee original, Shakin’ My Head. From Amber/Mercedes’ wailing to Heather/Brittany’s dancing (she’s back!), the energized dance-pop with provocative lyrics was the highlight of the night."...
-snip-
Although this reviewer wrote the word in that title as "Shaking”, it is actually “Shakin'". That spelling is meant to represent or evoke African American Vernacular English (AAVE). That said, it should be noted that it's common practice for many non-African Americans to drop the "g" endings of words, particularly in informal communication.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Full Performance of "Shakin My Head" from "The Untitled Rachel Berry Project" | GLEE

.

GLEE Published on May 13, 2014

It's Mercedes' time to shine with her performance of "Shakin My Head" - complete with back up dancer Brittany!

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PARTIAL LYRICS - "Shakin My Head" from "The Untitled Rachel Berry Project" | GLEE
(composers: Adam Anders and Peer Åström)

...Mercedes (The Backup Dancers):
Sh-sh-shakin' my head, sh-sh-shakin' my head
(Shakin' my head)
Sh-sh-shakin' my head, sh-sh-shakin' my head
(Shakin' my head)

Every day when I'm a-wakin'
(Sh-sh-shakin' my head)
The questions got my head a shakin'
(Sh-sh-shakin' my head) Oh-oh
Like why does gravy give you heart attacks?
Woah-woah-oah (Sh-sh-shakin' my head)
And why do Republicans hate the blacks?
Hate the blacks, hate the blacks
And how come Jesus looks just like a white guy?
When he's from Palestine, that can't be right,
Sh-sh-shakin' my head, sh-sh-shakin' my head (Oh-oh noo)
Sh-sh-shakin' my head, sh-sh-shakin' my head (Hey!)
Sh-sh-shakin' my head, sh-sh-shakin' my head (I don't know)
Sh-sh-shakin' my head
Sh-sh-shakin' my head

Mercedes with the Backup Dancers (The Backup Dancers):
Sh-sh-shakin' my head
Sh-sh-shakin' my head (Shakin' my head)
Mercedes (The Backup Dancers):
Now all of ya'll are driving hybrid cars? (Sh-sh-shakin' my head)
So why can't we put a man on Mars? (Sh-sh-shakin' my head)
Yay, yeah, yeah
Why does TV have too many ads? (Sh-sh-shakin' my head)
That's enough now
And why are dogs always licking their nads?

Mercedes with the Backup Dancers (Mercedes):
And why do we keep borrowing from China?
And why do some flowers look like vaginas?

Sh-sh-shakin' my head, sh-sh-shakin' my head (Oh-oh noo)
Sh-sh-shakin' my head, sh-sh-shakin' my head (Hey!)
Sh-sh-shakin' my head, sh-sh-shakin' my head (I don't know)
Sh-sh-shakin' my head, (Na na-na-na-no)
Sh-sh-shakin' my head

...Mercedes (with the Backup Dancers):
(When I fly to the heaven) God will set me straight
(Like how come I drink diet coke) and (I keep gaining weight)
(Jesus, my lord and savior) Yeah, you know it's true...

Mercedes with the Backup Dancers (Mercedes):
Sh-sh-shakin' my head, sh-sh-shakin' my head (Yeah-yeah)
Sh-sh-shakin' my head, sh-sh-shakin' my head (Shakin' my head)
Sh-sh-shakin' my head, (Shakin') Sh-sh-shakin' my head (Oh yeah)
Sh-sh-shakin' my head, sh-sh-shakin' my head (Oh keep on)

Oh-oh-oh-oh (What's wrong) Shake it, oh-oh-oh-oh (With the world today) shake it
Oh-oh-oh-oh shake it, (Hey) Oh-oh-oh-oh (I don't, I don't know) Shake it
Oh-oh-oh-oh (I don't know) Shake it, oh-oh-oh-oh (No-oah woah) Shake it
Oh-oh-oh-oh shake it (Oooh-oh-oh-woah-woah-aah) Oh-oh-oh-oh shake it (Hahahaha)
-snip-
Click http://farsider.wordpress.com/2014/05/14/glee-review-recap-season-5-episode-20-the-untitled-rachel-berry-project-shakin-my-head/ for the complete lyrics to this song.

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WHAT GLEE'S "SHAKING MY HEAD" MEANS
Some commenters on YouTube discusson threads about Glee's "Shakin My Head" song wrote that the lyrics don’t make any sense. Other commenters wrote that the lyrics are meant to be a joke and that this is meant to be a nonsence song. Rather than this being "nonsense song", this song frames a person's musing and somewhat random reflections as a way of prompting its listeners' consideration of beliefs and other things in society that are nonsensical.

Some things that the person thinks about are "heavy duty" (quite serious) while others are of lesser importance but still bothersome. For example, in the quite serious category, the person wonders why "Republicans hate the blacks", and why "Jesus is depicted as a white man although he came from Palestine". Some examples of the less serious but still exasperating things that the person wonders about is why television has so many ads and why diet coke is marketed as a weight loss beverage but actually causes weight gain.

The title of the song "Shakin' My Head" refers to the gesture that people do to express their exasperation with and/or disgust, disdain with something that is foolish, ignorant, and/or offensive.

The fact that some people may not agree with what the song says (for instance, that all members of the Republican political party hate all Black people), is somewhat besides the point. This is what the character singing believes to be true -based on her assessments and experiences- and her response to that belief is to "shake her head".

Three key lines that I think refers to my sense that Glee's "Shakin My Head" song about things that are foolish or wrong are
"Every day when I'm a-wakin'...

The questions got my head a shakin'...
[and]
Oh-oh-oh-oh (What's wrong) Shake it, oh-oh-oh-oh (With the world today) shake it"

In discussing the cultural meaning of Glee's song "Shakin My Head", I believe that it's important to note that the vocalist Rachel Perry (the character Meredith) is African American and is what we African American refer to as a "big boned" or "full bodied" woman. Those descriptions of the singer add cultual (and racial) meanings to the various lines in the song, particularly some of those which I've already mentioned. If the vocalist had been another race or ethnicity and wasn't "a big girl", than those lines wouldn't have the same meaning. In and of itself the song title "Shakin' My Head" conveys a racialized tone to the song which wouldn't occur if that title was given as "Shaking My Head" because of the "smh" gesture with the meanings that I've listed earlier originated with African Americans or at least have been and to a large extent are still more often associated with African Americans.

*I consider the phrase "the blacks" in the line "why do Republicans hate the blacks", as being socially incorrect (inappropriate) in the same way as the terms "the whites" and the gays" are socially incorrect. All of those phrases lump people into one monolithic, homogeneous group who look, and think, and act the same way. I prefer "Black people", "White people" and "people who are gay" because that way of referring to groups of people recognizes that they are individuals within their group/s.

But I wonder if the composers of that song used the term "the blacks" as a way of mimicking people who use that term, knowing that at least some people (meaning not only me) consider it to be off-putting.

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Old School Dances In Dance Offs Between The Detroit Piston's Dancing Usher & Young Fan -

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases videos of & comments about two spontaneous, fun dance offs (dance competitions) between the Detroit Pistons' dancing usher Shannon Sailes and a young boy Piston's fan, Antwain Alexander (11 years old).

This post also showcases two additional videos of those dancers on American television shows and two videos of Shannon Sailes and other dancing fans which were filmed prior to and after his dance off with Antwain Alexander.

The content of this post is provided for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Shannon Sailes and Antwain Alexander for their dancing abilities and their positive interactions. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

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EDITORIAL COMMENT
A "dance cam "(camera) is a camera that captures live shots of people dancing in the stands during a sports event. One of the fun things about dance cams is that the fans never know if or when they will be filmed.

Most of the dances that were done in the "dance off" between the usher & the young fan -and most of the dances that are shown in these other featured videos- are of "old school" R&B/Hip-Hop dances from the 1980s.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/10/videos-of-old-school-hip-hop-dances.html for a pancocojams post that provides videos of a number of "old school" dances by name.

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VIDEOS OF THE DANCING USHER AND THE DANCING FAN ON DANCE CAMS
Example #1: Dance Off Between Kid and Usher at Detroit Pistons Game Nov 19, 2013

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Art Fido.com, Published on Nov 23, 2013

Everybody loves the 'dance cam' during the break at sporting events.

During the Detroit Pistons home game against the Knicks, an impromptu dance battle erupted between a very talented kid and one of the seating ushers of the stadium.

Who do you think won?
-snip-
Here are two comments from this video's discussion thread:
Missy Whitledge, 2013
"You owned that one kiddo!!! The usher was great challenging him like that and having so much fun!!! We need more feel good moments like this!"

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Luis jesus Ruiz, 2014 months ago
"The singer is Bob Sinclair- Rock this party"

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Example #2: Dance Cam: Dance-Off, Part 2 | December 6, 2013 | NBA 2013-14 Season



Published on Dec 6, 2013

The Dancing Usher and viral sensation Antwain battled each other once again when the Pistons played the Lakers on Nov. 29, 2013.

Not affiliated with the NBA or any of its partners - All video contents belongs to their respective copyright holders. All credit goes to Time Warner Cable Sportsnet, ESPN, NBA TV and TNT.
-snip-
Here are selected comments from that video's discussion thread:

1Stunna2323, 2014
"Their first ever dance off will always be better than this. It was so spontaneous!"

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Reply
Bogie Vee, 2014
"But we will take what we can get from this epic battle !! Hope thier is an episode 3"

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rdatlasmbrd1, 2014
"THEY JAMMIN"

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Reply
mrshannon sailes, 2014
"THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT.. and I am a real usher.. some people think its fake... im a usher first, entertainer second for fun of the fans"

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VIDEOS OF THE DANCING USHER & THE DANCING FAN ON TWO AMERICAN TELEVISION SHOWS
Example #1: 'Don't Want to Brag, but I'm Good': Young Fan Challenges NBA Usher to Dance-Off



ABC News, Published on Nov 24, 2013

Video of a young basketball fan, an arena employee at Pistons-Knicks game goes viral on the web.

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Example #2: Detroit Pistons Dancing Usher and Young Fan on Jimmy Kimmel Live



Jimmy Kimmel Live, Published on Dec 4, 2013

There's a huge viral video going around of an epic dance-off between an adorable kid and a very rhythmically-gifted usher at a recent Detroit Pistons game. This got Jimmy wondering why we don't have audience members or security guards who can dance like that. Luckily, we just happen to have a couple of guests in our audience to show them how it's done.
-snip-
Here's a comment from this video's discussion thread:
mrshannon sailes, 2014
"im the dancing usher, and for the record, antwain is a child of god and deserves the attention. great humble wonderful young man, god has favor on him."

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ADDITIONAL DANCE CAM VIDEOS OF THE DANCING USHER
Example #1: Dancing Usher - April 7 (2013)

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DetPistonsOfficial, Published on Apr 8, 2013

Check out the Dancing Usher's moves during the Pistons game against the Bulls on April 7 at The Palace.

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Example #2: Detroit Pistons | Dance Cam: January 20, 2014



DetPistonsOfficial, Published on Jan 24, 2014

Watch the latest edition of State Farm Dance Cam when the Pistons played the LA Clippers.

The record is M.C. Hammer's "U Can't Touch This".

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D'Banj's Song "Fall In Love" & RHOA 's Kenya Moore

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases a video of & lyrics for the song "Falling In Love" by the Nigerian vocalist D'Banj. Information about D'Banj and comments about several of the Nigerian pidgin English words & phrases in this song are also included in this post.

In the Addendum to this post, I've included speculation & my comment about the relationship between D'Banj and the Real Housewives Of Atlanta [American television] cast member Kenya Moore.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to D'Banj & other vocalists/musicians for recording this song. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.

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INFORMATION ABOUT D'BANJ
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D'banj
"Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo (popularly known as D'banj, born June 9, 1980) is a Nigerian singer-songwriter, harmonica player, and businessman. He has won several music awards, including the awards for Best African Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2007,[2] Artist of the Year at the MTV Africa Music Awards 2009.[3] and BET Awards of 2011 for Best International Act: Africa. He adopted the stage name D'banj, a combination of his first name Dapo and his surname Oyebanjo.[2] D'banj is currently best known internationally for his 2012 summer hit "Oliver Twist", an uptempo dance fusion of Afrobeat and electronic dance music that topped the African charts 2011 and was a top 10 hit in the UK singles chart in 2012 reaching #2 on the UK R&B chart.”...
-snip-
Genres: Afropop, R&B, pop

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FEATURED VIDEO: D'Banj - Fall In Love Ft. Genevieve



Tru Africa, Published on May 6, 2010

Nigeria Music. Fall In Love by D'Banj Feat. Genevieve

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LYRICS: FALL IN LOVE
(recorded by D'Banj)

[Intro]
Don't get it twisted, love is a beautiful thing
It's Don Jazzy again
I'm D'Banj

When Koko master fall in love
You know say water don pass gari
I'm in love, are you in love?

[Chorus]
Omo, you don make me fall in love
Fall in love o [2x]
We suppose marry because you don make me fall in love
Fall in love o [2x]

[Verse]
My sweet potato
I wanna tell you my mind, wanna tell you my mind o
I no understand o
Cause I dey see well well when they say love is blind o
You see as you dey so
You are the love of my life, you are the love of my life o
I cannot deny o
I wanna make you my wife, wanna make you wife o
See, I never thought that I will find someone like you
That will capture my heart and there's nothing I can do
I used to brag to my friends that I will always be a player
But since I set my eyes on you

[Repeat Chorus]

[Verse]
My sugar banana
As I don get you ebe say I make hammer
Me, I no fit wait o
Make you come follow me make we go see my mama
For better for worse o
We go dey together in any kind of weather
See I no dey joke o
Say na true I I dey talk o, na true I dey talk o
My friends dey ask me say
Oboy, what is the matter?
Me I dey tell them say
You dey make my head scatter
See I used to lie to myself that I'll always be a player
But since I set my eyes on you

[Repeat Chorus]

[Repeat Chorus till fade]

Source: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/dbanj/fallinlove.html

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COMMENTS AND SOME EXPLANATIONS ABOUT THE LYRICS
The lyrics for D'Banj's "Fall In Love" consist mostly of Nigerian Pidgin English. Here's a comment about the use of Pidgin English in Nigeria from http://www.ngex.com/personalities/babawilly/dictionary/default.htm "Babawilly's Dictionary of Pidgin English Words and Phrases."
"Pidgin English is spoken widely across Nigeria. It is a language made up of elements of the Queen's English and the local dialects.

With Nigeria having about 250 tribes in all, one finds a lot of variation in the type of Pidgin English spoken by the different ethnic groups.

In this compilation I have limited myself to what I would call 'Lagos Pidgin' as this is what I am familiar with. The three major Nigerian languages namely Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa feature prominently in Pidgin English in general, however with Lagos being historically a Yoruba city 'Lagos Pidgin' consists of a disproportionately high number of Yoruba words.

Many English words are used differently in Pidgin English and more research would be needed to find out why. However direct translations of sentences from the local dialets into English without regards to tenses contributes to a lot of the confusing words in Pidgin English. Many mis-spellings and mis-pronunciations are so popular that they have entered colloquial usage"...
-snip-
Also, visit http://www.nairaland.com/104810/teach-me-naija-slang-please for examples & comments about Nigerian slang (Nigerian Pidgin English)

Here are some explanations/information about several of those words & phrases in D'Banj's song "Fall In Love":

Dey = This word has various meanings depending on its usage.
From http://www.ngex.com/personalities/babawilly/dictionary/pidgind.htm
1. Is e.g. wetin dey happun 2. Location e.g. where you dey 3. Stance in the matter e.g. which one you dey sef. 4. In existence 5. Spectacular e.g. dat car dey well-well.

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Koko master- a self-referent
"D'banj's debut album, No Long Thing, was released in 2005, yielding several singles, with Tongolo as the lead single. This proved to be his breakthrough single and a hit. It also provided his Koko Master persona, with the term, koko, taking on a variety of meanings. D'banj's debut success led to collaborations with other artists, this includes Dare Art-Alade's album track, Escalade Part 2 and Ikechukwu's album. D'Banj's single koko was used by the PDP (ruling political party in Nigeria) as its campaign theme for the 2007 general elections"... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D'banj
-snip-
Also, read these urbandictionary.com entries:
"kokomaster = a nigerian word describing the ultimate male, who has had his fair share of females and conquered them all.Derived from the word koko.

"I am the original kokomaster"

"The kokomaster has numerous kokolettes" "
by Tuade September 17, 2007; http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=kokomaster
-snip-
"koko: Nigerian slang.
In a range of concurrent sexual partners, the Koko is the girl/boy who gives the best sexual experience. Made popular by the "Kokomaster" singer D'banj in his song "my koko"

Make i tell them de koko o ah! make i tell them de koko D'banj tell them the koko! abi
by OBJ May 31, 2007

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Gari = "Garri (also known as gari, garry, or tapioca) is a popular West African food made from cassava tubers. The spelling 'garri' is mainly used in Nigeria, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Benin, Togo and 'gari' in Ghana.[1]

...As a snack or light meal, garri can be soaked in cold water (in which case it settles to the bottom), mixed with sugar and sometimes roasted peanut, with evaporated milk sometimes added. The amount of water needed for soaked garri is 3:1. Garri can also be eaten dry without water, but with sugar and roasted peanut added." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garri
-snip-
The lyrics to that song also include some familiar American sayings such as “We go together/in any kind of weather) and some African American slang such as “don’t get it twisted” (meaning "don’t be confused”) and being a “player” (meaning a male who has a lot of girlfriends and isn’t serious about any of them; a “Don Juan”. Note: A female can be a player too but usually that term appears to be reserved for males.)
-snip-
I'm curious about the meaning of "As I don get you ebe say I make hammer". If you know the meaning of that line and/or have other comments about this song's lyrics, please add them to the comment section below.

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ADDENDUM
As of April 22, 2014 7:30 AM DST), the Wikipedia page for D'Banj doesn't include information about any relationship that Nigerian singer may have with Real Housewives Of Atlanta [American television] cast member Kenya Moore. However, that probably will change after the RHOA Reunion episode in which Kenya is reportedly going to introduce D'Banj as the African prince that she has been talking about during season six of that show.

http://www.mstarz.com/articles/29346/20140418/rhoa-porsha-stewart-williams-kenya-moore-african-prince-fake-proof-fight-brawl.htm
"...In a preview of Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion special, Andy Cohen asked Kenya Moore about her "African Prince" that she claimed to have been dating throughout the sixth season. RHOA castmate Porsha "Stewart" Williams chimed in and claims that the relationship was a total made up lie.

"You know you stated everything about the guy except for showing him, and it's just very clear that there is no African Prince for you," she added, "there never was."...

Although, Moore's cast members don't believe she's dating an "African Prince" she was rumored to reveal who her new man was on the RHOA reunion show.”...

The [Mediatakeout.com],site claims that her alleged boyfriend she plans to bring on the show is "contracted" Nigerian singer D'Banj. Reportedly, the pair were photographed together before but are not in a relationship."...
-snip-
If Kenya Moore fabricated a relationship with D'Banj and he went along with that fabrication -at least in part- for American publicity- then at the very least I have to give Kenya credit for choosing such a fine, talented Black man as her African prince and in so doing introducing many Americans to that vocalist.

As an aside, I come from a generation who was told (sometimes directly and sometimes by omission) that the only kings in Africa were Egyptian pharaohs. One probably unintended result of the Kenya Moore/D'Banji publicity [stunt?} is that it can be used to increase Americans' and other people's awareness that Egypt isn't the only African nation that had African royalty and there are still African royalty in various African nations today, including in Nigeria.

Here's a link to information about Nigerian royalty:
http://www.royalty.nu/Africa/Nigeria.html

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Stand Battles & The Changing Meaning Of "Majorettes" In African American Culture

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post provides definitions for "stand battles" and provides video examples of stand routines (battle stands) that are performed by community based groups such as Jackson, Mississippi's "Dancing Dolls", Jackson, Mississippi's "Purple Diamonds, and Memphis, Tennessee's "Prancing Tigerettes".

These female groups refer to themselves as "majorettes"* and battle (compete) with each other and other groups in majorette tours. This post includes videos of "the Dancing Dolls" and "the Prancing Tigerettes" prior to these groups being showcased on the television series "Bring It!"

*In the "Bring It" series edition that aired on September 10, 2014, the coach of the showcased group the "Dancing Dolls" referred to that group's performance style as "Hip Hop majorettes". Here's the definition of "majorettes" that is given by Jackson Mississippi "Dancing Dolls" Coach Miss D (Diana Williams) in the video "'Majorette' is a form of dance that incorporates hip-hop, ballet, jazz, and a mixture of lyrical dance all together. It’s high energy, high paced. It’s fun, energetic, and it’s entertaining. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_k7UfFcoQA
"Miss D's Dance Dictionary "Dance Styles" [.14-.26]
-snip-
The older meaning of "majorette" (also known as "drum majorette") is "a young woman or girl who wears a uniform and makes a pattern of movements with a baton (= stick) by turning it and throwing it into the air, as part of a group of girls who do this or as the leader of a musical group" http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/british/majorette
-snip-
Note that the Jackson, Mississippi "Dancing Dolls" and other majorette groups that they compete with perform choreographed, synchronized movements to percussive music. However, that music is recorded, not played by live drummers. Also, those new style majorette groups don't twirl and catch any batons or sticks.

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The Addendum to this post provides examples of Southern University's "Dancing Dolls", Alcorn State University's "Golden Girls", and Jackson State University's "Prancing J-Settes", three of the historically Black colleges & universities (HBCU) marching band affiliated dance lines whose performance styles have greatly influenced the (Jackson, Mississippi) "Dancing Dolls" and other community based dance groups (majorettes) who are featured on the American television series "Bring It!" Note that the names of the Jackson, Mississippi "Dancing Dolls" dance group and their competitors the Memphis, Tennessee group "The Prancing Tigerettes" probably came from two of those HBCU dance lines.

The Addendum to this post provides information about how the female groups that are auxiliaries of historically Black universities' marching bands changed their referent from "majorettes" to "dance lines". That excerpt also documents changes in the performance styles of those groups.

The content of this post is posted for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/04/dance-stand-routines-from-hbcu-dance.html
"Stand Routines From Historically Black Colleges & Universities Dance Line Auditions"

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BUCKING [Update: October 12, 2014]
"(Majorette) bucking" isn't the same as a 19th century American term "buck dancing" which refers to clogging/tap dancing ("buck and wing"). Nor is "majorette bucking" the same as "buck jumping", a very old style of dancing and processional marching that members of New Orleans Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs & New Orleans second line paraders do.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-pigeon-wing-buck-wing-and-buck.html for information and video examples of both of these types of dancing.

"Bucking" as performed by some African American majorette groups, particularly in the South, consist of performing rhythmic pelvic thrusts (pops) as part of a dance routine.

The term "bucking" is probably a new name for this very old African originated dance movement. The Houston, Texas group X-Treme Motion was the first to popularize "bucking" on television. That group competed on the 2010 television show "America's Best Dance Crew. Here's a link to a January 4, 2010 video of X-Treme motion and the publisher's Trecia KneCole Fan Page's summary statement:
"X-Treme Motion Dance Crew is a Houston Based Crew from "The Motion of the Ocean" Majorettes at Texas Southern University. They specialize in Hip-Hop, Jazz, Ballet, Funky Jazz, and Modern. But, Showcasing and bring their own dance style called "Bucking" to the forefront"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apu78i3-K1s
-end of update-

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DEFINITION OF "STAND BATTLES"
From http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/bring-it/dance-dictionary “Bring It! [television show]
"Stand Battle: The stand battle works like a single elimination bracket tournament. The teams draw numbers and are randomly paired together. Each pair take turns trying to out dance each other. The teams go back and forth until the judges determine that one team wins. This is the most intense of all the categories because while the dance sequences are choreographed, when they are used is decided on the fly. The Captain must decide when to use what sequence based on the opposing team's sequence."

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From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xrio6Fp6bHw [quote beginning at 1:24 of that video]
" “What is a stand battle?”
“A stand battle is when two teams take the dance floor at the same time. They take turns throwing eight counts back and forth until the judges declare a winner. “An eight count” is known as a stand.

Exchanging an eight count is like two boxers in the ring throwing punches back and forth with each team trying to land a killer combination. In war it’s back and forth shootin at each other. It’s the same thing. The only difference is that we don’t do that-we throw stands."
-Miss D (Diane Williams), Founder & Instructor/Coach - The Dancing Dolls (Jackson, Mississippi)
-snip-
This video is embedded as Example #6 below and features a definition of "bucking" and other definitions.

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FEATURED VIDEOS
These examples are presented in chronological order based on their posting dates with the oldest dated examples given first.

WARNING: A number of comments on some of these videos’ viewer comment threads contain profanity, racist language, and other objectionable content.

Example #1: The Dancing Dolls of Jackson...AKA "MINI J-SETTES"



oneyouluvtohate, Uploaded on Oct 30, 2009
-snip-
"AKA" means "also known as". Information about & a video of the "J-Settes" are found in the Addendum to this post.

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Example #2: DIP IT DOWN LOW BATTLE PURPLE DIAMONDS



dixie2176, Uploaded on Aug 16, 2011

THIS BATTLE WAS W I L D... YOU BE THE JUDGE!!!!! LOVE THIS PERFORMANCE... THESE GIRLS ARE ALL REALLY GOOD...YET PURPLE DIAMONDS TOOK THE WIN... video by D & M PRODUCTION Of Djamale's Dancingdivas
-snip-
Given the comments in the summary statement, I think the dance (majorette?) team "battling" the Purple Diamonds is the Dancing Divas.

I'm particularly interested in this video because it documents stand battles taking place on stages (as opposed to the floor of a gymnasium). I'm also interested in the way that the audience in this video reacts to the performances ("battles"), and the way that the dance captains shook hands when the result of the competition was announced.

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Example #3: PURPLE DIAMONDS VS DANCING DOLLS



TDABEST2011, Published on Aug 11, 2012

STAND BATTLE...DIP IT LOW 8/11/2012 THE MOST CRUNKEST STAND BATTLE I HAVE SEEN WITH MY OWN EYES TAKE 1..
-snip-
This 2012 video example of two Jackson, Mississippi pre-university dance groups feature “The Dancing Dolls” before they were showcased on the American television series “Bring It!”. These dance teams refer to themselves as “majorettes”.* This style of majorette performance is a distinct change from the “old style” of majorette performances.**

*http://www.dollhousedancefactory.com/ http://www.dollhousedancefactory.com/. The Dancing Dolls (Jackson, Mississippi)'s home page includes “pre-majorette, majorette I and majorette II” in the list of dance classes that are offered. Also, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dancing-Dolls/116220078408472
Comment posted by “Dancing Dolls” March 28 [2014] “Majorette Tour is underway!!!”

**Here's a comment that I wrote on the pancocojams post http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/01/african-american-south-african-batons.html
"...it appears that many (if not most) contemporary African American marching bands and African American drill teams have changed the definition of majorettes from "female baton twirlers" to "females who perform certain styles of dancing and/or marching/step movements to certain types of music", which rarely includes snare drums.

It's very difficult to find any video of a HBCU (historically Black college and university) or an African American high school unit (or predominately African American high school unit) that features baton twirling. However, three examples of that majorette style are included in that 2014 pancocojams post.

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Example #4: Memphis elite battles tigerettes



pimp1908, Published on Jun 9, 2013
-snip-
Notice that the Memphis Elite is a male group who are performing in a Hip-Hop/breakdancestyle and not the same style as the "Prancing Tigerette" or other "majorette" dance group. However, to date, I've only found one video of a stand battle that includes a high school group that included two males with its female members. That video is given as Example #2 in the Bonus video section below.

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Example #5: Stand Battle 2013



BayAreaThuggn, Published on Aug 18, 2013

Dynamic Dancing Dollz vs. Purple Diamonds
Buck or Die 2013
Jackson, MS
-snip-
Notice that the Dancing Dolls performed a death drop. "Death drops" came from voguing, a performance style that originated in New York City gay ballroom scenes.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vogue_(dance)
Vogue, or voguing, is a highly stylized, modern house dance that evolved out of the Harlem [gay] ballroom scene in the 1980s...

The dip is the fall, drop, or descent backward onto one's back with one's leg folded underneath. Mainstream dance forms popularized the dip, which is occasionally called the "death drop" when done in dramatics style. Due to popular media, the dip is sometimes incorrectly termed the "5000", "shablam", and "shabam"; such misnomers likely stem from older commentators chanting the word "shawam" when a voguer successfully completed a dip."
-snip-
I don't think that this definition of the death drop has anything to do with the use of the phrase "dip it low" in the video title of Example #2 and the summary statement of Example #3.

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Example #6: Bring It!: Buzzwords



Lifetime Published on Mar 6, 2014

Check out a dictionary of the different dance routines that the Dancing Dolls participate in, in this Bring It! video extra.
-snip-
Here's a comment from that video's viewer comment thread
Book Multimedia, 2014
"This show is an accurate display of how many dance teams function. and it would be no different without the cameras. i believe those kids and their sponsors are doing a great job. they train those girls with basic to advanced collegiate & Professional dance technique. if you were a fan of the marching band culture in the south. you would understand.. this is how Many dance teams function. i see influence from the A few teams in the SWAC on display."
-snip-
Two examples of SWAC dance teams are presented in the Addendum to this post

-snip-
BONUS VIDEOS
I've just come across a number of videos of dance battles whose performances are very similar to the performances shown above. However, those performance styles differ from those previously showcased groups n that the dance teams represent specific high schools AND the dance teams perform to the beat of live (snare) drums & cymbals. Unfortunately, no location is given for these events, but I've identified one of the groups as "the Dancing Diamonds" from Lovejoy High School in Lucas, Texas. It's likely that the other competing dance groups are also from Texas, if not from that Texas city. If you have any information about these groups, please add it in the comment section below. Thanks!

Bonus Example #1: Battle Of The Dance Lines 2012 - (Stands Competition Group -1)



atlbattle, Published on Jan 13, 2013

high school band
-snip-
One of these competing groups include two males.

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Bonus Example #2: Battle Of The Dance Lines 2012 - ( Stands Competition Group - 4 )



atlbattle, Published on Jan 13, 2013

high school band

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ADDENDUM - TWO VIDEO EXAMPLES OF DANCE LINES FROM HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
The style of dancing of these Southern region, historically Black colleges & university's dance lines has greatly influenced the performance of the non-university dance teams (majorettes) that are showcased above. Also, notice that the Jackson, Mississippi dance group "Dancing Dolls" which is featured on the television show "Bring It!" have the same name of the Southern University dance line. And the name of Jackson, Mississippi "Dancing Dolls"'s competitor's "The Prancing Tigerettes" (Memphis, Tennessee) is probably modeled after the name of the Jackson State University's "The Prancing J-Settes".

Example #1: SU Dancing Dolls at SWAC Championship 2013



HBCUBANDS.COM, Published on Dec 9, 2013

SU Dancing Dolls at SWAC Championship 2013
-snip-
Southern University is a historically Black university that is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. "Dancing Dolls" is the name of that university band's dance line.

"HBCU" = Historically Black Colleges & Universities
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is a collegiate athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black universities in the Southern United States. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwestern_Athletic_Conference

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Example #2: The Golden Girls vs The Prancing J-Settes Both Dancing to Bad Girls @ The SWAC Championship



HBCUBANDS.COM, Published on Dec 12, 2013

Which Squad had the Better Routine?...
-snip-
The Golden Girls is the name of the dance team that is an auxiliary of the Alcorn State University (Lorman, Mississippi) marching band.

"The Prancing J-Settes" is the name of the Jackson State University (Jackson, Mississippi) dance line. Here's an excerpt from http://sonicboomofthesouth.com/history/the-prancing-j-settes/. I'm including this excerpt for historical purposes, particularly the fact that members of that dance line (and probably other current HBCU dance lines) were originally considered "majorettes".

"“Prancing J-Settes” is the official name of the Jackson State University dance line, an auxiliary group of the Jackson State University Marching Band, “The Sonic Boom of the South.” ...
Shirley Middleton, a former majorette, initiated the concept of the majorettes abandoning their batons and dancing to popular musical selections. As the majorette sponsor, Shirley Middleton and the majorettes met with Dr. John A. Peoples, the University’s sixth president, and requested that they be permitted to “put down their batons.”

Dr. Peoples agreed and thus legends were born. In 1970, Middleton assembled 18 majorettes, and their notoriety immediately began to soar in rapid proportions...

The group was initially named the “Prancing Jaycettes.” The group’s name became official in 1971. However, in 1982, the Prancing Jaycette organization officially changed its name to Prancing J-Settes, because of a name conflict with a local organization known as the Jackson Jaycees/Jaycettes.

Shirley Middleton served as sponsor of the J-Settes from 1970-1975. In 1975, Narah Oatis was appointed the sponsor of the J-Settes. Under her leadership, the Prancing J-Settes became nationally renowned. During her reign, J-Sette marching technics such as the “Salt and Pepper,” “J-Sette Walk,” “Strut,” and “Tip Toe” were perfected. The J-Settes consisted of lines of 12-16 young ladies who marched in rows affectionately named “Short and Sassy,” “Magnificent Middle,” or a “Tall and Tough.” ...
-snip-
The fact that the Prancing J-Settes' signature moves have greatly influenced the Jackson, Mississippi Dancing Dolls (and probably other majorette groups) is noted in this announcement for auditions on the (Jackson, Miss.) Dancing Doll's website http://www.dollhousedancefactory.com/DWilliams_Dance_Company_2_3.html
"Dancing Dolls Dance Team 2015 Tryouts are February 2015 at the Dollhouse Dance Factory....

Dancing Dolls is for girls ages 10-17. Dancing Dolls FINAL tryouts for the 2013 season will be held February 2015 at the Dollhouse Dance Factory. There is a $20 fee per dancer. Troyout Camp times are as follows...

***Dancing Dolls require the following: Marching (Salt N Pepper & Swing), Struts (J-Sette Walk & Prancing), Splits, Kicks (both legs), Rollovers (front and Back), Cartwheel, Toe Touch, Back bend and Deathdrop. All moves are taught during camp sessions. A group dance will be taught consisting of 9-12 eight counts..."

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The Origins And Meanings Of "Shante You Stay" & "Sashay Away"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post provides information about & examples of the use of the statements "Shante, you stay" and "Sashay away" that were coined by entertainer, producer, and entrepreneur Rupaul [RuPaul Andre Charles]. This post also includes my theories about the origins & meanings of those two statements.

The content of this post is provided for cultural and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to RuPaul for his creativity. Thanks also to all those who are featured on these videos and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.

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GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF "SHANTE YOU STAY" AND "SASHAY AWAY"
"Shante you stay" and "Sashay away" are two rhyming statements* that were coined and are being popularized by RuPaul. These statements are regularly featured at the conclusion of the "Lip Sync For your Life" (LSFYL) segment of RuPaul's popular American television series "RuPaul's Drag Race" (2009 to present).

*The first and last word of the first statement rhyme with the first and last word of the second statement. "Shante" is pronounced "shahn-TAY" and "sashay" is pronounced "sah-SHAY".

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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT RUPAUL
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RuPaul
"RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960), best known mononymously as RuPaul, is an American actor, drag queen, model, author, and recording artist, who first became widely known in the 1990s when he appeared in a wide variety of television programs, films, and musical albums. Previously, he was a fixture on the Atlanta and New York City club scenes."...

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RUPAUL'S EARLY USE OF "SHANTE" AND "SASHAY"
The words "shante" and "sashay" are found in the lyrics of RuPaul's 1993 hit House music record "Supermodel (You Better Work It)". "Shante" is pronounced "shahn TAY". Here's a video of that hit record.

RuPaul - Supermodel (Of The World)



thecelluloidcloset, Published on Apr 27, 2012

Official music video for the song "Supermodel (You Better Work)", the first single from the RuPaul's same titled album, released in 1993.
-snip-
Lyric Excerpt: RuPaul's "Supermodel"
"I have one thing to say, sashay, shante
Shante, shante, shante
I have one thing to say, sashay shante
Shante, shante, shante"

Click http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/rupaul/supermodel.html for the complete lyrics of this song which was written by Rupaul Charles, Lawrence Thom, and James Harry.
-snip-
Here's some information about RuPaul and the record "Supermodel (Of The World)"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RuPaul
"In 1993 RuPaul recorded dance/house albums which included Supermodel of the World. They were released through the rap label Tommy Boy, spawning the dance track hit "Supermodel (You Better Work)". The music video was an unexpected success on MTV channels, as grunge and gangsta rap were popular at the time. The song peaked at #45 on the Billboard Hot 100. It further charted on the UK Singles Chart, peaking on the top 40 at #39. The song found the most success peaking at number 2 on the U.S. dance music charts (known as the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart). Airplay, heavy rotation of the music video on the MTV network and television appearances on popular programs like The Arsenio Hall Show popularized the song."...
-snip-
The words "sashay shante" in this song praise & encourage the supermodel [RuPaul] and by extension, other "supermodels" for the style, confidence, and attitude that they exude.

My theories on the origins & meanings of "sashay" and "shante" in the context of the "Supermodel (You Better Work)" record and in the context of "RuPaul's Drag Race" television series are given below.

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INFORMATION ABOUT "RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RuPaul
"In mid-2008, RuPaul began producing RuPaul's Drag Race, a reality television game show which aired on Logo in February 2009. The premise of the program has several drag queens compete to be selected by RuPaul and a panel of judges as "America's next drag superstar".

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From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RuPaul's_Drag_Race
"RuPaul's Drag Race is an American reality competition television series produced by World of Wonder for Logo. RuPaul plays the roles of host, mentor, and source of inspiration for this series, which details RuPaul's search for "America's next drag superstar...

Common Sense Media commented, "RuPaul's Drag Race combines the fashion design drama of Project Runway with the modeling excitement of America's Next Top Model to create an entertainingly voyeuristic glimpse into the performance art world of drag queens. There's plenty of over-the-top stuff, but rather than simply treating drag performers as people to be laughed at and/or scorned, the show also focuses on the hard work and talent that goes into drag performances...”

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THE USE OF "SHANTE, YOU STAY" AND "SASHAY AWAY" ON "RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RuPaul's_Drag_Race
"The judges [on "RuPaul's Drag Race"] each provide their opinion on the contestants' performances on the runway and in the main challenge before RuPaul announces which drag queen is the episode's winner and which two had the weakest performances. The day before judging, the contestants are all provided with a song that they must learn the lyrics to. The contestants deemed as being the bottom two must "lip sync for their lives" to a song by a female artist in a final attempt to impress RuPaul. After the lip-sync, RuPaul alone decides who stays and who leaves"...
-snip-
I'm surprised that this Wikipedia article fails to mention the two iconic statements that RuPaul makes at the conclusion of each show's "lip sync for your life" (LSFYL) segment: RuPaul says "Shante, you stay" to the winner and "Sashay away" to the loser (RuPaul often gives some praise to that contestant before saying the dreaded words "Sashay away").

Here are two videos of RuPaul's "Sashay Away" comments:

RuPaul Tells An Audience Member to "Sashay Away!"



Queen Latifah, Published on Mar 28, 2014
RuPaul demonstrates how he sends off cast members on "RuPaul's Drag Race" -- "Sashay Away!"

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RuPaul's leitmotive: "Sashay away."



Antonio Casto, Published on Oct 20, 2012

The complete collection (till now) of one of the most unavoidable expressions from the TV show "RuPaul's Drag Race". Hope never have to hear that just for you.

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MY SPECULATIONS ABOUT THE ORIGINS & MEANINGS OF "SASHAY; SASHAY AWAY"
The American word "sashay" comes from the French word "chassé". However, that dance movement isn't the same movement that RuPaul refers to in his 1993 "Supermodel (You Better Work)" record. Nor is chassé the same movement that RuPaul means when he says "Sashay away" on his television series.

The American vernacular meaning of "to sashay" is "to switch your hips while walking; to "(to 'strut your stuff" (to walk like you are on the catwalk, a fashion models' runway.)

"To sashay away" specifically means to leave the RuPaul's Drag Race competition (or, by extension, "to leave any location by strutting away in a super-confident manner (walking like a fierce* supermodel).

*"Fierce" = exceptionally good

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MY SPECULATIONS ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF THE WORD "SHANTE"
The use of word "shante" in the lyrics to RuPaul's 1993 "Supermodel (You Better Work)" record comes from the 1990 movie "Paris Is Burning" (which was filmed in the mid to late 1980s).

Here's a quote about "Paris Is Burning" that was posted by Caress, 3/12/2006 on the blog
http://highcamp.blogspot.com/2006/03/it-burns-i-tell-you-for-love-of-god.html

..."Paris is Burning uncovers a hidden world that gobsmacked me by the terms used...

An MC rules the roost at the ball giving the performers walking music along the lines of Cheryl Lynn's Got To Be Real or Diana Ross' Love Hangover. He calls out as they walk "Shante, Shante Shante!!"
-snip-
I believe that the selection of the name "Shante" as an exclamation to praise fierce queens who were "sashaying" and voguing during the New York City drag queen balls stems from that name being popularized during that time in New York City by "Roxanne Shanté".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roxanne_Shant%C3%A9
"Roxanne Shanté (born Lolita Shanté Gooden; November 9, 1969) is an American Hip hop pioneer. Born and raised in the Queensbridge Projects of Queens, New York City, Shanté first gained attention through the Roxanne Wars and her association with the Juice Crew. [Years active: 1984–present]"...
-snip-
The name "Shante" was also popularized in the 1990s by another African American vocalist "Chante Moore":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chant%C3%A9_Moore
"Chanté Torrane Moore (born on February 17, 1967 in San Francisco, California) is an American R&B and jazz singer. Chante is known for her songs "Love's Taken Over", "Chante's Got A Man" and "Straight Up". [Years active: 1990–present]"
-snip-
While Chante Moore was active after the time that "Paris Is Burning" was filmed, she was on the scene before and during the time that RuPaul used the refrain "Sashay Shante" in his 1993 record "Supermodel" (You Better Work).

The name "Shante" is a probably an African American originated variation of the French female personal name "Chante" (meaning "singer"). Other variant spellings of that name are "Shonte", "Shantay", "Shontay", "Shantae", "Shauntae", "Shawntay" etc. These forms of the name "Chante" appear to have been coined around the mid to late 1960s and appear to be mostly associated with African American females. That said, undoubtedly some non-African American females have also been given those spellings of the name "Chante" at birth.

THE MEANING OF THE SAYING "SHANTE, YOU STAY"
Here's a quote from https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100329193905AAjQF4Z
"On RuPaul's Drag race, what does "Shante" mean from "shante, you stay"?

One answer: "It's a play on words from RuPaul's hit song "Supermodel". The song's chorus also features RuPaul repeating the phrase "Sashay! Shante!" When asked what it meant to "shante," RuPaul replied that it means "to weave a bewitching spell." In reality, it originates from the documentary Paris Is Burning"
- meep, 2009
If RuPaul actually gave the meaning of "Shante" that is attributed to him in the meep quote, he may have just made that meaning up on the spot because it sounded good. However, I think it's more likely that RuPaul was alluding to how the name "Shante" was used by drag queens in the 1980s as a referent for a queen who was really working the ballroom floor (and thus could be said to be "weaving a bewitching spell" by their image and actions).

Putting aside the use of the name "Shante" by 1980s drag queens in the movie "Paris Is Burning", I believe that it's significant that the first word of both "Shante, you stay" and "Sashay away" begin with the letter "s", resulting in those rhyming sayings forming an aesthetically pleasing alliteration pattern.

However, I don't think that "Shante" in the statement "Shante, you stay" is used as a personal name. Instead, it seems to me that "Shante, you stay" has no real meaning beyond an announcement of the winner of the "Lip-sync For Your Life" segment of "RuPaul's Drag Race".

Here's a quote from that is interesting to me, in part, because that first word in that "RuPaul's Drag Race" saying is spelled "Chanté" and not Shante". [Warning: That page contains profanity.] http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/04/24/rupauls-drag-race-slang-tuck-sickening-and-more-drag-terms.html
"chanté, you stay (interjection): what RuPaul says to the drag queen who is one of the bottom two contestants, but is saved and moves on to the next round after lipsyncing for her life (see also lipsync for life, sashay away).

Stemming from the lyrics of her 1992 dance hit "Supermodel (You Better Work)," it's the equivalent of Heidi Klum's or Ryan Seacrest's "You're safe" on Project Runway and American Idol, respectively."
-snip-
I think that "Shante" is the correct spelling for that name/word as it refers to "RuPaul's Drag Race" because that is the way it was spelled in RuPaul's "Supermodel" record and than name with a beginning "s" fits the pattern of the "s" which begins the word "sashay".
-snip-
[Addition: April 10, 2014]
It occurs to me that I failed to recognize the significance of the fact that prior to RuPaul saying "Shante, you stay" (and "Sashay away") he says the contestant's name. For instance, in Season 6, Episode 7 he said "Trinity, shante, you stay" (and he said "Sashay away" to Laganja.) That's another indication that he isn't using "shante" as a personal name.

If you wanted to use the quote attributed to RuPaul by meep [from the yahoo answers website], his statement to Trinity after that lip synch contest could be given as "Trinity, you weaved the most bewitching spell, [so] you stay." Or, according to my interpretation of the use of the name "Shante" by the "Paris Is Burning" drag queens, RuPaul's statement could be given in long form as "Trinity, you are a fierce queen -or in the context of the lip-sync for your life contest-"You are the fiercest queen (competing in that segment)"- [therefore] you stay".

Either way, the meaning of that "Shante, you stay" statement is much more soulful and is given in a much more soulful manner than just saying "You're safe."
[end of April 10, 2014 addition]
-snip-
For the record, it should also be noted that there are several conflicting entries for the meaning of the name "Shante" and/or the word "shante" on urbandictionary.com.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=shante for three examples of reader entries for "Shante". For instance, the entry with the most reader points as of this date (April 9, 2014) is this one which was sent in by leesh1545 November 22, 2009
"Shante - A crazy girl with a loud mouth. Shoppaholic. Loves to party and loves Hello Kitty. She's fun and crazy and is loyal to her friends. She has a sense of humor, and is brutally honest. She's a friend you can trust.

"Hey shante, what you doin tonight?"
"Girl, you know i'm goin to the party! Wanna go shopping with me first?"

"Hey shante, how does my outfit look?"
"Like your closet threw up on you. Come with me and i'll fix you"
-snip-
However, I'm very doubtful if those generic referents were used by African Americans prior to the 1980s when "Paris Is Burning" was being filmed or after that time.

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A COMMENT ABOUT "CHASSE" AND "SASHAY AWAY" FROM A DISCUSSION ABOUT RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE SEASON #6, EPISODE #8
Here's the comment that prompted me to write this post about the meanings of the rhyming statements "Sashay away" and "Shonte, you stay":

From http://www.reddit.com/r/rupaulsdragrace/comments/22hnsr/season_6_episodes_7_8_rupersized_postepisode/

AlbrechtEinstein
Did anyone else catch Laganja's parting shot of "And now I will be the first queen ever to actually chassé away"

And then she chassés out of there*

IDIOT, IT'S SASHAY AWAY!
-snip-
When Laganja lost her lip sync challenge in Season 6, episode #8 and therefore had to leave the stage, she did a chasse ballet step. I think that AlbrechtEinstein dissed Laganja because in spite of the fact that Laganja put on a "hip", street wise persona in all those episodes that she appeared in, she didn't even realize that the ballet chasse isn't what RuPaul meant when he said "Sashay away!". However, another commenter wrote that Laganja probably knew what "sashay" meant, but she was just trying to be clever.

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BONUS VIDEO
Here's a video that showcases what walking on a catwalk (strutting, sashaying) looks like:

Black Fashion Models at The Victoria's Secret Fashion Shows 2001-2003



juniorpetjua, Uploaded on Apr 23, 2010

Black Fashion Models at The Victoria's Secret Fashion Shows 2001-2003:

*Tyra Banks
*Naomi Campbell
*Liya Kebede
*Oluchi Onweagba
*Alek Wek
*Omahyra Mota

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The In-Crowd - "Mango Walk" (Reggae), video & lyrics

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases a video of The In Crowd's Reggae record "Mango Walk". My partial transcription of the lyrics for this song are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All content remain with their owners.

Thanks to The In-Crowd and the producer of this video. Thanks also to the publishers of this video on Youtube. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.

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SHOWCASE EXAMPLE: The In-Crowd - Mango Walk



Brio deparis, Published on Feb 13, 2013

Music by The In-Crowd. Track: Mango Walk.
"Boom ! Wagan? Memba a mi fi tell yu tings a crawb up you done know. Beat dem bad !"
-snip-
I agree that this “Beat dem bad” and the video is also excellent.

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PARTIAL LYRICS*
Let’s go down mango walk
Trees are high like a top
So let’s go down mango walk
The trees are ripe
And the meat is nice
-snip-

Transcription by Azizi Powell from the recordings. Additions and corrections are welcome.

*This is mostly an instrumental record. I'm referring to my attempt to suss out the words to this record as a "partial transcription" as I'm not including the "Whamp" (or something like it) sounds.
If "meat" is the correct transcription, it refers to the inside of the mango fruit.

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ADDENDUM: INFORMATION ABOUT THE PHRASE "MANGO WALK"
"Mango Walk" is the title of an old Jamaican Mento song.* That song refers to a person stealing mango fruit from the trees in the mango walk (the mango orchard). As such, "Mango Walk" (and particularly this version of that well known Jamaican song) was a great pick for the soundtrack of Episode 1 of the very popular American television series "Breaking Bad".

This commenter who wrote on the discussion thread of a sound file of The In-Crowd's "Mango Walk" pin pointed when this song was used in that "Breaking Bad" episode:

Quinn Marnich, 2012
"Mr. White stealing school equipment to this song so that he can make Meth. Epic."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPMIiGRnV5A

*Visit this page of my Cocojams cultural website for examples of lyrics for the Mento song "Mango Walk" http://www.cocojams.com/content/caribbean-folk-songs

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RELATED LINK
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-chosen-brothers-mango-walk-roots.html for the pancocojams post on the Roots Reggae/Dub record "Mango Walk" by The Chosen Brothers.

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Videos Of "Pepsi Cola Cheer" (Slide & Slide And Do The Butterfly)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases a video clip from the Hannah Montana television show that features the children's cheer "Slide And Slide" (and do the Butterfly"). In addition, this post also includes 8 videos of girls performing a cheer that includes that same line or a very similar line. The text (words) to these featured videos are also included in this post. Note that this is only a small sample of the YouTube "Pepsi Cola Cheers" that include the words "slide and slide and do the Butterfly".

This is a companion post to http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-butterfly-cabbage-patch-dances-in.html. That post presents information and instructional videos of those two dances and examples of other children's cheers that refer to The Butterfly and/or the Cabbage Patch dances of the late 1980s /early 1990s.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, recreational, and aesthetic purposes.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post, including the contributors of these cheer examples. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

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EDITOR'S COMMENT
Overview
This sample of those cheers are referred to as the "Pepsi Cola Dance" or the "Pepsi Cola Cheer" because their beginning words repeat the brand name of that carbonated soft drink. However, examples of "Slide And Slide" (and do the Butterfly) may not include the beginning "Pepsi Cola Pepsi Cola" line or lines.

There are also other examples of children's cheers/rhymes that have "Pepsi Cola" in their titles or in their first lines, but don't contain the "slide and slide and do the Butterfly" verse.* There are also a number of children's rhymes and cheers that include the brand name "Coca Cola" in their title or in their words (for example "Coca Cola Came To Town" rhymes and versions of "The Boys Got The Muscles" rhymes)*. However, to date, I've not found any examples of "Slide And Slide" (and do the butterfly) which use the brand name "Coca Cola" (or any other soda brand name) instead of "Pepsi Cola". However, for what it's worth, it seems to me that the brand name "Pepsi Cola" is used more often in English language children's rhymes and cheers than the brand name "Coca Cola" or the brand name of any other carbonated soda.

Structure
Like other playground rhymes and cheers, "Pepsi Cola" (Slide And Slide) is mostly made up of two line rhyming verses. Also, like other playground rhymes and cheers, many versions of "Pepsi Cola" (Slide And Slide) are composed by combining two or more stand alone (independent) rhymes or cheers. The words "Pepsi Cola Pep Pepsi Cola" are introductory lines which are chanted for rhythmic effect and don't have any other connection with the rest of the cheer's words.

My comments after Example #2 provides an example of how introductory lines and two or more independent cheers/rhymes are used to create one cheer.

Why "Pepsi Cola" (Slide And Slide) Is Widely Known In The United States
It's my position that the "Slide And Slide" cheer is well known among children's cheerleading squads in the United States because of its inclusion on the Hannah Montana television show. That video clip & the words to that version of this cheer are given as Example #1 below. It should be noted that on that show the "slide and slide" cheer doesn't include the beginning "Pepsi Cola Pepsi Cola" or "Coca Cola Coca Cola" lines. It's also my position that the way that cheer was performed on the Hannah Montana show greatly influenced the way that girls have performed and continue to perform that cheer, particularly with regards to the wiggly hand movements that are done while saying "and do the Butterfly". In those cheers, "The Butterfly" refers to a Jamaican Dancehall Reggae dance that was adopted by United States Hip-Hop dancers. However, I doubt that girls performing that cheer know that.

More On Cultural Influences
The "Slide And Slide" (and do the Butterfly) cheer is important because it serves as an example of the increasing influence of African American culture on the cheer words and the performance of traditional (mainstream) children's cheerleading.

Traditional cheerleading cheers focus on the athletic team and on the game being played and not on the cheerleading squad as is the case with the "Slide And Slide" cheer. Furthermore, traditional cheerleaders didn't chant about shaking their "little hips" as the "Slide And Slide" cheerleaders do because traditional cheerleaders are prohibited from shaking anything but their pom poms. Yet, it seems to me that the proponents of "old school" traditional cheerleading are fighting a losing battle to retain the old ways of saying and doing cheers, particularly among the pre-high school and university age cheerleaders, in large part due to the influence of the Bring It On cheerleader movie series ** and the inclusion of cheers like "Slide And Slide on popular children's oriented shows such as Hannah Montana.

*Visit my cocojams.com website for examples of contemporary English language children's rhymes and cheers. Among the pages of that website which include examples of children's rhymes & cheers are http://www.cocojams.com/content/childrens-cheerleader-cheers,http://www.cocojams.com/content/handclap-jump-rope-and-elastics-rhymes, and http://www.themoviedb.org/collection/16698-bring-it-on-collection
"The "Bring It On" franchise is a collection of [five] films about two competing high school cheerleading squads.(2000-2009)"
-snip-
These cheerleading squads combine acrobatic moves with urban (African American) originated dance style movements.
-snip-
"Outside of the United States, American-style cheerleading is sometimes referred to as Bring It On-style cheerleading.[15] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bring_It_On_(film)

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FEATURED VIDEOS
With the exception of the Hannah Montana video clip, these videos are presented in chronological order based on their YouTube posting date. The videos with the oldest dates are given first.

Example #1: Hannah Montana Lost Episode #5 - Cheerleaders



doublekproductions36 Uploaded on Dec 16, 2007
-snip-
The "Slide And Slide" cheerleader routine begins at 1:58 - 2:11 of this clip. The words chanted are:
"And slide and slide and do the Butterfly
And dip and dip and shake my little hips
I want you and you to cheer with me too"
-snip-
On the “do the butterfly” line, Miley wiggles her hands which are crossed slightly below her chin while she does the “Butterfly” dance movements.

By the way, judging from the number of examples found online, the "You Might Be Good At __" cheer which "Lily" performed in that clip (2:21 - 2:40) is also quite popular among children's cheerleaders in the United States.

-snip-
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannah_Montana for information about this American television show.

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Example #2: The girls dancing pepsi cola!



ImBeyondBeautifull Uploaded on Jun 29, 2011

Awww so cute Dancing to beyonce having fun
-snip-
Here are the words to this example:

Pepsi-cola
Pep Pepsi cola
Pepsi-cola
Pep Pepsi cola
I can slide and slide
and do the Butterfly
I can dip and dip
and shake my little hips
I want you and you
To do it with me too
To the Front [clap clap clap clap)
To the Back (clap clap clap clap)
To the Side
Front
Back
Side side
Let me see you Butterfly
Five six seven eight
Let me see that booty shake
My mother's short and fine
She got a butt like mine
And when she cross the street
The cars go beep, beep, beep
The cars go beep, beep, beep
-snip-
This cheer is composed of five different sections, four of which have spoken words.
1. The words "Pepsi Cola" serve as the introduction to the cheer.
2. The words "I can slide and slide" start the beginning of the 2nd section of this cheer.
3. The words "To the front" start the 3rd section of this cheer.
4. The words "My mama's short and fine" start the 4th section of this cheer/
5. The 5th section of this cheer consists of the girls doing a foot stomping routine without words.

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Example #3: Pepsi cola dance


msanagisele1, Uploaded on Jul 26, 2011

Stars are born
-snip-
Here are the words to this example:

Pepsi Cola pep Pepsi Cola.
Pepsi Cola pep Pepsi cola.
I can slide and slide and do the Butterfly.
I can dip and dip
And shake my little hips.
I want you and you
To cheer with me too.
Front (clap clap clap clap).
Back(clap clap clap clap).
Side side.
Front.
Back.
Side side.
Watch me do the Butterfly.
Up down, turn around.
Watch me score a touchdown.

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Example #4: Pepsi Cola Cheer



MzMadame, Uploaded on Aug 21, 2011

Kennedi's School Cheer
-snip-
Here are the words to those cheers:

pep pepsi cola
I can slide and slide
And do the butterfly
I can dip and dip
and shake my little hips
I want you and you
To do what I do
I say Front [clap clap clap clap)
Back (clap clap clap clap)
Front
Back
Side side
Let me see you Butterfly
Five six seven eight
Let me see your booty shake

A bowl of cereal
A slice of banana
We are the girls from Louisiana
The coach got the brains
The boy got the muscle
The girls got the legs
So hustle hustle
My team got one
dynamite
My team got two
dynamite
My team got three
tick tick tick tick
BOOM dynamite
Psych!
-snip-
"Booty" = butt
"Hustle" means "get to work"
“Psych!” means “I’m just kidding
-snip-
The "A Bowl Of Cereal" cheer begins at .037 of this video.
The line "My team got one" actually begins a new cheer which might be performed independent of any other cheer.

"Dy- No-Mite" was the signature exclamation of the fictitious character "J.J." in the 1974-1979 American television series Good Times. I believe that this is the source of that word being used so often in children's rhymes and cheers. The word "dynamite" means that something or someone is very good. However, in children's rhymes and cheers that word is also equated with the actual dynamite explosives.

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Example #5: Pepsi-Cola Cheer



chris kozlowski, Published on May 25, 2012
-snip-
Here are the words to this example:

Pepsi-cola
Pep pepsi cola
Pepsi-cola
Pep pepsi cola

We slide and slide
We do the butterfly
We dip and dip
And shake our little hips
We want you and you
To do it with us too
I saya to the Front
to the Back
to the Side to Side
Front
Back
Side to side
Criss cross applesauce
But that’s not all
That’s no all
We’re gonna break it down for you**
Go Team!
-snip-
**Break it down" means to do your best dance moves.

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Example #6: us dancing pepsi cola



jose cali Published on Jul 25, 2012
-snip-
Here are the words to this example:

We stomp our feet
We boogie to the beat
We turn around
We touch the ground
We wiggle it
Just
a little bit
We slide and slide and do the butterfly
We dip and dip
and shake our little hips
I want you and you
to cheer with me too
Front (clap clap clap clap clap)
Back(clap clap clap clap clap)
Side to side
Front,
Back,
Side to side
Let me see you do the Butterfly.
5, 6, 7, 8
Let me see your booty shake.

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Example #7: Cheer, Pepsi Cola



Carla Johnson, Published on Mar 26, 2013

4 out of 7 of my girls doing the pepsi cola cheer, they had an awesome coach for a 7 and under age range
-snip-
The words to this example are the same as the words in Example #3 except that the last line is "Let me see a touchdown". Yeah!"

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Example #8: Pepsi-Cola Dance



Cailey19Cailey, Published on Aug 2, 2013

My little sister really likes to do cheers her favorite one is Pepsi-Cola! She 3 years old almost four!
-snip-
Here are the words to this example:

Pepsi-cola
pep pepsi cola
pep pepsi cola
pep pepsi cola
So I can slide and slide
And do the butterfly
So I can dip and dip
and shake my little hips
I want you and you
To do what I do
To the Front
To the Back
To the Side
To the Side
Front, Back, Side, Side
Let me see that Butterfly
Five six seven eight
Let me see that booty shake

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