As some of you may know, I come from the Wisconsin Camp Song Tradition, so people expect me to do action songs - and generally, I hate them. I suppose part of the reason for that is that I'm hopelessly uncoordinated, so doing hand motions is an embarrassment.

My sister was a Girl Scout camp counselor in Wisconsin, and she does all sorts of hand motion songs. Drives me frickin' crazy.

I have four motion songs in my repertoire, "The Grand Old Duke of York," the "Hokey Pokey," "If You're Happy and You Know It," and a "toody-toddy" version of "Singin' in the Rain" that you have to see to understand. Note that all these involve body motions rather than hand motions - it's my small-muscle motions that are hopelessly uncoordinated. I can get the body motions down pretty well. Yes, I do these songs with adult groups, too. I figure if we expect kids to embarrass themselves with such songs, then we should also embarrass ourselves at times. And maybe a little embarrassment is good for the soul.

But I think ONE motion song is more than enough for an evening.

-Joe-

But hey, I'm from Milwaukee, so of course I do the Chicken Dance any time I can....