Briana Funte | Staff Writer
In just one month, the Harlem Shake became an internet sensation, reaching over 700 million world viewers. To many, this phenomenon looks like a dance move for the uncoordinated with its wriggling and flailing of the body. In its uniqueness with every sequence, the Harlem Shake has even reached our campus of Buena Vista University (BVU).
Although it did not widely strike as a dance sensation until 2012-2013, the Harlem Shake began in 1981 in Harlem, New York. An alcoholic by the name of Albert Leopold Boyce was notorious for producing the half-time entertainment at basketball tournaments in Rucker Park of Harlem. In a drunken stupor, Al B would wander onto the basketball court and begin flailing his arms and torso to the beat of the music, if there was any. This type of dance was first recognized as the ‘Al B,’ but as local teenagers began picking it up, it became more widely known as the ‘Harlem Shake.’ Unfortunately, Al B was unable to see a world of Harlem Shakers as he died of heart failure in 2006.
Al B can only be credited with the moves of the Harlem Shake. In May of 2012 a Brooklyn DJ, Baauer, released the music track ‘Harlem Shake’ that has become the beat of each individual rave.
Integrating the moves of Al B and the music of Baauer in early 2013 was a group of Australian teenagers. The Harlem Shake come-back video that swept the internet features five bored, Australian guys in a bedroom. When the music begins, a teen wearing a helmet begins shaking, alone. When the ‘beat drops,’ the group, all in crazy costumes, joins in the wriggling and shaking.
In a few short months, groups of every variety have created their own versions of the Harlem Shake, using only the requirements of the continuous flailing and beat by Baauer. Top trending shakes include versions done by Peanuts, the Simpsons, the Norwegian army, the US swim team, and many more. Students of Buena Vista University are not to be left out. Groups on campus have created their own, original Harlem Shake.
Krystal Schulte, BVU sophomore, helped coordinate a group of Beavers to produce a dorm version of the shake.
“My suitemates and I were watching videos on YouTube, and we decided to do our own. We called up a bunch of friends on a Friday night to come over, got a camera, and began filming our shake,” Schulte said. “It’s fun because you can literally do whatever you want and wear what you want.”
At a men’s Beaver basketball game, seniors Kyle Auffert and Logan Lehrkamp organized the Harlem Shake among the entire student section, the Beaver Den. Lehrkamp explains the importance of bringing such a large group together.
“We want to be the best student section in the conference. The Harlem Shake allows for everyone to join in as they please while bringing all the students together to support the men’s basketball team,” Lehrkamp said.
The craze began with Lehrkamp performing a dance solo. When the time was right, the entire BVU student section joined in, thrashing and waving their bodies around to the beat of the music playing over the gym’s stereo system.
“It was tons of fun no matter how silly we looked,” Lehrkamp said. “We hope that everyone enjoyed it!”
Graphic by Keyla Sosa
