The Christchurch
Ballroom Dancing Club

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Hokey Tokey

   Hokey Tokey   Time 4/4  Tempo 33bpm

 The following was printed in the Ballroom Dancing Times.  The sender unfortunately did not give the date the article was published.

Cokey Cokey, Hokey Tokey, Hokey Pokey?

A Mrs J Frary from Grimsby wrote to the Mirror, asking about the song and dance known, she said, as the Hoki Coki.  The reply that the staff of the Daily Mirror came up with was most interesting.  It gave the correct name, the Cokey Cokey, and told readers that the origin was British and it was first mentioned in the Dancing Times in 1943 when, they said, a lightfooted reporter for the Dancing Times wrote:

"I found a new party dance.  The correct name is Cokey Cokey.  The chorus runs, You do the Cokey Cokey and turn around ...."  The Mirror then goes on to state that the actual inventor was a dance band leader called Gerry Hoey who came up with the song, then the dance.  It was based, they say, on an old nursery rhyme.  Gerry first called his song and dance the Hoey Oka and introduced it to the world at the Garrison Theatre, Tidworth, Hampshire in 1940.  They also said it was the happy dancers who changed the name to Cokey Cokey and the final line, as could be expected by all who know the words, was, "That's what it's all about!"  The dance has lasted about fifty years and is still popular at dance parties."

Note :  The actions of the dance are dictated by the words of the song, "Put your right foot in, put your right foot out ...."  The, "Do the Hokey Tokey .....".  The action of the "Hokey Tokey" is to 'groove' on the spot.  Hold both hands at about shoulder level, and shimmy the hands rapidly from the wrists, an action reminiscent of the Charleston days.  The hips gyrate in a manner similar to a modern jazz movement, and a rhythmic rocking motion and a lowering of the body through the knees.  The "Oh!  Hokey Tokey! ...." is to continue the 'Hokey Tokey' grooving on the spot, but with mock bowing to centre.  The, "That's what it's all about!", is to rotate once anti-clockwise.