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Here are the FABULOUS dancers at Moody Street Circus, actually performing my "Stray Cat Strut" choreography after JUST ONE HOUR of the workshop!  Don't they look amazing? See below for choreography notes.

Stray Cat Strut

Choreographed by Piper © 2010, to the eponymous song by the Stray Cats

The Stray Cats Official Website

The Stray Cats on You Tube


each count of 8

Start posed, body faces stage left, head faces audience, standing on L foot, R foot behind you, arms down, look down past R hand, hips are pushed forward and to the left

Drums

Hip Ups while slowly looking up and raising arms in Egyptian Sunrise = arms out and up with wrists relaxed

Breaks with electric guitar

4 ct. Body Roll Down while looking down to your left (back stage) and bringing hands together behind head - shift weight back to R foot on 3. 4 ct. BRD, look down to your right while bringing the back of hands around neck and down side of waist and then behind you - shift weight to L foot on 7

Drums

Still looking down, R Hip Drops in a circle – look at audience on 7, hold on 8

Drum and electric guitar

Step Hip, Katie Style = swivel with each step so that your whole side and your hip are forward for the tight hip swing up, hands go under hair and up

Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh,

Tiger Walk with Front-to-Back Hip Figure 8s and Hip Swing/Snaps and Cat Hands – step R foot forward on 1 (knees and toes face L) and swing the R hip forward while adding a knee snap (the R knee pulls back sharply but does NOT straighten) to pop the R hip on 2. Immediately swivel on the ball of the R foot to swing the R hip out and back. Step forward L on 3, then swing the L hip forward with a knee snap to pop the R hip on 4. Repeat.

Walk threateningly towards audience

Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh,

Tiger Walk/Front-to-Back Hip Figure 8s – move into circle

Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh,

Tiger Walk/Front-to-Back Hip Figure 8s – dance around in the circle

Oooh, Oooh, Oooh, Oooh,

Tiger Walk/Front-to-Back Hip Figure 8s – Get into a line in the middle of the stage

Black and orange stray cat

¾ Swing Shimmy with Wave Hands stepping to the right

Drum and electric guitar

¾ Swing Shimmy with Wave Hands stepping to the right

Ain't got enough dough to pay the rent

P1 Arms = touch shoulders with opposite fingers, elbows point forwards, walk with ¾ shimmy into new formation

Drum and electric guitar

Continue above for 4 counts, then open arms up and out for 2 counts while swinging hips forward and right, take 2 counts to bring both hands to left hip while swinging hips back and left so you are leaning forward

I'm flat broke but I don't care

Rub fingers together in a “money” gesture, moving arm in an arc from left to right, then straighten up and do a throwing motion over shoulder on 7 (“care”)

I strut right by with my tail in the air

Step R towards stage right with Betty Boop arms, do one ¾ Swing Shimmy with Posture Shift looking forward at audience (4 counts), then circle hips in front of you, around to your right and back out to the left, hold

Stray cat strut, I'm a ladies' cat,

Look stage right now and strut forward towards stage right 3 steps, then swivel to face front, R hip out

A feline Casanova, hey man, that’s where its at

Slowly bring R index finger to touch R cheek = Carmen Miranda arms while slowly swinging hips way out to L side and leaning forward, take 4 counts to look at audience from your L to R with a sly expression

Get a shoe thrown at me from a mean old man

Swivel quickly and walk 3 steps R &, L &, R to backstage with sexy hips, look over shoulder at audience on 7

Get my dinner from a garbage can

Jump to face front on 1 – land feet apart, Betty Boop arms, Big Egyptian Hip Circle front-left-back-right, finish with hips way out to the R of your feet, head at hip level way out to left, doing little grabbing motions with hands in front of L calf with “garbage can”

. . . Miao on 7

Look up and bring fingers together in front of mouth, then open fingers and kiss on 3, then big Body Roll = first head forward, then chest, then rise up pushing hips forward, bringing arms up

. . . Yeah don't cross my path!

Finish BRD bringing hands down behind head, then slowly bring fists down to hips, look back stage, with “yeah” look forward and do head slides

Guitar

Strut into a line – end with body facing stage left - left foot is slightly in front of you, right hand on shoulder of dancer in front of you, left hand on left hip

Guitar

Looking at audience (front person in line has her right knuckles touching the left side of her head), do one big BRD in 8 counts

Guitar

Do another big BRD in 8 counts

Breaks

ChooChoos moving into a half circle formation – end in NP, flat feet on 8

I don't bother chasing mice around

¼ time shimmy with “naughty” finger for 4 counts, then front half a hip circle with “Give” arms (take a total of 8 counts for the Half Hip Circle)

Guitar

Use first 4 counts to finish Half Hip Circle, then start Tiger Walk towards audience stepping L &, R &

I slink down the alley looking for a fight

Tiger Walk towards audience stepping L &, R&, L, R, L, holding hips R as you step L into position on 7

Howling to the moonlight on a hot summer night

Keeping weight on L foot, extend L hip while looking up and reach R arm up while contracting left side of chest for 2 counts, and then the L arm up with the R hip extended and the right side of chest contracted, then look down to the L with a BRD bringing arms down the sides

Singin' the blues while the lady cats cry,

Step L and immediately shift weight to R foot while swiveling to face stage right, holding a pretend microphone up high in the air, then with limp hand to forehead do a Chest Rotation = start contraction over R ribs to make head point to backstage, then contract chest back so head points forward, then contract L ribs, then push chest forward using the upper back = by “cry,” chest is forward, head slightly back but facing the audience.

"Wild stray cat, you're a real gone guy."

In 4 counts, do half a Front-to-Back Hip Figure 8 stepping forward L and placing L hand on L thigh, then R, L, R, (1.5 fig. 8) keeping hands on thighs, finishing by shifting weight to R foot

I wish I could be as carefree and wild,

L Hip Ups with finger flicks slowly raising arms

but I got cat class and I got cat style.

1 Back-to-Front 3D Hip Figure 8 stepping back R &, L &, Dryad Hands = bring hands up, together behind head and down, then Half Hip Circle from R to L with Round The World Hands, shifting weight to L foot and in E5 Arms

1

Weight is on L foot with L hip out, use 2 counts to open arms into E2, then Shoulder Shimmy

2

Tiger Walk – move threateningly towards audience

3

Tiger Walk – dance into a circle while looking over shoulder at audience

4

Tiger Walk – dance around in the circle

5

Tiger Walk/Front-to-Back Hip Figure 8s – Get into a line in the middle of the stage

6

¾ Swing Shimmy with Sea Saw Hands stepping to the right

7

¾ Swing Shimmy with Sea Saw Hands stepping to the right – on 5, 6, 7, step R, L, R, swiveling to face stage left and put your R hand on R shoulder of the dancer in front of you

8

Looking at audience (front person in line has her right knuckles touching the left side of her head), do one big BRD in 8 counts

9

Do another big BRD in 8 counts

10

Choo-choos into a tight half circle formation – end in NP, flat feet on 8

I don't bother chasing mice around

¼ time shimmy with “naughty” finger for 4 counts, then front half a hip circle with “Present the Pearl” arms (take a total of 8 counts for the Half Hip Circle)

Guitar

Use first 4 counts to finish Half Hip Circle, then start Tiger Walk towards audience stepping L &, R &

I slink down the alley looking for a fight

Tiger Walk towards audience stepping L &, R&, L, R, L, holding hips R as you step L into position on 7

Howling to the moonlight on a hot summer night

Reach up R then L as above, then look down to the L with a BRD bringing arms down the sides

Singin' the blues while the lady cats cry,

Swivel to face stage right, holding a pretend microphone in your R hand up high in the air, then with limp hand to forehead do a Chest Rotation

"Wild stray cat, you're a real gone guy."

In 4 counts, do half a Front-to-Back Hip Figure 8 stepping forward L and placing L hand on L thigh, then R, L, R, (1.5 fig. 8) keeping hands on thighs, finishing by shifting weight to R foot

I wish I could be as carefree and wild,

L Hip Ups with finger flicks slowly raising arms

but I got cat class and I got cat style.

1 Back-to-Front 3D Hip Figure 8 stepping back R &, L &, bringing hands behind head and down, then Half Hip Circle from R to L with Round The World Hands, shifting weight to L foot and in E5 Arms

Drums

Weight is on L foot with L hip out, use 2 counts to open arms into E2, then ½ time Shoulder Shimmy

Guitar

Tiger Walk away from audience

Finish

Choo-choo looking over your shoulder at audience, pose


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Piper Reid Hunt, PhD © 2007

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