As long as there has been music, there has been dancing. It’s the natural human response to rhythm, the moving of one’s body in accordance with the beats and modulation of sound and instrument. Dancing customs have steadily changed throughout the course of human history and the development of music, but the movement itself has always remained (unless you’re one of those people who sits at concerts).
We’ve even seen the evolution of dance take place within the already insular fanbases of some of our favorite bands. Take the Grateful Dead‘s fans, for instance. As the band began playing larger and larger venues in the early- to mid-1970s and throughout the rest of their career, different factions of dance began to form. There had always been the rail riders, those dedicated fans who waited outside the venue until the doors opened so they could rush inside and claim their spot directly in front of the stage.
Then, all the way in the back of the concert hall, another group formed: the spinners. Whereas everybody else was concerned with being as close to the stage as possible (sometimes forcing Bob to play America’s favorite game: “take a step back“), the spinners hung around the very back of the hall where there was the most space to spin around in circles with their eyes closed and take in the ultimate bliss of the music.
When even the back of the venues began to get too packed, fans “took a step back” and started dancing in the concourse. This allowed for maximum mobility, in addition to immediate access to refreshments and restrooms. However, without the band in sight, it gave the visual impression that the person was just dancing to the song in their head.
Today, with the ubiquity and stealth of modern listening technology, everybody’s got a song in their head—or, at least, their headphones. But every now and then, there’s still an authentic display of public musical performance that gets everybody dancing in the street just like old times… That’s what makes this video so special.
This little girl waiting for the subway in New York decided to pass the time in one of the oldest expressions of mankind: dancing. And she just happens to be dancing to the classic cowboy tune “Me & My Uncle”, originally written by John Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas and made famous to so many by Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead.
Little Girl Dances To “Me & My Uncle” On Brooklyn Subway Platform – Coyote & Crow
[Video: Coyote & Crow]
The performers serenading the little girl, as well as the entire subway platform, are none other than the New York-based viral busking duo, Coyote and Crow, who have nearly 7,000 YouTube subscribers and have been entertaining New York commuters for spare change for years now. Their YouTube channel features dozens more videos of the two playing classic covers, as well as some original songs, throughout New York City to passing denizens. It’s a great way to spend a little time if you have it…