The Jerk, social dance from the United States: what it is and how it is danced

The Jerk is an American novelty craze that emerged during the 1960s, defined by sudden forward-and-back motions of the torso. Dancers raise their hands to eye level, repeatedly overlapping and thrusting their arms outwards to the beat of contemporary soul, pop, and rock tracks.

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Rose to widespread fame as an American novelty craze in the 1960s.
Dancers thrust their hands outward from chest height, creating sudden, sharp movements.
Spawned major hits by the Larks, the Miracles, the Contours, and the Capitols.
Referenced in songs across decades by James Brown, George Harrison, and Janet Jackson.

What is The Jerk?

The Jerk is an upbeat American social craze that took off during the 1960s. Classified as a novelty fad, it relies on abrupt, staccato motions that shift the torso backward and forward. Dancers hold their hands high near the face, moving their arms in patterns reminiscent of an orchestra conductor. It shares noticeable similarities with another period fad called the monkey. Anyone could join in on the dance floor without formal coaching, adjusting the hand motions to match the regular pulse of a song or moving at half speed to suit different musical tempos.

Where does The Jerk come from?

Originating in the United States, the Jerk quickly swept through ballrooms and youth culture during the mid-1960s as a popular novelty fad. Its rise was fueled by a string of charting singles in 1964, most notably a track named after the dance by the Los Angeles group the Larks. Other recording artists immediately embraced the trend, with Motown acts like the Miracles and the Contours issuing their own dance numbers that same year. Although its peak as an everyday social craze subsided after the decade ended, it left an enduring imprint on pop music.

How is The Jerk danced?

To perform the Jerk, dancers stand upright and move their torso back and forth with abrupt, jerky pulses. The hands remain elevated near facial height, conducting the air in time with the song. At chest level, both wrists overlap before snapping firmly outward to create a sharp, distinct action on the opening count. Dancers can match this motion to each beat or slow it down to half time. Adding extra flair involves snapping the fingers during the outward arm extensions on counts one and three.

The music of The Jerk

Numerous pop, soul, and R&B recordings fueled the dance during the mid-1960s. The Larks scored a hit with 'The Jerk' in 1964 on Money records, while Motown released 'Come on Do the Jerk' by the Miracles and 'Can You Jerk Like Me' by the Contours. In 1966, the Capitols released 'Cool Jerk', which later became a popular cover for the Go-Go's. Dobie Gray combined crazes on 'Monkey Jerk', and James Brown referenced it in 'Papa's Got A Brand New Bag'.

What The Jerk means

The Jerk remained a recognizable touchstone in music long after the 1960s ended. Artists across multiple genres gave nods to the craze in their lyrics, including Bobby Fuller and George Harrison on his 1974 track 'Dark Horse'. Hip hop group the Sugarhill Gang famously mentioned Tonto performing the dance in their 1981 track 'Apache'. Modern acts continued the tradition, with Rocket from the Crypt releasing a tribute song in 1998 and Janet Jackson referencing jerking in 2004.

Questions people ask about The Jerk

Where does the Jerk come from?

The Jerk originated in the United States during the 1960s, quickly rising to national attention as a popular novelty fad dance on the social scene.

When and why was the Jerk danced?

It was danced socially for fun at parties and clubs during the 1960s, driven by an explosion of hit soul, pop, and R&B records created specifically for the craze.

What does the Jerk look like?

Dancers elevate their hands near face level, crossing wrists at the chest before thrusting them outward in time with the rhythm. The body pulses forward and back, with optional finger snaps on counts one and three.

Which famous songs were written for the dance?

Key tracks include 'The Jerk' by the Larks, 'Cool Jerk' by the Capitols, 'Come on Do the Jerk' by the Miracles, and 'Can You Jerk Like Me' by the Contours.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Jerk (dance)", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Ghungroo rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes, and it describes the dance in outline: it is not a lesson. Traditions differ from one teacher, village or family to the next. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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The Jerk