Does anyone know the name of the dance that Robert Preston did during the "Shipoopi" number? It's the one he did right after the teenage character Tommy shouts out, "Hey Professor, show us some new dance moves!" I'm pretty sure it must have been a popular dance during that era depicted in the movie, but I can't find any information about it.
shareMaybe it's the "Castle Walk," popularized by Vernon & Irene Castle.
May I bone your kipper, Mademoiselle?
The "shipoopi"is a made-up term for the purpose of the show. The corresponding dance is similarly situated, and so Meridith Wilson decided to make something up that fit the time period. He's really VERY accurate in this regard. The style that Meridith Wilson chose to present for the song is an amalgamation of a few dances from the early part of the 20th Century... probably "The Peabody", "The Charleston" and a good, old-fashioned "Cake Walk" (but played very fast, and emphasizing the off-beat accents of the melody.)
Meridith Wilson not only based the play on his hometown of Mason, Iowa, but also played piccolo in the John Philip Sousa band for a couple of years. He would have been quite knowledgeable of the various dance styles popular during that time period.
Personally, I feel the song does not fit into the score or the show itself very well... It seems as though they crammed an upbeat dance number during a dramatic section of the plot for the sole purpose of featuring the actor playing Marcellus on Broadway. Beyond that, I really do enjoy the do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do-si-do lyric, even if the 2nd to last note is incorrect if you were to follow strict solfeggio rules.