HOKEY POKEY

It is with great sorrow I report that LARRY LA PRISE died last week. You may not know his name but you surely know his work...he wrote the HOKEY POKEY.

This is of great significance to me because I believe I introduced the Hokey Pokey to southern China several years ago. One day while riding my bicycle in Nanning I stumbled upon a roller skating rink. I was drawn by the sounds of none other than the Hokey Pokey. As I peered in I saw the skaters merely circling the rink as old Larry's tune instructed them to put their right arm in. I promptly paid the price of admission and attempted to teach the skaters the proper way to Hokey Pokey. Having determined I was insane because I wanted him to replay the song while I waved my limbs and turned-myself-about, the proprieter of the rink promptly contacted the local authorities. Of course, the local media soon followed. It was quite the spectacle. Eventually everyone realized I was only trying to teach the great American dance known as the Hokey Pokey. By nightfall the rink was packed to capacity with skaters doing the Hokey Pokey. It made the evening news and I was billed as a modern dancer from America in town to teach native dance techniques. So thank you Larry La Prise for leaving me with a great story for my grandkids (no mom, I'm not pregnant...).