Japanese Dance to the tune of "Turkey in the Straw"

Did you know that Japanese people do a circle dance to the tune of "Turkey in the Straw"?

The version of the tune they dance to is a little slower and they call it the "Oklahoma Mixer"!

Sadao Mazuka wrote to us about it from Japan:

"In the description on Wikipedia, they say: ‘A slower and more orchestral version used in the song ‘Oklahoma Mixer’ known in Japan and other East Asian countries is often played during gym classes where students practice a line dance to the tune.’ So our recognition of this music is ‘Oklahoma Mixer’, not ‘Turkey in the Straw’, I would rather say. And I don’t think we have Japanese song words for this music. This is one of the most popular dance music songs here. Changing partners in the circle is quite stimulating lol."

Here you can watch two YouTubes that show the dance as it’s done in Japan…

In the video below you can really see how to do the steps…

You can find directions in Japanese for the Oklahoma Mixer Dance online.

It’s a pretty dance! Many thanks to Sadao Mazuka for sharing it with us!

Mama Lisa