The Boogie Woogie

My mother is a dancer, / Boy, can she twist…

My mother is a dancer,
Boy, can she twist.
She can do the Boogie Woogie,
Just like this.
She can do the can-can.
She can do the splits,
She can do a toe tap ,
Just like this.

How to play

Do the actions as they are sung.

Where this rhyme comes from

Earliest record: after c. 1960
Sung in: UK, US

Boogie-woogie dates from the 1930s–40s, and the Twist was a dance craze of 1960–62, which suggests this version is from around 1960 or later. We haven't found a dated record of it yet.

Do you know an older version, or where this rhyme comes from? Teachers can tell us with the feedback button below.

More rhymes like this

Actionsafter c. 1905Salome the DancerSalome was a dancer;
She danced for the king…ActionsIn and outMarco PoloMarco Polo went to France
To teach the ladies how to dance…ActionsCowboy JoeCowboy Joe from Mexico,
Hands up, stick’em up…ActionsHigh KicksHey, (celebrity’s name).
How about a date…ActionsIn and outSpanish LadyNot last night
But the night before…ActionsLords and LadiesLords and Ladies,
Children, too…