Let's get down to the REAL nitty gritty!

the 21st century version

Another 21st century version with the principal dancers.

That was fun! Thanks OP and others

I think the really energetic guy in the original is Bobby Banas, who apparently invented the step

Thanks, I still loving watching that guy dance.

Guys who can dance are very sexy.

Bobby Banas dance highlights

They re-created the dance (and re-nameed it "The Bop") for the telethon episode of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," and had the dancers perform it to Dodie Stevens's "Pink Shoelaces"

Bobby Banas is still living at 86.

Now when I watch the Bobby Banas clip, I'm fascinated by the difference between Bobby in the foreground dancing it as he apparently actually choreographed it (i.e. raw and jerky), and the handsome guy behind him who makes it smooth and elegant (which makes no sense given how funky the song is). The background guy may have not entered into the spirit of the song, but he's very handsome nonetheless.

I can't hear the Name Game and not think of this now.

This is how I dance. It's the only way I know how.

Bitch, please. Gladys is the REAL deal!!!

R10, on one of the earlier Nitty Griity threads, (yes, there have been several) some idiot kept going on and on how they guy in the front (Banas) could NOT do the choreography. The person insisted that the blond in the back was doing it right. After about 25 people posting that the guy *was* the choreographer, he posted that was irrelevant, Banas was still WRONG!

I was the OP!

Anybody know who the woman is that is dancing with Banas? She did a danged good job just keeping up with him.

His Wikipedia article has zero about a personal life. I found it touching that apparently he was dancing at 5 or something. It literally was just inside him and was irresistible.

Hilarious that they used the whitest dancers possible for that clip.

The Nitty Gritty is one of the '60s most underrated gems.

Love it! Love it! 1963...my birth year. How I wish I could go back in time and long to find teenagers that were raw and natural like that Banas guy.

How abut these raw teenagers? From reports almost all of the boys were gay and they hooked up with each other after the show. The Homosex was rampant.

racists, out again.

r22 = racist

Lots of white face make-up on Shirley, which seems odd even for 1963.

The male dancers in OP's video look like versions of NILES from FRASIER. GAY versions I might add.

R16, the female dancer is Gina Trikonis. Bobby Banas said the male dancer in the back right was Peter Gennaro, who choreographed a lot of "The Judy Garland Show" numbers (from which this clip came from), but the guy looks more like Gina's brother Gus Trikonis. All three, Bobby, Gina, and Gus were in "West Side Story." Gus was the first Mr. Goldie Hawn.

Gays

R13: I was just about to post Glady's version is the funk!

a much shittier danced trans version

R13 & R28, though I love Gladys Knight, I find Shirley Ellis's version immeasurably superior.

a delight

I work it out

[quote]It literally was just inside him and was irresistible.

A dick?

up in the other man!

OP - thanks for posting this, it's fabulous! I've watched it several times now, I'm glad to know of Bobby Banas, since he's new to me.

Typical white appropriation.

Fast and fun

I can hear all the people from the previous generation watching and bemoaning how music no longer had any melody and the dances were now vulgar -- just like all the people in the video who are still alive are saying about today's music.

I hear america singing