Skank (dance)

When ska became popular amongst British mods and skinheads of the 1960s, these UK youth adopted these types of dances and altered them.

Originally, skanking consisted of a "running man" motion of the legs to the beat while alternating bent-elbow fist-punches, left and right.

This rough appearance tends to lead to negative stereotypes of violence, though they are rare at best and almost never tolerated by venue operators, bands, or other audience members.

While the flailing, swinging, and pushing may appear dangerous, there is almost always a conscious effort by each dancer in the 'pit' to refrain from actually striking or hurting each other.

The style, speed, and moves used when skanking are as diverse as the music it is performed to, usually dictated by its rhythm and genre.