The limbo dance game

How to play the Limbo dance

Set up

The bar can be held by two people…

…or you can use some kind of support like the one these girls have created with some reeds and a couple of ropes. Big shoutout to them – creative geniuses!

Goal of the game

Limbo Rules: playing a game

In the early rounds the bar can be lowered one hand at a time, but when the bar is already very low, and few players are able to pass it, it is better to lower it less. As a rule, the smoother the descents, the longer the game will last.

1. Pass under the bar with your feet in front of you and your body leaning backwards.
2. No other part of the body but the feet may touch the ground.
3. The bar cannot be touched.
4. The challenge is considered successful when the entire body passes under the bar.

A player who breaks any of these rules will be eliminated from the game.

End of the game. Who wins?

The best songs to dance to LIMBO: Spotify PlayList

Limbo Dance Spotify PlayList by LOODENS

The Limbo dance was born in Trinidad Island and therefore it is usually danced to the sound of songs with Caribbean air and rhythms of calypso, soca, reggae and the unmistakable rhythms of the Trinidad and Tobago metal drums.

The LOODENS team has researched, searched and selected the best songs for dancing Limbo.

6 classic songs to dance to Limbo

These are the ones that most people use to dance Limbo, with Caribbean and vintage airs:

1. Day-O Banana Boat Song
2. Limbo rock
3. Jump in the line
4. Soca Limbo Rock
5. Hot hot hot
6. Iko Iko

They are all available in our playlist on Spotify Best songs for LIMBO dance.

6 modern songs for dancing Limbo

With better quality sound, well-known and with perfect rhythms for dancing Limbo:

1. A lalala long
2. Havana
3. Red red wine
4. OMI – Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix)
5. Calma
6. You sexy thing

They are all available in our playlist on Spotify Best songs for LIMBO dance.

Limbo dance history

The Limbo dance has its origin in Trinidad Island, currently part of Trinidad and Tobago. It was the slaves stolen from their native Africa and brought to this island who invented the game of limbo dancing.

What’s less clear is why they created it and what it truly meant to them, because after consulting many sources we have found several and very different hypotheses.

For some authors its origin is found in some kind of traditional dance used in wakes, that is, part of a funeral ritual imported from African ancestral traditions.

According to other sources, the limbo dance had a symbolic meaning related to the boat trip that took them from Africa to the Caribbean. The dance evoked the waves of the sea and the increasing difficulty of reaching their destination alive.

The third version suggests a mocking origin. Apparently, once they arrived at their destination, slaves were segregated by sex. In order for men and women to meet and spend time together, they had to sneak secretly, taking advantage of cracks and gaps under the fences. The limbo dance would then have arisen as a form of mockery towards their captors. By dancing under the bar, they not only amused themselves, but also demonstrated their ability to slip through narrow spaces, without their masters – who enjoyed watching them dance – understanding the true meaning of the act.

Honestly, it is impossible to know what is true and what is just a legend, but whatever really happened, what we are sure of in LOODENS, is that we must use these lines to pay tribute to these people and recognize their merit because, despite the injustice they suffered, they knew with their imagination and talent to create a form of fun with something as simple as a long stick and the percussion sounds they created with all kinds of objects they had at their disposal.

Tips and tricks for passing under the limbo bar

In this video you will see what techniques or tricks can be used to pass under the limbo bar when it is very low. They are dancers who were participating in a Swing Festival and at some point make a stop in the competition to have a few laughs playing limbo. The agility and flexibility they show, which allows them to pass without touching the bar, is not within the reach of most mortals, but you can imitate their tricks.

World record for Limbo

Yes, there is a Limbo world record and it is held by Dennis Walston who in March 1991 was able to pass under a limbo bar with only 15.25 cm (6 inches) of height. We couldn’t believe it either – so we had to dig deeper. And guess what…. here is the link to the recognition of his record on the official RecordGuiness website and also the video showing Dennis in action. It looks like it’s crawling on the ground, but it doesn’t really touch it. It’s amazing. Surreal.

The women’s record stands at 8.5 inches (21.59 cm) from September 2020 and is held by Shemika Charles, who also holds the record for the longest distance covered passing under limbo bars placed 12 inches (30.8 cm) high: she covered no less than 12.67 feet (3.8 meters). Unbelievable.

Yes, we have also checked her records, we can vouch for that, and you can see her in action in this video:

Don’t try this at home – unless your knees are made of rubber!

Remember that competition is the least of it. The important thing is to have a good time with friends or family. Let the music play!