POLITICS

Obama's Not The First Politician To Bust A Move On The Dance Floor

President Barack Obama made headlines over the weekend after he busted a move during a dinner at Nairobi's State House in Kenya.

Obama did a traditional dance called the Lipala as the Kenyan band Sauti Sol played for the crowd.

But Obama's no stranger to the dance floor, and he's certainly not the only politician with some serious moves.

See Obama and other politicians breakin' it down below:

The Presidential Get-Down

Before he was president, Barack Obama proved that dancing primarily with your hands and hips looks kind of awkward.
The Running First Lady

First lady Michelle Obama knows how to get down. This one is like the running man, but you can only do it if you're married to the president.
The Heyyyy, Hoooo

Former President George W. Bush shows off his playful side here, leading a simple but inclusive dance that involves pointing and most likely saying "heyyyy" and "hoooo."
The Reverend Slide

Al Sharpton does his best James Brown, and it's not bad. The goal here is to get from point a to point b by shuffling your feet and occasionally doing a leg kick. Hands on the hips are also key.
Bachmann Boogaloo

Former Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) and her husband show off a classic spin. This one's pretty self-explanatory.
The Rove Hop

Never has letting loose managed to look so stiff. GOP strategist Karl Rove introduces this move, which involves a series of back and forth jumps. The woman in the background has the proper reaction.
Air Rove

Really not sure what's going on here. This is more of a "what not to do."
The DC Shimmy

Former Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray and Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) show us how to get down. The move is a lot of shoulders and swaying. Add the thumbs up for extra effect.
Barry Boogie

Former Washington D.C. mayor Marion Barry dances like he just doesn't care. This is the way to do it.
The Honorable Ray Ray

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock demonstrates how to do the signature move of NFL star Ray Lewis whilst being a mayor and wearing a tie.
The Gran Hand

Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) shows off this simple move. In politics, it's primarily used at the end of a loud and overly enthusiastic speech. [via Gurl]
The Hyaahhh

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (D) introduced an interesting, yet poorly timed solo dance move back in 2004. We'd recommend not adding your own sound effects when attempting to pull this one off.
Geriatric Giddyup

Former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.) does part of Gangnam Style here. To replicate this one, just picture you're riding a horse and swinging a lasso -- while 81 years old.
Lewis Lasso

Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) joins the Gangnam dance craze. Hand on the reins, do the gallop and swing the lasso.
The Song & Dance

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell shows the proper way to shimmy as you sing "Call Me Maybe."
Perry Circles

There's not a lot of complexity to this circular dance, but watching former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) running around a table hand-in-hand with a group of Orthodox Jews is amazing.
The Delaybot

Former House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-Texas) was an unlikely choice for ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." Here, he does the robot and shows why he didn't make it very far in the competition.
'I Love You'?

This surprisingly wasn't the dance that got him kicked off the show.
The Scott Hop

Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) did some interpretive dance in the middle of an elementary school percussion circle earlier this year. If you ever find yourself in need of a dance in a pinch, just clasp your hands together, shuffle backwards quickly, then hop.
The Gipper Sway

Before he was president, Ronald Reagan showed off a proper ballroom dance in "Santa Fe Trail."
The Rafalca

Former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's prized dressage horse shows us how it's done. Step 1: Be a horse. Step 2: Dance.

A version of this post was originally published in May 2013.

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