I always hated The Electric Slide at weddings. I don't like large group dances [i.e., The Macarena], so I abhor the thought of one step left, two steps back, cross your arms, then slide. And what I learned today makes me vow never to do the slide again for fear of litigation. Apparently Ric Silver, choreographer of The Electric Slide, has a copyright on all uses of the dance. You can read all about it on his website. Silver warns that,
"All rights, including performance of any kind or nature by professionals or amateurs, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio or television broadcast, cable television, videotape, audio recording, motion pictures and rights of translation into foreign languages are strictly reserved. Any performance, copying (including photocopying), arranging, adapting, inserting or storing in a retrieval system, transmitting in any form by any means whatsoever, including mechanical or electronic, of any portion of this material without the prior written consent of the copyright owners is an infringement of copyright thereby entitling the copyright owners to injunctive and other relief to the full extent of the law."
So remember, it's all fun and games until you get sued for doing the Hokey Pokey.