Penguin dance - pernicious Western import or innocent fun?

The penguin dance, a perky conga-line of bounces and kicks, is sweeping across the GCC, as videos posted online show.

In Saudi Arabic, the hopping dance is a thrill in a land where a strict interpretation of Islamic law means movie theaters and many other diversions are banned.

On Twitter, some Gulf Arab tweeters suggest the penguin dance is a pernicious Western import. Zionist, some tweeters say. A Christian ruse, one argued, showing a chart of the dance to claim that the steps formed a Christian cross.

But still in Saudi Arabia, they penguin dance. At parties, at weddings, even sometimes on Riyadh's Thalia Street, the city's main drag for young people, when the government-paid religious police aren't around, young Saudis said.

"We like it because it's something the families can do together," said a Saudi university student, who danced penguin at home and on campus.

Despite their dour image, "Personally, I think Saudis like to have fun and enjoy themselves as much, if not more, than the next person," said Leila Molaei, a London-based expert in Gulf and other Middle Eastern dance.

"The penguin craze is a manifestation of that. It's a bit of fun."

Not sure how its done? Here’s how you do the penguin dance. Instructions courtesy of the blog Penguin Dance Mania.

Steps 1 & 2: Kick to the left with your left foot, then step back to the middle.

Steps 3 & 4: Kick to the right with your right foot, then step back to the middle.

Step 5: Jump forward with both feet (just a few inches).

Step 6: Jump backward with both feet (again, just a few inches).

Steps 7 & 8: Jump forward three times with both feet. Repeat until you keel over from dehydration.

What you do think? Have you seen anyone do the dance, or have you done it yourself?

Read more about this here: online.wsj.com