Limbo (dance)
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Limbo is a novelty dance that actually originated on the island of Trinidad, though Hawaii is often confused with limbo. The dancer moves to a Caribbean rhythm, then leans backward and dances under a horizontal stick without touching it. When several dancers compete, the stick is gradually lowered until only one dancer - who has not touched the stick or the floor - remains.
In recent years, limbo dancing has been conducted as a social "icebreaker" game for tourists at Caribbean and other tropical resorts. The winning dancer often receives a prize.
The name comes directly from the English of Trinidad; Merriam-Webster lists the etymology as "English of Trinidad & Barbados; akin to Jamaican English limba to bend, from English limber" (see definition #2 at http://m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?limbo).
Limbo dancing is believed to have originated from the horrifically cramped conditions of the slave ships, which carried Africans to the Americas.
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