The Pogo (Slam dance or Mosh)

The pogo is a "form of dancing brought about by early punk and thrash bands, now mainly used in the presence of modern hardcore and metalcore. Unlike a general mosh pit, slam dancing actually shows signs of enjoying the music and having a brain. By using kicks and punches, the dance is a way to let off violent energy without actually hurting anybody", as a user on urbandictionary.com said.

I beg to differ... Slam dancing is a violent type of 1980s dancing. People push or slam into each other. It's usually associated with “aggressive” music genres, such as hardcore punk and numerous styles of heavy metal. It is primarily done to live music, but this doesn't prevent dancers from doing with recorded music.

Here, a video that explains a little bit of how this form of dancing is performed:

Variations of moshing exist, and can be done alone as well as in groups. Moshing usually happens in a "pit" (mosh pit) and is intended to be energetic and full of body contact. Variations of slam dancing exist, the most extreme being the "wall of death" that is typically done in the center of the crowd, closer to the stage.

Mosh Pit

While pogoing is seen as a form of expression of enjoyment, it has also drawn criticism over dangerous excesses occurring in performances. Injuries have been reported in mosh pits, and a few deaths have occurred in a "Wall of Death".

Stage Dive

The first dance identifiable as moshing may have originated in Orange County, CA, during the first wave of American hardcore (1980s). At the time California hardcore punk bands such as the Circle Jerks, Black Flag, Fear and Dead Kennedys were popular in OC.


In my opinion this dance is still viewed as dangerous and aggressive. But at the time of its appearance, this dance was only danced by 'rebels'.
Now, pretty much every guy (and girl) that attends a punk concert slam dances.

Information from: Wikipedia.org, UrbanDictionary.com, Punk77.co.uk

Pictures from: Google Images

Videos from: Youtube.com (users: Hind Kam, cropn1)