How can anyone be blamed for
dancing the “Shimmy” when
even a cockroach can’t resist it in
the face of jazzy music? Dr. Helen
Clark, head of psychology department
here, is authority for the statement: “The
Shimmy is fast becoming the popular
indoor sport for cockroaches.” She has
proved to her students that soft, tuneful
music sends a healthy cockroach into an
emotional trance which finds expression in
rhythmic dance. And high strains produce an
ecstatic response which has a semblance of
The Shimmy. “Similar results are observed in
the angleworm which wriggles and shivers in
perfect cadence with a popular dance step.”
2025 Jacqueline Jackson
This article appears in November 13-19, 2025.
