Khmer discofinger: The magic finger

The Khmer empire, circa 802 AD to 1431, was one of the most ancient and impressive civilizations known to man. The Khmer empire's greatest legacy is two-fold -- the beautiful carved city of Angkor Wat and quite possibly, the discofinger.

Did the ancient Khmers invent the move now referred to as 'discofinger'?

This video of traditional Khmer dance points to modern day Cambodia as being the birthplace of the discofinger. Perhaps we will never know, but even today in traditional Khmer dance performances around the world, the discofinger can be appreciated. We at discofinger.com are particularly enamored with the golden discofinger extender seen here. The discofinger starts in earnest around 0:40.

From the dance program:

The lives of giants is drawn from the  Reamker, the Cambodian version of the Ramayana, an ancient Sanskrit epic. Its principals, philosophy and character are fundamental to the cultural consciousness of South and Southeast Asians.


Akaeng Khameaso is a giant in Preah Eyso’s heavenly realm who has been the target of relentless taunting and teasing by a band of mischievous angels since he was a child.


Eventually, he can take no more abuse. He complains about his plight to Preah Eyso, pleading for a way to protect himself. Pitying Akaeng Khameaso, Preah Eyso gives the giant a magic finger, despite Uma’s protests that this will only beget more trouble.


Akaeng Khameaso celebrates his new weapon, though he’s reluctant to use it. Nevertheless, 
when the angels return and start knocking him on the head, he points his finger at them, breaking them into pieces. Before long, he becomes drunk with power that rivals that of Preah Esyo and lays waste to heaven.

Serious moves in Phnom Penh

The disco inside Phnom Penh's Nagaworld casino, Darlin' Darlin' is known for more than just its Filipino cover band and flamboyantly dressed freelancers. The club is also a showcase for the best dancing in Southeast Asia -- dancers come from far and wide to strut their stuff while snooty expats look on, wishing that they too, could bust moves like this. As with all good dance performances, the discofinger comes into play -- here at around 0:29 to the strains of the dancefloor classic "Lick It."

The 70s

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the discofinger featured prominently on "That 70s Show," an American television program that celebrates a time when the discofinger was one of the most beloved and iconic moves of an entire generation. But dare we sound ungrateful when we remind you that the discofinger is timeless.

We need not wear bell-bottomed pants or jumpsuits made of synthetic fabrics in order to raise our fingers in the air and salute all that's right with the world (or how deadly this song is).

Discofinger: The mile high club

We have long found that the Philippines and her residents have enthusiasm and exuberance solidly in line with our own corporate values here at discofinger.com. Therefore, it comes as no surprise to us that Manila-based airline Cebu Pacific has decided to incorporate the discofinger into their inflight safety demonstration dance.

We believe that this demonstrates not only the ebullience of Filipino flight attendants (of which we were already well aware), but of the versatility of the move we affectionately refer to as "discofinger." Not content to confine itself to the dance floor, the discofinger now circumnavigates the globe at 30,000 feet.

Look for it at 1:46 in the first video and 1:08 in the second.





Thanks to the EatingAsia team in Malaysia for spotting this.

Discofinger: The Irish "Finger Wave"

We've long known that the Republic of Ireland is a veritable hotbed of discofinger enthusiasm, and as such, were not surprised to see it featured on 'Following Fade Street,' a Raidió Teilifís Éireann program where homegrown pundit Conor Behan dissects the antics of Ireland's most loved reality twats.

In the program, Behan highlights some of the more savory dance moves that can be found in the cold, muddy fields that are the Irish Festival scene. He leads with a move that he dubs "the finger wave." You guessed it, he's talking about the discofinger! Despite semantic differences we are pleased that the Irish media recognizes the ubiquity of the move within their beloved Éire and moreover, salute their willingness to reenact it on the airwaves. Skip to 3:40 to get to the good stuff and then again during the credits at 6:15.

JMJ Double Discofinger

French composer, performer, producer, discofingerer, Jean Michel Jarre.

Jarre is perhaps best known for his pioneering electronic, synthpop and ambient music. Jarre was raised in Lyon by his mother and grandparents, and trained on the piano. From an early age he was introduced to a variety of art forms, including discofinger. He clearly has not forgotten.

Thanks to the indomitable Aoife Kinsella for submitting this photo.

Comic discofinger

D is for... Doctor Who Defeating Doctor Doom in a Deadly Disco Dance-Off!

Celebrity illustrator Neill Cameron was recently seen sporting the discofinger, in his imagination. As we've always said, D is for Discofinger, whether it's in the club or a comic book.

Thanks to eagle-eye discofinger spotter Karen in Dublin, Ireland for noticing Cameron's A-Z of Awesomeness series.

Out of the kitchen and into the discofinger

Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur Thomas Keller shows that nimble fingers are handy both in the kitchen and on the dance floor.

An anonymous submitter supplied us with this photograph from the French Laundry Christmas party, showing that the man voted the Best American Chef by the James Beard foundation isn't a one trick pony. He can dance!

Discofinger salvation

A shining example of 19th century British discofinger found in London's East End and submitted by discofinger-spotter Casionova.

William Booth (1829 - 1912) was the founder of the Salvation Army. He preached to alcoholics, criminals and prostitutes about the path to salvation, which can clearly be found in the dance move affectionately known as the discofinger.

Discofinger, circa 210 BC, China

One of the earliest examples of the discofinger has been spotted in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China, at the home of the Terracotta Army. It is believed that the Terracotta Army, which contains more than 8,000 statues, was a form of funerary art, the purpose of which was to be able to rule another empire in the afterlife. The figures were buried with the First Emperor of Qin in 210-209 BC.

The significance of the discovery of a discofinger from this time cannot be understated. Its existence strongly suggests that the Qin Dynasty was no stranger to the discofinger, and indeed, it may have been a part of traditional Chinese dance of the time.