Tina Turner and the Dance That Conquered Australia

Tina Turner and the Dance That Conquered Australia

From Decoder Ring by Slate Podcasts

June 3, 2026 · 49 min

About this episode

This episode explores the origins and cultural significance of the Nutbush dance in Australia.

In Australia, no wedding or school dance is complete without the Nutbush, Australia’s unofficial national dance. The Nutbush – a simple line dance to the song “Nutbush City Limits,” by Ike and Tina Turner – has become as stereotypically Australian as kangaroos, boomerangs, and Vegemite. And yet, hardly anyone outside of Australia even knows the Nutbush exists. Here at Decoder Ring, we certainly didn’t – until we started getting emails from Australians asking us to investigate its origins. How did an American song become the soundtrack for an Australian national tradition? Who invented the iconic steps, and why does every Australian know them? Our producer Max Freedman put on his dancing shoes to get some answers. The global, century-spanning story of the Nutbush involves Australia, Tennessee, Denmark, primary schools, gay discos, and demonstrates that even the goofiest cultural touchstones can go surprisingly deep. In this episode you’ll hear from culture journalists David Mack and Angus Kidman ; Nutbush researchers Panizza Allmark and Jon Stratton ; dance historians Erica Okamura and Richard Powers ; Dr. Fiona Chatteur, Jeremy Santolin, and Brian Kerr. This episode was written…

People in this episode

Guests: Max Freedman, David Mack, Angus Kidman, Panizza Allmark, Jon Stratton, Erica Okamura, Richard Powers, Dr. Fiona Chatteur, Jeremy Santolin, Brian Kerr

Topics covered

  • dance
  • cultural traditions
  • Australia
  • music history
  • line dance
  • Nutbush

Keywords

  • Nutbush
  • dance
  • Australia
  • Ike and Tina Turner
  • cultural history
  • line dance
  • tradition
  • music

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Decoder Ring, Slate Podcasts

Books & works: Nutbush City Limits

Places: Australia, Tennessee, Denmark

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