Juba This and Juba That 1. Juba this and Juba that, Juba killed a yellow cat, Juba up and Juba down, Juba all around the town. From “American Folk Songs for Children” by Ruth Crawford Seeger. Originally in “Traditional Ballds of Virginia” byArthur Kaye Davis. The Juba dance was originally an African-American plantation dance that was brought from West Africa by slaves who performed it during their gatherings when no rhythm instruments were allowed due to fear of secret codes hidden in the drumming. The dance was performed in Dutch Guiana, the Caribbean, and the southern United States. Later in the mid-19th century, music and lyrics were added, and there were public performances of the dance. (Wikipedia)