Hambone is a Juba dance, a style of dance that involves stomping as well as slapping and patting the arms, legs, chest, and cheeks.

As early as 1739 in the British colonies, drums were prohibited by law and characterized as weapons in an attempt to prevent slaves from building community and inciting rebellion.

Master Juba was clearly a remarkable dancer, it is impossible to gain precise knowledge of his style and technique, or of the degree to which he differed from his largely forgotten black contemporaries. The sources lack precise points of comparison. The more detailed accounts come from British critics, to whom Juba must have been more of a novelty than to Americans. These writers were catering to a white, middle class, British audience. Other descriptions come from promotional material and thus cannot be trusted to be objective. Juba was described as a “jig dancer” at a time when the word still connoted Irish folk dancing but was in the process of changing to encompass black dance. The Irish jig was common at this time.  

Some claim this was the origin of tap-dancing.

Hambone Hambone where you been?  
Round the world and back again.

Hambone, hambone, have you heard
Momma's gonna buy you a mockingbird
and if that mockingbird don't shine
Momma's gonna buy you a bottle of wine
and if that bottle of wine gets broke
momma's gonna buy you a nanny goat
and if that nanny goat runs away
momma's gonna slap your boom-te-yea
(Ref.)
 
Hambone, hambone. Where's your wife
In the kitchen, cooking rice
I just skinned an alley cat
To make my wife a Sunday hat
Took the hide right off a goat
To make my wife a Sunday coat. 
(Ref.)