Intermediate to country ("Never Loved Before" by Alan Jackson & Martina McBride [Good Time]). This isn't one of those slow and feely AJ tracks, rather it's more reminiscent of his livelier honky tonk numbers. A few spots in the dance to watch out for but for the most part it's pretty straightforward. On counts 3-4 the heel stays off the floor (it's a swivel on the ball of the foot). Make sure you end with the weight on the left after the knee pops (24). Counts 19-20 were the only ones that caused any trouble in class. Has the sailor, sambas, sailor sequence out of Hillbilly Nation. If you've done that dance it shouldn't be a problem - if you haven't, this will be the trickiest part of the dance, by a long shot. Doing 4 sailors is a workable cheat. Dance flows well. Two restarts, both during instrumentals, and one tag. Things She Likes - Rosalie Mackay [4w,64c]; 9/2007 Beginner/improver to country ("Things That bring Me Down" by Amber Lawrence [The Mile]). There's an upper level dance going around to the same song (Fine Things - Sandy Kerrigan), so this should do as a floor split for easy and open dancers. This one is reminiscent of old style line dancing with fans, taps etc. There's no syncopation in the dance and the first 16 counts is basically "Step, tap". The "point, cross, behind, point, hold" is the only spot, if anything, that should trouble improvers. The rest of the dance is pretty basic. Music is a tad on the quick side. Two restarts. One Way Love - Fred Knopp [4w,64c]; 2/2008 Intermediate to country ("Don't Tie My hands" by The McClymonts [Chaos and Bright Lights]). Not quite advanced inetrmediate as the sheet says, IMO. Music will likely be hard to find outside of Australia, but any store with a decent country section here in Oz should have the CD. Dance moves around the floor a lot! So be careful. The dance is also faster than the music would suggest. Counts 41-44 are, well, different, and may take a bit of getting used to. Arguably the hardest part of the dance. On count 44 it helps to lean slightly forward so going into the followng forward shuffle feels smoother. Ditto on the drag (31-32) - a common problem in class was to go backwards instead of forward on both counts 45 and 33. The last 4 counts is just a rocking chair with hips to the diagonals. No tags/restarts. Younger Men - Hedy McAdams [4w,64c]; 2/1996 Intermediate to country ("Younger Men" by K.T. Oslin). A classic that's still done regularly on the local dance floors. Don't be put off the sheet - it's not really a phrased dance with 8 parts, the choreographer has just numbered each section of 8. It would also be considered easy to mid intermediate by today's standards. Dance has a lot of repetition, a good dnace beat and only a moderate amount of floor movement. There's a lot of sytling and extra actions - see the sheet for some, but a lot are local variations. Count 16 is more of a hop/rock than a traditional rock/recover. Count 48 is another rock/hop back. No tags & no restarts but the dance still phrases well to the music. Shimmy Shack - Simon Ward & Justine Shuttleworth [4w,64c]; 3/1997 Intermediate to pop music ("The LOve Shack" by The B52's [Cosmic Thing]). This one just goes to show that newline linedancing is nothing new! The dance is full of shimmy's (pbviously), body rolls and so forth. For obvious reasons Simon's been called "Rubber Legs". Not one of the more frequently done classics, but it's been hanging on all these years, especially amongst the younger dancers who really go overboard with the styling (I'm sure I've seen them do it and bend backwards with their shoulders touching the floor!). Still, the more you style it, the better it looks. The double rocks (33-36) seemed a bit odd at first - both in the same direction (you feel like wanting to do a rocking chair). Not much floor movement. It doesn't phrase terribly well with the music, but who cared back then? There's one tag, but more for styling than phrasing, tho' it does fit the music neatly. The holds in the tag can take a bit of getting used to. Firecracker - Robert Lindsay [4w,56c]; 8/2007 Easy intermediate to disco ("You Set My Heart on Fire" by Helena Paparizou [Iparhi Logos]). Dance is a bit on the quick side and has a good solid beat (typical of disco music). For those wanting to fill in the intro, apparently you can fit in the tag twice and then flow into the dance itself. This dance has lots of hips and is definitely meant to be done with a lot of attitude and styling. Watch out for the side lunges for those with dicky knees. The coasters following the lunges seemed to quickly become sailors, even during the walk-thru'. They do feel smoother as sailors. The pivot on count 38 does not have a weight transfer - make sure the weight stays on the left foot (hint: lean back slightly). After the dip (39-40) make sure the weight is still on the left foot. For those who prefer to do something other than the dip (it is a strain on the knees), you could try a shimmy, twists or a rock R forward and recover onto the L. Just make sure you end with the weight on the left foot. The rest of the dance is fairly straightforward. Note the dance ends with a "hold-ball", which may end up being fudged as a plain step together. One fairly simple tag. Velvet Waters - Whakaoriori Shufflers [2w,64c]; 3/2008 Easy intermediate to pop ("Velvet Waters" by Dale & Phillipa). This dance is actually a lot easier than a first look at the step sheet may suggest - in a large part because the sheet does not always use standard terminology (a step, pivot is described as a "step, recover weight" which normally means a "rock step, recover"). The directions on two of the turns are also missing - count 52 is a 1/4 right pivot turn and count 58 is a 1/4 left pivot turn. The cross-shuffles (counts 3-8) all move in the same direction and ditto for those on counts 11-16. This did cause confusion in class with lots of "tanglefoot"! Dance moves a fair bit around the floor. The 3/2 turning shuffle (27&28) can be done as a 1/2 turn if desired. The dance is fairly smooth despite all the hinge turns and there're optional Maori-style hand actions (tho' not on the sheet which is travelling around Sydney. Check the sheet on my site for the hand actions or watch the YouTube video). Avoid the full 1/2 turn on the hinge turns to minimise knee strain, if that's an issue. Very mellow music, on the slow side. One restart, obvious in the music. One Woman Man - Kevin & Maria Smith [2w,64c]; 11/2007 Easy intermediate to country ("One Woman Man" by Josh Turner [Everything Is Fine]). A nice, lively track and a great dance for a packed floor or a demo since there is virtually no floor movement at all (but it still manages to flow fairly well). The 'side, drag, together' sequences (9-10, 13-14) may take a bit of getting used to - the count feels like you should be shuffling. The 1/2 turn and tap (15-16) is essentially a cross b/h and unwind. The music slows down towards the end and then speeds up. You need to keep in time with the beat (ie: slow down and then speed up), don't just dance thru' it. Theres also a false ending in the music - the dance continues until the music stops. Two restarts, not terribly obvious in the music. Everlasting Love - Jennifer Hughes [2w,64c]; 2/2008 Intermediate to disco ("Everlasting Love (Alternate Mix" by Gloria Estefan [Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me]). A *very* shuffle intensive dance (there're 15, including a few sailors). Watch out for the hold on count 6 - it's easy to dance thru'. The dance moves fairly well, but is a touch on the fast side. After the twists (count 35) make sure you end with the weight on the left - it helps to lean forward. The same applies on the other foot (count 43). The sequence repeating on the other foot did cause some confusion in class initially. The last two counts are a bit "abrupt" in feel and may take a few tries to settle down. One tag done twice and again after the restart. Swept Away - Robert Fletcher and Karen Jennings (2w,50c]; 9/2007 Intermediate/advanced to pop ("Drowning by Backstreet Boys [Greatest Hits - Chapter One]). This is one of those "feelie" songs and fortunately the dance fits the bill admirably - very sweepy and flowing which will probably take a while to settle in, if only because of the difficulty level. Definitely not for every class. A fairly turn intensive dance and very syncopated, but the music is slow and despite the turns its a very smooth dance. The 2nd last set of 8 is the trickiest part of the dance and warrants extra time and attention when teaching. Of course every class is different. One tag and one restart. Oklahoma Wind - Rosalie Mackay [4w,64c]; 10/2007 Intermediate to country ("Does the Wind Still Blow in Oklahoma" by Reba McEntire & Ronnie Dunn [Duets]). Onld time country music from a master of that genre. A pleasant change from all the new-line stuff. The dance does move around the floor a bit (so watch for the furniture). Counts 41-48 seemed somewhat fiddly the first week and caused a bit of grief in class, so extra care here when teaching. The 1/2 turn near the end also caused some trouble in class (cheat: step, pivot and shuffle fwd), otherwise a fairly straightforward dance. The music slows down near the end, the dance also slows down tho' since the beat vanishes the dance floor tended to get a bit chaotic. No tags or restarts. Two Lonesome Hearts - Lyn Booth [4w,64c]; 1/2008 Intermediate to country ("Two Lonesome Hearts" by Zachary Hunter [In Your Dreams]). This is a bit of a surprise - the choreographer didn't think it would ever go anywhere (so decided not to teach it), but now it's starting to make it's way around so time for a catchup in class. A great country-rock song. Not much floor movement and the dance flows fairly well without any awkward or sudden turns. While the 2nd set of 8 starts off the same as the 1st, it ends differently which caused a bit of confusion in class the first few times. The rock sequence (33-40) may need a bit more attention when teaching, especially the & steps. Watch the weight transfer after the unwind (32) - the weight stays on the left. 1 tag and 1 restart. Without You - Carl Sullivan [2w,40c]; 12/2007 Intermediate to country ("My World is Over" by Kenny Rogers and Whitney Duncan [single]). I found this dance a bit mixed. The first 24 counts flowed very nicely but the remainder of the dance *just* falls short of that high standard. Having said that there're a lot of successful dances that're no better than the 2nd half, so it's worth persisting. The dance is heavily syncopated (tho' the music is slow) and the few non-syncopated steps tended to catch people out in class with the temptation to syncopate those as well, especially the "rock, recover" (17-18). Counts 19-24 are sort of turning shuffles. Sort of! A trouble spot in class. Note that the final turn near the end is on the & count it's part of a ball-step). The "back-sweep, back-sweep" (37&38&am;) could probably be done just as two steps backwards to simplify things. Two restarts - the first is obvious, the 2nd less so. Bringin' Da Noise - Mark Simpkin & Kate Moore [2w,64c]; 11/2007 Intermediate to dance club music ("Bringin' Da Noise" by NSYNC). The music for this one will definitely not be to everyone's taste. Probably more aimed at the younger crowd. Dance does have a lively feel to it, typical of the choreographer's previous output. A bit on the fast side. An easier alternative for the jumps (35&36&) is to point the right to the right side, make a 1/4 turn and hitch the right. Make sure the weight ends on the right foot after the knee pops (45-48). Two restarts, both in the same place. 1st is easy, the 2nd is hard to pick in the music. It's Good to Be Us - Linda Wolfe, Robyn Groot, Gary & Cheryl Parker [2w,64c]; 10/2007 Intermediate to country ("It's Good to Be Us" by Bucky Covington [Bucky Covington]). This is certainly an unusual dance in its feel and the step combinations. It's also quite fast, especially the syncopated sections. It will probably take a few tries, maybe even a few weeks, for this dance to stop feeling awkward, but do think about persisting since first impressions can be wrong! After the two kick-ball-changes, make sure you end with your feet apart, to make going into the following sailors feel smoother. Counts 33-40 will likely need extra care when teaching (it caused the most "grief" in class), especially with the weight transfers. 1 restart. I Only Want To Be With You - Linda Burgess [4w,48c]; 12/2007 Improver to pop ("I Only Want To Be With You" by Dusty Springfield). Nothing difficult with this dance and it flows quite well. It should appeal to the older dancers who know who Dusty is! Moves a bit around the floor, but not too much (so watch the furniture). Dance beat is a bit on the slow side, but just right for the difficulty level. May be a bit of challenge for the average beginner, but should be achievable with a bit of practice. Two restarts. No Matter What - Fred Knopp [2w,48c]; classic Easy intermediate to pop ("No Matter What" by Boyzone [single]). When this came out back in the 90's it was considered intermediate/advanced. How times have changed! A smooth cha-cha rhythm that nicely suits the music - apart from the last wall when the music heads off into the sunset. Just finish the dance off at the beat of the rest of the song. The 1/4 turn/twist rock, recover (17-18) seems to be mostly done as a vanilla rock, recover by those who've been doing it for years. It's certainly easier on the knees and ankles! An old classic that still continues to fill the dance floors. A bit on the slowish side. No tags or restarts (of course!). Run With It - Kevin & Maria Smith [2/4w,32c]; 9/2007 Improver to country ("Run With It" by Victoria McGee [single]). This is a simple little dance with a nice feel to it, however the sheet may be hard to get hold of (I have an original copy on this site). It's only two walls, but with the restarts you end up doing the dance to all 4 walls. There is a left Monterey which is rare and may trouble those more used to doing right Monterey's and make sure you end the dance with a step together, not a touch. Apart from that there's nothing to really watch out for. Counts 1-2 seemed to flow better doing a brush forward and then a brush back across the left foot, but that's just a personal preference - and definitely not official! *g* Shouldn't be too difficult for an upper beginner class, tho' the 2/4 walls may be a bit confusing for that level. 2 restarts. Out of the Blue - Luke Watson [2w,48c]; 2007 Intermediate waltz to country ("Second Chance" by Trisha Yearwood). A very nicely flowing waltz that almost perfectly nails the waltz style. Has a bit of floor movement, butyou really do need some for a good flowing waltz. On the "cross, back, side" just before the unwind, make sure you end with your feet apart - makes the unwind easier. Keep your weight on the left after the 2nd unwind - you might need to tap the ball of the right to balance. Dance ends with a hold/drag which did catch some out in class, going into the next wall early. The restart caused the most trouble in class - the extra 1/4 turn doesnt seem much on the sheet but can take a bit of practice to nail down. The beat fades out soon after so it may be helpful to call the beat for the first few weeks after this point. A real "feelie" number. One tag, one restart. Sweet Sweet Smile - Johnny Two-Step & Fi Scott [4w,32c]; 10/2005 Improver to pop ("Sweet Sweet Smile" by Scooter Lee [Walking On Sunshine] or "Sweet Sweet Smile" by The Carpenters). A fairly basic dance that was very popular around the world back in 2005/2006 but for some reason never took off in Australia at the time. Ever since then it's been slowly making its way around the country. Not much floor movement. The 1/2 turn and backwards shuffle (with a direction reversal) does seem strained and did catch some out in class even after a few tries. No tags/restarts. Hard Workin' Man - Sobrielo Philip Gene [4w,64c]; 8/2007 Improver to country ("Hard Workin' Man" by Brooks & Dunn [Hard Workin' Man]). A great country track from those masters of country with a nice lively beat - but not too fast. Nothing tricky with the steps and there's a lot of repetition - almost every sequence is done twice in a row. Not much floor movement. This one has slowly been going around the traps since the choreographer introduced it to Sydney back in 2007. One of the few country-music dances he has choreographed. There are optional hand movements. Two restarts. No Quitter - Amanda Moore & Linda Wolfe [4w,72c]; 9/2007 Intermediate to country ("I Ain't No Quitter" by Shania Twain [Greatest Hits]). This was one of the most popular dances at Tamworth 2008. A bit on the quick side (160bpm) but certainly not fast. There is a short intro. The tag may take a bit of getting used to. Counts 9-16 seemed to bother some in class - they are just rock forward, recover with a 1/2 turn, repeated several times. Counts 33-40 is perhaps the hardest section of the dance and certainly caused the most trouble in class - there is an easy option on the step sheet. Watch out for count 16 - there is a weight change. A few in class kept doing a touch/brush instead (a common beat in the dance is 1,2,3,hold/brush). One tag done twice. Oh Suzannah - Chris Watson & Bill Larson [4w,32c]; 10/2007 Upper beginner to country ("Oh Suzannah" by Southern Culture [On The Skids]) Music is a bit on the fast side and a tad longish. Nothing tricky tho' watch for the slide together (count 14) - there's a weight change. There're two shuffles and two rolling vines so strictly speaking it's not a beginner dance. Lots of traditional slaps and claps. One of the dances chosen for the 2008 Royal Easter Show demonstration. No tags/restarts. Two Steppin' Blues - Tracie Lee [2w,68c]; 1/2008 Easy intermediate to country ("Two Step Your Baby's Blues Away" by Marsha Britton [Hayride]). Nothing tricky with the steps - apart from the holds, not all of which are immediately obvious. Dance doesn't really have a 2-step feel to it, but it does floow well. Not much floor movement. The slow coaster at the end seemed to want to be a forward coaster, at least the first week, so it may help to lean back slightly after the preceeding slow side-ball-cross. One restart. NIMBY - Maggie Gallagher [4w,64c]; 4/2007 Intermediate to counry ("Your Backyard" by Burton Cummings [The Best of Burton Cummings]). A nicely flowing dance with just the right amount of bounce to it. Pace is on the quick side but there's no syncopation, so it's not "too fast". The extended weave (8 counts) moves a bit across the floor but otherwise there's not much floor movement. The first hold (count 20) caught some out in class for a while. There was also the temptation to do the "kick cross"s as single counts rather than 2. The count in the first 24 counts is a bit unusual, breaking familar sequences (eg: a 4-count Monterey is done on counts 7-10). No tags/restarts. Losing You - Errol Colomb [4w,32c]; 11/2007 Intermediate to country ("My Greatest Fear" by Randy Travis [Black Dog Soundtrack]). A very typical Randy Travis track, however the music is only available on the album soundtrack, which is hard to find. Dance has a straight cha-cha count - keep this in mind since the count seemed to cause the most trouble in class. Counts #&4 is essentially a 5/4 rolling shuffle, similarly 11&12 is a full turn rolling shuffle. Be careful of the weight change after the unwind - that caused some trouble in class. The turns on 25-28 are, of course, optional. And finally, counts 31&32 is just a sailor with a sweep. No tags or restarts. East To West - Larry Hayden [2w,96c]; 3/2006 Easy intermediate to dance-pop ("From Coast to Coast" by Modern Talking [America]). This dance was a huge hit elsewhere in the world in 2006 and after a long wait several Sydney instructors are finally picking it up. The dance is a bobby and lively number with a moderate amount of floor movement, tho' it does seem almost every 2nd sequence is a kick-ball-change (it's not quite, really). There's a lot of repetition in the dance with sequences being repeated on the opposite foot. 9-20 is a bit fiddly and caused the most trouble in class. Keep in mind that 13-16 is really just a jazz-box. The sheet doesn't give the direction of the coaster (19&20), but presumably it's a back coaster. The "kick-ball-change, step, tap" sequences felt unusual at first and may require a bit of practice to settle down. The two 1/2 turn sailors towards the end felt awkward and a bit of a strain on the ankles. A cross, unwind and step together flows quite nicely (and gently), but you didn't hear that from me!o tags or restarts. Bible and a Bus Ticket - Linda Wolfe, Robyn Groote, Gary & Cheryl Parker [4w,32c]; 10/2007 Easy intermediate to country ("A Bible and a Bus Ticket" by Colin Raye [Direct Hits]). Nothing tricky with the steps and the class had no trouble with this one (class ranges from improver to advanced). The choreography flows fairly well tho' 10-16 seemed a bit rushed after the previous steps the first few times and one of the rolling shuffles requires a sudden direction reversal. The rolling shuffles are, however, optional and the 2nd one does roll to the right, even if the left feels more natural (IMO at least). One of those "feelie" dance and song combinations, tho' some may find it "too slow". One tag. Boom Boom Boom - Ross Brown [4w,48c]; 5/2007 Improver to latin-dance track ("El Bum-Bum" by Carlitos {La Mona} Jimenez [El Original Bum-Bum]). Hmm... not sure about the song title. The group is actually from Argentina and is an example of the "Cuarteto", a type of dance-hall music played by a quartet. Probably not to everyone's taste. Certainly, well, different. Dance travels a bit, especially the hinge turn shuffles (17-24). Nothing tricky with the steps and there is a fair bit of repetition with a number of sequences being repeated on the other foot. A lively dance that flows well and didn't cause any trouble in class. Music sounds something like a Kiwi Hakka is about to break out in spots! The only thing in the dance that seemed to trouble people was the hold - quite a few repeatedly left it out. Two tags. The Here And Now - Charlie Mifsud [32c,4w]; 4/2007 Beginner/improver to country ("Living In The Here And Now" by Darryl Worley [Here And Now]). Dance has a few shuffles so strictly speaking it's not a beginner dance, but it shouldn't pose much trouble for any but the greenest of novices (there were a couple of 3rd-week dancers present who picked it up easily). The only thing to watch out for are the holds. One tag, which is optional if you're not worried about the phrasing. Not Like That - Robbie McGowan Hickie [4w,32c]; 5/2007 Intermediate to hip-hop dance music ("Not Like That" by Ashley Tisdale [Headstrong]). Sheet says beginner/intermediate level, but this is definitely not for beginners .. or improvers either I daresay. A bouncy number with a heck of a lot more than 32 steps (54 as it happens) - only two counts are non-syncopated. A tad on the quick side, tho' it doesn't feel rushed. Not that hard once you've learnt the dance but it seemed to cause quite a bit of trouble in class, especially counts 7-12. Make sure you end count 8 with the right (with weight) crossed over the left and that count 10 is a tap, not a step together. These seemed to be the biggest problems. Lots of optional body movements. No restarts/tags. Can't Touch That!! - Linda Burgess and Travis Taylor [2w,40c]; 10/2007 Intermediate to dance-club music ("Can't Touch It" by Ricki-Lee [radio edit]). Another heavily syncopated dance (65 steps) and one definitely not recommended to try on a fast floor (lots of direction changes which require a bit of friction), especially with the quick beat. Dance is an unusual mix of traditional country linedance step sequences (hitches, scuffs, scoots etc) with, well, very much non-country music. A very common mistake in class was to syncopate the rock fwd, recover (25-26). 27-28 is a 3/2 rolling shuffle back - you can replace it with a 1/2 turn shuffle if desired. The scoot on count 40 can be replaced with a scuff (or even a hold). On 37-38 there're only 3 hip bumps, not 4 as many in class wanted to do. One tag and one restart. Roll On - Tracie Lee [4w,48c]; 8/1997 Easy intermediate to rock 'n roll ("Keep Me Rocking" by Shanley Del). A classic from the mid 90's that's enjoying a revival across Sydney. A great rock 'n roll track (it was a fav demo dance for a R&R/linedance group back in the 90's). Nothing tricky with the steps, tho' the dance is quick! The rolling shuffles (9-12) are optional, just shuffle forward if you'd prefer. The sheet has only one turing shuffle, but the choreographer taught it as two 1/2 turn shuffles - so do as you prefer I daresay. On the twists (17-20) flick the right foot behind the left leg after the last twist so the following shuffle to the right side flows much more nicely. Make sure your weight ends on the right after the hip bumps. The stomp (37) does not have a weight change. The step, pivot (39-40) will likely end up as a cross and unwind at dance speed. No tags or restarts. The dance ends with a stomp instead of the last strut. She's Gone - Noel Bradey [2w,60c]; 8/2007 Intermediate to country ("Speed of Flight" by Tracy Lawrence [For the Love]). The music for this one is very country, so may not appeal to the newline crowd. Dance flows quite well and has a nice waltz rhythm apart from two syncopated steps (a pet peeve of mine). Like most of Bradey's dances, it is a bit quirky in spots (not a criticism, just means you need to focus on the dance). Does move around the floor quite a bit. There's a shuffle and a ball-cross that breaks the waltz rhythm. For those like me who prefer no syncopation in waltzes, I'm sure you can work out a variation (there's a hold before the ball-cross which makes that one easy). Note that the sweep is a single count - a common mistake in class was to do a 2 count sweep and then have to do a bit of quick footwork to catch up. Quite a few turns, especially in counts 37-48. One tag and one restart. Come On Over - June Hulcombe & Barbara Willshire [2w,32c]; 9/2007 Improver to country ("Come On Over To My Place" by Daniel O'Donnell [The Jukebox Years]). No, not to the Shania song! The sheet says this is a beginner dance, but with sailors and a turnign shuffle it's definitely more at the improver level, tho' with a bit of practice it should be do-able for upper beginners (who've already been introduced to sailors). A fairly basic dance and nothing particularly difficult in the steps, tho' the first sailor did feel a bit strained coming straight after a turning shuffle - at least on the first week. Not much floor movement and the music is a touch on the slow side. No tags or restarts. Take Me to Paradise - Gordon Elliott [2w,64c]; 10/2007 Intermediate to reggae ("Isle of Paradise" by Blue Lagoon [Blue Lagoon]). This one got a mixed reception in class. A bit reminiscent of Reggae Cowboy, if only for the music. The dance isn't terribly joint friendly with a few abrupt direction changes, however since the music is slowish, this isn't a big problem. Dance is also quite turn intensive and unfortunately for the non-turners none of the turns are full turns that can be easily left out. Watch the weight transfers after the unwinds - they caught quite a few out in class. Not much floor movement. Note that the last 4 counts is essentially walking on the spot, making a full turn. The turns can be a bit confusing. Make sure you have the latest dance sheet - some early drafts are floating around givign it as a 2 wall dance; it's definitely got 4 walls. Watch the long intro - start on the main vocals. No tags or restarts. Get Your Feet Down - Michelle Chandonnet [2w,phrased]; 6/2007 Intermedate to country ("1,2,3" by Ann Tayler [Home To Louisiana]). One of those dreaded phrased dances, this one with 4 parts. Still, the steps are for the most part fairly basic .. if not for the phrasing it'd likely be an improver dance (don't let the "advanced" on the sheet scare you off). The step, tap, scuff sequence towards the end of part D is the only particularly tricky part, step-wise, and deserves a bit of extra attention when teaching. The dance is quick (182bpm) and has a bit of floor movement. There's also a lot of repetition. Note that the sheet on kickit is wrong for the 3rd set of 8 in part C - the step summary is correct, not the detailed steps (get an original sheet, either from my site or the choreographer's). No tags or restarts and the sequences are not that painful. Easy Listening Radio - Barbara Hile [4w,32c]; 7/2007 Upper beginner to country ("Thank God for the Radio" by Alan Jackson [Who I Am]). A mellow AJ track, a bit on the slow side but well suited for beginners. Nothing tricky with the steps. has shuffles, pivots and a kick-ball-change so more an upper beginner dance. Still, the dance is slow enuf that this could be used as a teaching dance. Not much floor movement. No tags/restarts. Heard It In A Love Song - Carl Sullivan [1/4w,64c]; 9/2007 Intermediate to country ("Heard It In A Love Song" by Mark Chesnutt [Heard It In A Love Song]). A rumba count dance. A bit fiddly but with a bit of practice it settles down and flows fairly well. Not much floor movement. Lots of touches, holds, points etc. Dance is a bit quickish, but not fast. With all the restarts you end up dancing to all 4 walls even tho' it's really a 1 wall dance. The stepsheet says there's only one restart, however at the top of the sheet it says to leave off the last 8 counts every chorus (every 2nd wall). Doing the full 64 counts returns you to 12:00. Me, I'd call these restarts, making at least 4 restarts in the dance. To consider it a 2 wall dance with one restart, as the sheet states, you'd have to count it as a 120 count dance (1-64 + 1-56 = 120 counts). Oscillation - Noel Brady [2w,64c]; 8/2007 Intermediate to latin ("Vaiven" by Chayanne [Chayanne]). This one screams out to be done with a latin style! A cha cha rhythm to the music and the dance follows this pretty closely. On the two unwinds make sure your weight ends on the right foot. On the "step, step together", make sure the second step is actually a step and not a touch. The full turn after the two lockl shuffles is essentially done on the spot. Note that the last 16 counts of the dance are highly turn intensive but once you get the feel of it, they flow extrremely well. The last 16 arguably is the hardest part of the dance and warrants extra attention when teaching. Not much floor movement. One restart. My Love 4U - Tim Gauci [4w,64c]; 4/2007 Improver to country ("My Love for You" by Daniel O’Donnell [Until The Next Time]). A fairly basic dance with a rumba rhythm. Apart from keeping track of the 3/4 turns and making sure the weight is on the left foot after the hip bumps there's nothing to really watch out for. A bit on the slowish side. One tag - just hip bumps. 4 The 1 - Michael Vera-Lobos [4w,72c]; 7/2007 Intermediate waltz to country ("In the Arms of the One Who Loves Me" by Ty Herndon [Right About Now]). This one got a mixed reception in class - some loved it, others, well, didn't. Mostly for the same reason - lots of turns and a real thinker of a dance. Another nice flowing waltz to follow up on Champagne on Ice, tho' I doubt it'll have as much appeal. The beat is a bit on the quick side for a waltz, but it just manages not to feel rushed. The hardest part of the dance is getting all the turns and directions right - more than a few left the floor confused, mid-dance. Note the 'pivot' (31-33) does not have a weight transfer - keep on the left foot. 34-36 totals a 3/4 turn - it's tempting to do a full turn instead (and 36 ends facing the diagonal!). On count 48 it's important that you drag the L towards the R with the heel off the floor so you can go into the next sequence, which involves a direction reversal. 49-60 caused a fair bit of trouble in class - just remember each set of 6 totals a 3/4 turn to the left, for a total 3/2 turn left. The last 12 counts are two figure 8's - not quite as bad as they look on the sheet of walking thru' the first time. Two tags. Big Dog Daddy - Linda Pink [4w,48c]; 7/2007 Improver to country-rock ("Big Dog Daddy" by Toby Keith [Big Dog Daddy]). Song has a great rockin' beat, tho' it's a bit on the quick side. Still, shouldn't be too fast for improvers to get their feet around (there were a few in the class and they had no trouble). To counter the pace there's no syncopation and not much floor movement. The only 'tricky' spot are counts 17-20 and specifically count 20 - make sure you rock/recover back rather than step together. Otherwise a fairly basic dance. One tag, one restart. The restart is hard to pick in the music. Show Me Yours - Maggie Gallagher [4w,48c]; 1/2007 Intermediate to dance-club music ("Show Me Yours" by Rick Guard [Hands of a Giant]). Nothing overly difficult with the steps tho' the 1st 8 counts are pretty turn intensive and include a sudden direction change. After that the dance settles down. Note there's a false start in the music - the intro is 22s. No tags or restarts however there is a 'funnel' (as the choreographer describes it) on the 6th wall you skip counts 37-44. If Only - Tracie Lee [2w,64c]; 8/2007 Intermediate to country ("If I Could Only Fly" by Joe Nichols & Lee Ann Womack [Real Things]). A slow and, well, rather sedate track which may have limited appeal with the "newline" crowd. The dance itself is one of those which require concentration with an unusual count and a few odd steps. The sailor on 9&10 did tempt some into doing a cross-samba instead. Counts 32-48 are the hardest part of the dance (especially with the music) and deserve extra attention when teaching. Notably getting all the ball-steps right. The ball-spin and shuffle forward (&19-21) caused a fair bit of trouble in class. If necessesary, leave out the spin and just do a ball-step followed by the shuffle, all moving in the same direction. Make sure the shuffle ends with a slight lunge forward since the following steps move backwards. The rocking chair (28-32) is really a series of diagonal hip bumps. No tags or restarts tho' there is an optional ending. In Your Dreams - June Hulcombe & Barbara Willshire [2w,64c]; 5/2007 Intermediate to country ("In Your Dreams" by Zachary Hunter [In Your Dreams]). Music is a bit on the slowish side. The dance flows quite well and all the turns fit in naturally. The first 16 counts of the dance are done to the diagonals. The heel-ball-cross sequences (41-48) felt a bit unusual at first, but settled down with a bit of practice. On 49-56 make sure you step (and have a weight transfer) on the "together's" - they are not slide and taps. On the wall after the last tag the music fades in and out a few times - just keep on dancing thru' to the end of the dance. One restart, two tags. Where You Gonna Go - Linda Burgess [4w,64c]; 9/2007 Intermediate to country ("Where You Gonna Go" by Toby Keith [Honkytonk University]). A quiet, modest track from TK, not his usual heavy rock beat. Dance flows well from one wall to the next, tho' some of the turns felt strained the first week. The dance does move a *lot* in the 3/9 o'clock direction, especially the hinge shuffles - the choreographer prefers dances that move a lot. On the two unwinds, make sure you end with the weight on the correct foot - quite a few got caught out in class. No tags or restarts. Baby Blues - Travis Taylor [4w,48c]; 3/2007 Improver to country/rock ("Blues About You Baby" by Delbert McClinton). The choreograher labelled this as a beginner dance, but with a brisk pace, syncopation and a number of non-beginner steps, the average beginner would seriously struggle with this dance. Definitely improver to easy intermediate level. Has a good beat and a 'honytonk' feel. Nothing notably difficult with the steps, tho' watch the weight transfer after the twists. No tags/restarts. Kiss An Angel - Margaret Murphy [2w,64c]; 7/2007 Easy intermediate to country ("Kiss An Angel Good Morning" by Alan Jackson [Under the Influence]). The song is a bit on the slow side, but it has a good solid beat - it's hard to go wrong with an AJ track after all! Dance has a rumba rhythm (1,2,3,hold), tho' the "hold" is usually a touch. Apart from counts 8-16 the dance is quite easy. 8-16 is a sequence of step, touches with turns. Sounds easy, but is a bit tricky. The sequence is entirely "step, tap" and you could make the dance easier (for beginners) by replacing the sequence with three step back, tap, then a step forward, tap. One restart. Where I Come From - Marian Culpan [2w,64c]; 4/2007 Intermediate to country ("Where I Come From" by Lee Kernaghan [The New Bush]). A nice country-rock song with a good solid beat. Dance starts on the lyrics, not the heavy beat. The dance may take a few tries to flow properly. Looks like Marian's been taking lessons from her dance partner, the first 32 counts of this dance are all to the diagonals! Apart from the turn on count 32, counts 17-32 are a repeat of 1-16. Count 16 is a pivot turn, however I found a pencil turn felt better and was a lot nicer on the ankles. Quite a few in class had trouble going into the sailor after count 32. I found it helped to point the left foot sligthly to the side after the pivot, making the sailor feel a lot more natural (doing a sailor from the feet together is a bit awkward). Be careful of the weight transfer onto the right foot count 40 - it was a common mistake in class to end on the wrong foot. COunts 41-56 are a "bit fiddly" and will likely require a bit of extra attention. One tag and one restart. Cadillac Ranch - anonymous [2w,46c]; prehistoric Easy intermediate to country ("Daddy Laid The Blues On Me" by Bobbie Cryner [Bobby Cryner/Steppin' Country Vol. 3]). One of those 'ancient' classics that refused to die. Once upon a time this was called an advanced dance. now it shouldn't be too much trouble for an improver class, especially if you leave out the full turns. One word of caution - the dance does not phrase to the music. It really does NOT phrase! The dance has quite a few local variations, such as knee splits instead of the two triples (3&4,7&8). Make sure you keep an eye on the weight transfers - that'sd really the only tricky thing with this dance. Oh, and it's fast. Losing at Loving - Josh & Julie Talbot [4w,32c]; 5/2007 Intermediate to country ("Losing at Loving" by Blue Country). A nice rockin' beat to the song. The dance is a tad on the quick side and does move around the floor a fair bit. The first 1/2 of the dance has a lot of heel's and has something of a 90's line dance feel. Nothing notably tricky with the steps, tho' watch out for the hold on count 14. 2 tags. Don't Try to Pick Me Up - Rosalie Mackay [4w,32c]; 6/2007 Improver to country ("Don't Bet Your Boots" by Jean Stafford [Let the Dance Begin]). The music sounds like one of those really rockin' country songs that gave rise to many of classic dances of the 90's. Dance flows well and doesn't have much floor movement. Nothing really difficult with the steps. Short intro, only 4 counts. WHile the song is less than 4 minutes long, the dance does go for something like 14 walls which can get a bit monotonous after a while .. might be an idea to fade the song out after the tag on the 11th wall. Two tags. Boobyalla - John Bishop [4w,64c]; 5/2007 Easy intermediate to country ("Boobyalla" by Donna Fisk & Michael Cristian [Joyride]). The dance flows fairly well and there's not much floor movement. Nothing particularly difficult with any of the steps - shouldn't be too much challenge for improvers. Tho' there're quite a few similar sequences so you'll need to focus a bit on just where in the dance you are. The choreographer has a video of the dance on YouTube for those who need to see how it's done. At the end of the wall it helps if you finish leaning slightly to the right so the side shuffle starting the next wall flows more naturally. One restart. Part-Time Lover - Dee Musk [4w,32c]; 2/2007 Improver to pop ("Part-Time Lover" by Stevie Wonder [A Greatest Hits Collection 1996]). A nice little dance that fits the music and only has a moderate amount of floor movement. Quite a bit of repetition. The music has a false ending about 2/3rd's the way thru' - just keep on dancing. The two kick-cross-ball-side sequences were the only ones that caused any trouble in class (improvers to advanced) and may take a while to nail down. Myself, I foudn the two 'slow' pivots to feel rather odd since the rest of the dance is syncopated. No tags/restarts. Bread On The Table - Maggie Gallagher [2w,64c]; 9/2006 Intermediate to country ("Bread On The Table" by Tom Wurth [Tom Wurth]). Here's something rare these days - a country music dance from the UK! Worth looking at just for that. The dance does move around the floor a fair bit and it's a tad quick(!). There is a fake ending in the music, just keep on dancing thru' it and it comes back in. The heel grinds can be replaced by cross' for the joint conscious (making counts 3-12 a weave). The only sequence in the dance that caused trouble in class was counts 49-56 and that'll likely take a few weeks to settle down. The rest of the dance is fairly straightforward. One tag and one restart/tag. Why Can't I - Robert Fletcher & Michelle Palmer [4w,32c]; 5/2007 Improver to country ("Why Can't I" by Ronnie Milsap [My Life]). A fairly simple cha-cha dance for the country crowd. Dance flow fairly well and there's not much floor movement. The turning cross-shuffle (3&4) may seem a bit odd walking thru', but it flows well with the music. There did seem a tendency in class to add an extra turn on count 5 (ie: repeat 1-4). The count on 17-22 also caught some out, for some strange reason doing a sailor on counts 19-20. The rolling turn back (13-14) can of course be done as two walks backwards. One restart. Love Today - Mitchell Burgess [4w,32c]; 6/2007 Intermediate to hip-hop disco ("Love Today" by Mika [Life In Cartoon Motion]). At least that's a good enuf description of the music - definitely not for everyone. Dance moves quite a bit around the floor. Counts 21-24 can be done just as heel twists, but make sure you end with the weight on the right foot. The last four counts may need a bit of extra practice. One tag, done twice. My Love 4U - Tim Gauci [4w,64c]; 4/2007 Improver to pop ("My Love for You" by Daniel O’Donnell [Until The Next Time]). A rumba count dance (1,2,3,hold) with a slowish beat. Flows quite nicely and without anything tricky in the steps, tho' the 1/4 turn on count 7 felt a bit odd at first. 1 tag, clear in the music. Dance Our Way - Peter & Liz Heath [2w,64c]; 3/2007 Intermediate to old style pop ("The Old Fashioned Way" by Helen Reddy [Long Hard Climb]). Make sure you have a signed sheet - there are sheets floating around with mistakes. A funky little number that fits the music perfectly. It may work with other covers of this track. not much floor movement. The dance is a mix of can can and foxtrot. Strange, but it works. Counts 6 & 14 are cross overs, which may feel odd at first. Counts 29-50 are the hardest part of the dance and will likely need extra time teaching. This is the foxtrot part (slow, quick, quick). The sequence is a total of 5/4L turn. Counts 33-48 can be fudged by "1/4L turn, hold, step together, step together", tho' this does spoil the dance. No tags/restarts. You Are My Destiny - Gordon Elliott [64c,4w]; 5/2007 Intermediate to pop ("Destiny" by Jordan Hill & Billy Pointer [Destiny - Jim Brickman]). A slowish song, tho' the does feel a bit quicker in spots (where there're no holds/drags). The two main things to keep in mind with this dance is that every drag is a full count in itself and secondly that the dance is very turn intensive.. There are, however, quite a few full turns which can be easily left out (and a few places where thrillseekers can add extra turns). The dance does flow well to the music, tho' it travels around the floor quite a bit. One restart. Not Lost - Brett Jenkins [4w,32c]; 5/2007 Intermediate to caberet-pop("Lost" by Michael Bublé [Call Me Irresponsible]). yet another Bublé track. This one's more a lullaby than a dance track and the music garnered a fair few negative comments in class. Still, the dance is smooth and suits the music. A typical Brett Jenkins dance, full of his signature 1-2& sequences with a turn on the & count. Apart from the count, the only thing that caused any trouble in class was the side rock, recover (21-22) - more than a few rocked behind (continuing in the line of the dance) rather than to the side. Three restarts, fairly clear in the music. Steelin' the 2 Step - Rosalie Mackay [4w,64c]; 6/2007 Intermediate to country ("Steelin' the 2 Step" by Jean Stafford [Let the Dance Begin]). Music is very similar to the choreographer's earlier dance "Just a 2 Step". Didn't seem to be much of a two step feel to this dance, but maybe that was just me. There is a lot of syncopation and it did seem a bit rushed at times (at least the first week). The points and scuffs (9-24) likewise seemed fiddly the first week and do take a bit of practice to nail down. Has a couple of reverse 3/4 turns, which seem to be all the rage lately. One restart. Blue Note - Jan Smith [4w,32c]; 2/2007 Improver to country ("Big Blue Note" by Toby Keith [HonkyTonk University]). Been around for a while, but I missed it when it came out. Caught it in revision. Hard to go wrong Toby Keith for a good rockin' country dance track and this one lives up to that expectation. Dance flows very well and has a very nice feel. Nothing complicated with the steps, tho' keep an eye on the flick - it's a full count. Not much floor movement. Should be ideal for an upper beginner class. No tags/restarts. Free & Easy - Linda Burgess [4w,32c]; 6/2007 Easy intermediate to country ("Free & Easy" by Dierk Bentley). Dance has a bit of pace to it but nothing excessive and it doesn't feel rushed. Quite a few full turns which could be left out to drop it to near improver level. The twists at the end may take a few tries (I found a hold & click then three quick twists felt a lot better). For some reason quite a few in class went to do a right turn on counts 23&24, so watch for this. The music whimpers out at the end and there's no ending for the dance so either finish early when the beat finishes or improvise. Two tags and one restart, not terribly obvious in the music until afterwards. Hot Doggin' - Carl Sullivan [4w,32c]; 3/2007 Intermediate to country ("Hot Doggin'" by Catherine Britt [Too Far Gone]). In a word, this one's frantic. Still, while the dance is fast it's not actually rushed. Not many turns (only 4!), but heavily syncopated, so definitely more than the "easy intermediate" the original sheet claims. I did this one at an open class and the improver/easy int dancers really struggled. Note that this dance does feel quite fiddly while walking thru', but it fits together nicely and flows well to the music. The two heel grind-side's (25&26&) will likely get simplified to a cross-ball-cross-ball. Apart from that there's nothing overly tricky in the steps (just quick). Three restart/tags and one vanilla tag. While it does feel odd, the restart/tag is on count 15 (making the short walls 19 counts with the tags). This will likely take a bit of practice to get right - most of the class stuffed up the restarts the first week. Hush - Bill larson [4w,32c]; 10/2006 Improver to pop ("There's A Kind Of Hush" by The Carpenters). Should be able to find the music on many of the Carpenter's "Best Of" collections. The dance has four turns including two turning jazz-boxes. Technically it's probably an improver dance, but it shouldn't pose much of a challenge for most beginners. A reasonably smooth dance and not too fast. Good for introducing turning jazz-boxes. The dance has a fair bit of repetition and does move around the floor a fair bit. No tags or restarts. Somebody Save Me - Josh Talbot [4w,32c]; 6/2007 Intermediate/advanced to country ("Somebody Save Me" by Chalee Tennison [This Woman's Heart]). A nicely flowing dance to one of those "deep and meaningful" slowish songs. Worth the effoft to pick the dance up, but certainly not for all dancers (only those looking for a challenge). Make sure you rock forward on count 9 - quite a few in class went to rock back instead. Make sure you don't change the weight after the pencil turn. The pencil turn is also quite quick. You could replace it with a step forward and drag to make it easier. The last 8 counts seemed to cause the most trouble in class. Doesn't look too bad on the sheet, but does tend to get confusing when trying to dance it. One tag, one restart. I Wish - Tom Glover [2w,64c]; 3/2007 Easy intermediate to country ("I Wish That I Could Fall In Love Today" by Blaine Larsen [A Tribute to Barbara Mandrell]). The dance is quite a bit faster than a listen to the music would suggest. Still, the music has a nice dance beat and the dacne doesn't feel rushed. A lot of repetition throughout the dance. It's not clear on the original sheet but counts 19-22 is a 1/2R Monterey turn (the sheet says "pivot" for some reason). Count 28 is essentially an unwind turn. Nothing overly difficult with the steps, tho' overall probably a bit above improver level. No tags/restarts. Is It So? - Maggie Gallagher [4w,32c]; 3/2007 Intermediate to pop ("Say It Isn’t So" by Gareth Gates ["Go Your Own Way”]). The count of the dance may take a week or two to mesh with the music - the first week many in class had trouble keeping to the beat. The music itself is not exactly inspiring, but musical tastes vary considerably. Still, the dance moves nicely. The triple on counts 5&6 was taught as a rolling shuffle. The sheet vaguely says a triple. In the dance video, the choreographer turns 1/2 backwards and steps forward on her right foot, then basically does a half pivot. Counts 25&26 are described as a turning coaster but IMO it's really just a turning shuffle. One tag. Cowboy Up! - Tim Gauci [2w,48c]; 4/2007 Intermediate to country ("Cowboy Up" by Jill Johnson [The Woman I've Become]). This is a fast dance - the choreographer describes it as "fast and furious" - believe it! Still, having said that, the dance has been well choreographed to handle the pace and it does not feel rushed. No sudden direction changes and not much floor movement. A few things to watch out for when teaching ... On counts (27&28), finish the sailor facing to the left diagonal. That makes the next step (a cross over) feel natural. If you remain facing the front, then a cross behind feels natural. The "1/2 pivot" on counts 41-42 is strictly speaking not a pivot since there's no weight transfer. To make sure you end with the weight on the right foot, you might try a slight scuff or kick with the left as you turn. One tag, prtty obvious in the music. Mountain Of Love - Margaret Murphy [2w,48c]; 4/2007 Upper beginner/improver to country ("Mountain Of Love" by Johnny Rivers). There was another dance to this track that was popular years ago. This dance is pretty basic with a few extra options on the sheet. A lot of repetition - most of the dance consists of 4 counts, then repeated on the other foot. Not much floor movement. Shouldn't be too much challenge for upper beginners. Two restarts, not terribly obvious in the music. No Getting Over Me - Tim Gauci [4w,32c]; 3/2007 Improver to country ("There Ain't No Getting Over Me" by Ronnie Millsap [Album 40 #1 Hits]). A fairly simple dance with a cha-cha count for most of the dance. COunts 5-8& felt quite quick in comparision to the rest of the dance, one could almost say they felt out of place, at least the first week. However I had the same initial impression about the tag in Tim's "I Gotta Brand New Girlfriend" and that's certainly a hit on the dancefloor. This quick section is the only part that would likely trouble improvers. One simple tag. A Gigolo - Robbie McGowan Hickie [4w,40c]; 3/2007 Intermediate to Europop ("Gigolo (English Version)" by Helena Paparizou [single]). A fast dance and it definitely feels fast. The music will definitely not be to everyone's taste! If it's a remake then it's a very loose remake. The dance is heavily syncopated, so a lot more steps than the 40 counts would suggest. Dance would definitely suit those who prefer a latin styling in their dancing. Not much floor movement. One tag. It's Just Something - Samantha Dixon & Kelvin Dale [4w,64c]; 4/2007 Easy intermediate to pop ("Something that my heart does" by The McClymonts [The McClymonts]). Dance is quicker than the music would suggest. The steps are fairly basic however the dance is very turn intensive. Leaving out the worst of the turns would drop it to improver level. On the two 1/2 turns in the last set of 8 make sure there is no weight transfer (they are not pivots), maybe with a low kick or scuff of the left foot as you turn. Chunks of the dance have been taken from Tush Push, Heart Like a Wheel and Gypsy Lady. Two restarts, both clear in the music. The Best Man - Samantha Dixon & Kelvin Dale [2w,48c]; 4/2007 Intermediate to country ("The Best Man" by Blaine larson [Off to Join the World]). Dedicated to the father of one of the choreographer's. A slowish "feelie" dance (and song too) which seems to be going down well. Dance has a lot of turns, however the 'worst' of them are optional on the sheet (plus the sheet also has some extra options). The count on the weave in the 1st set of 8 can be a bit fiddly at first and may need a bit of extra time teaching. The two sequences near the end with the back dorothy's followed by forward coasters can take a bit of getting used to - it helps to lean slightly forward on the back dorothy's so the fwd coaster seems natural. The dance has a few lunge turns which bothered some at first and may be an issue on slick floors. One restart, obvious in the music. Cry To Me - Paul McAdam [2w,32c]; 2/2007 Easy intermediate to cha cha pop ("Cry To Me" by Solomon Burke [Dirty Dancing Soundtrack]). The music seems slowish but the dance is deceptively quicker. There's also an alternative track, also pop, for those who'd prefer to dance to the Rolling Stones. Dance has something of an abrupt and jerky feel to it, which suits some. has an 8&1 count, which would be the trickiest part of the dance. No tags or restarts. Coz I Don't Want To - Travis taylor [4w,32c]; 2/2007 Easy intermediate to country ("I Don't Want To" by Ashley Monroe & Ronnie Dunn). The music sounds quite Brooks & Dunnish, which is no surprise. The dance doesn't move around the floor much and flows quite well. Nothing particularly tricky with the steps and should be quite do-able with an improver class. Two restarts, neither terribly obvious in the music, at least on the first week. New Dreams - Robbie McGowan Hickie and Karen Hunn [postscript] As a postscript to the earlier review, the dance goes very well to "Mambo Italiano" by Bette Midler. Better than the tracks suggested on the sheet. Mambo Italiano is a tad faster and has a nice dance beat and adds a lot more life to the dance. That's Amore - Pam Smith [phrased]; 4/2007 Intermediate to pop ("That's Amore" by Patrizo Buanne). Interesting, definitely interesting. That sums up this dance and the music as well. A phrased dance with part A as a waltz and part B as a rumba (1,2,3,hold). The music for the former is the traditional Italian version, but the rumba part is done to a rock 'n roll beat. The dance flows reasonably well tho' it is a tad on the quick side. A good part of the waltz section is done to the diagonals. The only part that caused trouble in class were the two sequences "step fwd, hold, step fwd, hold, rock BACK, recover, step fwd, hold" with more than a few rocking forward. It's perhaps easier to think of the rock, recover as something like a ball-step. While not on the original sheet, when dancing the waltz part (it's only done completely one) there's an extra count after the 1/2 unwind (count 60) - it's in the music. Either slow the turn down or hold for one count before resuming. The dance is somewhere on YouTube if you need to see how it's done. If the idea of a phrased dance is likely to give the class the screaming willies, it can be quite easily described as a 4 wall, 64 count dance with a 97 count intro and a 60 count finish (and no tags or restarts!). You can convieniently forget to say how long the intro is to make it even more palatable. *g* The various sections of the dance are very clear in the music. One tag. This Crazy Life - Cathryn Proudfoot [4w,64c]; 5/2007 Intermediate to pop ("Everything" by Michael Buble [Call me Irresponsible]). A quieter Buble track than many that have been used for linedances, tho' not exactly on the slow side. The dance moves around the floor a bit and has several full turns (7-8,23-24) which can be easily left out, if needed. On count 25 make sre you step forwardand not to the side after coming out of the full turn (it's very tempting), otherwise the next step doesn't quite work. The "back, drag, kick-ball-change" sequent (41-44) felt quite odd at first, tho' t should settle down with practice since it's just unusual. Apart from that there're no idden surprises in the dance. One tag and one restart/tag. Suddenly I See - Mitchell Burgess [2w,44c]; 4/2007 Improver to pop ("Suddenly I See" by K.T. Tunstall [single]). I'm told this is the theme music for the TV show "Ugly Betty", having never seen the show I'd not know. There's not much of a dance beat to the music and it certainly wont appeal to everyone translated: quite a few did not like the music). The first 8 counts of the dace feel quite rushed, but the restof the dance flows well and is nicely paced. There's not much floor movement. Nothing really difficult with the stepwork. If needed, the side mambo's can be fudged as a point to the side and then stepping together. Two tags which're just repeats of the last 4 counts of the dance, tho' IMO doing 12 counts of "point and hitch" seemed a bit too excessive, but it does keep the difficulty level down I guess. Baby's Got My Number - Samantha Dixon & Kelvin Dale [4w,26c]; 1/2007 Improver to country ("Baby's Got My Number" by South Sixty Five [South Sixty Five]). A smooth and fairly simple dance that flows quite well with something of a cha-cha rhythm. The hinge turns and side shuffles towards the end are the "hardest" part of the dance and set the difficulty level. Otherwise nothing difficult in the steps. The dance has done quite well in 2007 at choreography competitions. One Tag and one restart. Just A Two Step Away - Rosalie Mackay [4w,64c]; 12/2006 Easy intermediate to country ("Love Is Just A Two Step Away" by Jean Stafford [That Says It All]). A pretty traditional country track which may not appeal to the pop crowd. Dance is fairly straightforward, tho' there're a few spots to watch out for ... in the "walk forward, 1/2 turn and slow shuffle forward" sequence, make sure you weight stays on the left foot after the turn (it's NOT a pivot turn!). To make it easier, it's a good idea to life the right foot slightly off the floor on the turn (or scuff etc). On the 3/4 turn (37-40) make sure you do three steps - more than a few people did a pivot or unwind turn and ended with their weight on the wrong foot. One restart. 'Bout Them Cowgirls - Rosalie Mackay [4w,64c]; 2/2007 Intermediate to country ("How 'Bout Them Cowgirls" by George Strait [It Just Comes Natural]). This one may take a few tries to feel comfortable and even then there a few steps that feel, well, 'different' (or odd, depending on one's point of view). While it's a standard count, the unwind and weight change (5-6) seems quick. Make sure you end with the weight on the left foot. The walk backs (29-30) felt distinctly different, coming straight after a forward coaster. This generated more than a few comments in class. But eventually most get used to it. On the heel switch sequence (45-48) make sure you shift the weight onto the right foot on the count before and don't tap (if you tap, just omit the following & count). One restart and one bridge. Beautiful Girl - Tom Glover [4w,32c]; 3/2007 Beginner to pop ("(Mi Carino) Maria" by Daniel O'Donnell [Until The Next Time]). No question about it, this is definitely a beginner dance - no syncopation, only three pivot turns and no tags or restarts. Plus the music is slowish. Not much floor movement and flows well. A good dance to introduce pivot turns to beginners. Come Anytime - Robbie McGowan Hickie [4w,64c]; 1/2007 Intermediate to disco ("Come Rain Come Shine" by Jenn Cuneta [Radio Edit single]). For those not into disco there's a country alternative tho' the music does not phrase. The main song is very reminiscent of a popular disco track from the 70's tho' I can't quite place it (I tended to avoid disco back then). The dance is apparently quite popular in parts of the USA. Fits the music fairly well tho' there're a few spots to watch out for. The 3/4 unwind may challenge those with crook joints, especially on slow floors (3/4 unwinds seem to be the flavour of the month at the moment). The two rock back, recover's 920-24) caught many in class out with the strong temptation to do the second as a forward rock. Not much floor movement. Personally I found the cross shuffle (57-58) felt better as a behind-side-cross, at least the first week. No tags/restarts. Two More Bottles Of Wine - Lu Olsen [2w,68c]; 12/2006 Intermediate to country-rock ("Two More Bottles Of Wine" by Martina McBride [Wild Angels]). A rather active dance which takes a few tries before it starts to settle down. Don't be put off by the odd (awkward even) feel while walking thru'. This is one of those dances that only feels good when you are dancing it to the music. The difference is quite striking. Quite a few unusual step sequences. The heel and toe twist sequence (25-30) probably warrants the most attention whilst teaching. An easy cheat for the modified Monterey sequence (57-62) is to do three 1/4R Monterey turns, especially on a slow floor. No tags/restarts. Who Knew - Mark Simpkin [2w,32c]; 4/2007 Upper intermediate to country ("Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You" by Kellie Pickler [Small Town Girl]). Pickler is another product "American Idol" and very reminiscent of Kelly Clarkson, tho' a tad more country. The music does tend to get quite loud towards the end, so watch the volume. The dance is very turn intensive, tho' two of the full turns could be left out (5-6 and 31-32) if needed (tho' it'd spoil the dance). If you don't like turns, then this dance is probably not for you. The dance flows very nicely, however it's one of those "momentum dances" where you need to dance rather than do the steps - otherwise it won't work. The dance is heavily syncopated but fortunately the music is slow so it doesn't feel rushed or 'busy'. Two restarts. The stepsheet has the 2nd restart on the 6th wall. If you follow the usual practice of numbering the restart wall (ie: wall 1, 2, 3 with restart, wall 4 etc), then the 2nd restart is on the 7th wall. The stepsheet does not include the restart walls when numbering the walls. A Woman's Heart - Ronnie James [4w,64c]; 3/2006 Easy intermediate to pop ("Woman's Heart" by Chris De Burgh [Ultimate Collection]). Yet another Chris de Burgh track! The dance flows nicely and has a cha cha feel to it (most of the time). The rock forward (without a recover!) followed by a back coaster feels odd the first few times. Not much floor movement. There's only a TWO count intro. It might be an idea starting on the 2nd wall (count 34), facing 9:00, rather than racing to catch the start. It's hard enuf starting the music and getting into position in front of the class, let alone getting onto the floor from your seat! One restart/tag. Beer In Mexico - Carl Sullivan [2/4w,64c]; 4/2007 Upper intermediate to country ("Beer in Mexico" by Kenny Chesney [The Road and the Radio]). As usual with Carl, a fair bit of this dance is done to the diagonals (sooner or latter he'll do an 8 wall dance). Plus it's a 2/4 wall dance - switching walls after a restart. The dance is quick and has something of a busy feel to it. Definitely not recommended for slow floors given the number of comments I heard afterwards about sore feet and knees. On count 22 (and 30) don't step too far away from the anchored foot otherwise it feels awkward going into the next sequence. On 57&58 there's a tendency to do a side-ball-cross instead of a sailor (it just seems natural), but that doesn't work with the following step. Two restarts. Someone 2 Love - Tim Gauci [2w,3c]; 10/2006 Intermediate/advanced to country ("Someone to Love" by Shayne Ward [Shayne Ward]). This one definitely takes a few tries to the music before it starts to go anywhere, but IMO persistance is well rewarded. Perhaps the ahrdest thing about this dance is the count. Once you get your head wrapped around that, the dance flows quite naturally. Fairly turn intensive, tho' some of the turns can be easily left out. The dance is also another of those "momentum" dances that you have to dance. The end of the dance flows neatly into the start of the next wall so don't worry if it feels odd there while walking thru'. The music is slow, but with all the syncopation the dance has a touch of pace. One restart. Send Them Love - Linda Burgess [2w,32c]; 12/2006 Intermediate to country ("Send Them Love" by Melinda Schneider [Stronger]). This is one of those dances where you need to use your momentum to get the best flow out of the dance. But when you do it's quite a nice dance. The music is slow enough that the direction changes don't feel awkward. Dance has a bit of floor movement, but nothing excessive. Quite turn intensive, especially counts 25-32, but the full turns can be easily left out for non-turners and improvers. You feel a bit off balance at the end of the wall, but it flows into the next wall. The lock shuffles (5-8) do seem to call for spins. One tag and one restart (the restart is also the same as the finish). A Little Bit Of Life - Linda and Mitchell Burgess [4w,32c]; 12/2006 Intermediate to country ("A Little Bit Of Life" by Craig Morgan [A Little Bit Of Life]). A nice rock and roll country track. Typical of the choreographer, the dance is heavily syncopated. Fortunately the music isn't too fast for the dance. The full R turn on 7&8 coming out of the L pivot felt awkward at first with the direction change, but settles down (or just leave out the full turn). Counts 9-16 caused trouble in class. Make sure you step forward on count 13 before shuffling forward (14&15). Yes, the count is odd. The twists (17-20) can be replaced by applejacks etc. Two restarts, one tag. Honky Tonk Lover - Lyn Booth [2w,64c]; 12/2006 Upper intermediate to country ("Honky Tonk Lover" by Chris Campbell [CDX Vol.351 August 2004]). Quick, very quick. Definitely not for the faint hearted. The dance does suit the music and despite being fast, doesn't feel rushed. The 3/4 Monterey will likely end up being fudged as a touch back and unwind. Has a bit of floor movement, but not enough to pose a problem. Nothing overly difficult with the steps, just the pace. The shuffle on 55&56 seemed a bit odd at first, even tho' it looks simple on paper. No tags/restarts. This I Promise You - Lu Olsen [2w,32c]; 10/2006 Intermediate to pop ("This I Promise You" by Ronan Keating [Bring You Home]). Apparently one of the most requested dances at the socials at Tamworth 2007. Seemed to go down well in class (no walk off's etc). The song is only 82 bpm, but the dance feels faster than that. At least on the first week, the dance did put a lot of strain on the left ankle, so something to be careful of. Make sure you end with the weight forward on the right foot on count 8 - this caught some out in class. Counts 10-15 are essentially 3 sailors moving backwards (with a 1/4 turn on the last), so the 8 count sequence becomes "out-out, sailors & 1/4 turn, 1/2 turn". The rocks and hooks (17-20) also troubled some in class. A couple of full turns which can be omitted for non-turners. One restart/tag. The music slows down on the restart wall, but don't slow down the dance pace. The hold is about two counts. Thirsty Work - Terry Hogan [2w,64c]; 2/2007 Intermediate to country ("My Best Drinkin'" by Mark Chesnutt [Savin' The Honky Tonk]).Another cracker of a dance from that most unretired of retired line dancers. Dance suits the music quite well. Has some sudden direction changes, but the music isn't too fast, so that shouldn't be a problem. The count in the first 8 is unusual and will likely take a while to feel comfortable. The rest of the dance is fairly straightforward. Counts 25-32 is turn intensive and can be confusing for some, especially with turns first right then left. Dance has a bit of floor movement, but nothing excessive. One tag which is really just the first 8 counts of the dance ending with a scuff instead of a cross. Hard for the Money - Adrian Lefebour [4w,64c]; 12/2006 Intermediate to pop ("She Works Hard for the Money by Young Divas [Young Divas]).A fast dance, but nonetheless manages to flow quite well and doesn't feel rushed. Dance does move around the floor a bit, but not enuf to cause problems unless the floor is packed. Some of the turns can be left out for the non-turners and there's plenty of opportunity for extra styling and turns for those so desiring. Counts 17-32 are the trickiest and definitely warrant extra attention when teaching. The hitch-ball-step's felt odd the first week and many ended up doing kick-ball-steps. There was a tendency in class to do a cross shuffle on counts 47&48 rather than a forward shuffle. The music goes off-track about 2/3rd's the way thru' the song. Try not to do a restart (it's temnpting!), just count the beat and dance thru'. The music eventually comes back on track. Those nostalgic for the 1970's might try the Donna Summer version, tho' I don;t know if it phrases. Two restarts. Birth Of The Blues - Carol McKee [4w,32c]; 12/2006 Easy intermediate to blues ("Birth Of The Blues" by David Campbell). A smooth dance for a smooth song. Not much floor movement and definitely a dance where you can ham it up (just follow the music!). The first 8 counts are the trickiest and will likely need more than one or two walk thru's before it feels right. The rest of the dance is pretty basic. Counts 4-7 are really just two kick-ball-steps, the second with body twists. You feel like you're in a chorus line with this dance! :) Two tags. Love The Way - Ian St Leon [4w,48c]; 11/2006 Easy intermediate to pop ("Tu Compania" by Keith Urban [Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Thing]). Sounds like Urban is following in the steps of Shania Twain in changing music style. Music has a nice funky feel to it, quite different to what oen would expect from Urban. The dance nicely suits the music, duplicating its funky feel. Has a bit of pace, but not really fast (111 b/m but heavily syncopated). Dance starts off with the diagonal diamond shuffle sequence from Reggae Cowboy - keep track of where you are meant to face! The last few counts have some direction changes, so make sure you get the momentum right. One restart. Wake Up Dancing - Cathy Pugh and Penny Kelly [4w,24c]; 2/2007 Improver to country ("Wake Up Dancing" by Odiss Kohn). A 24 count dance has to be for novices? Don't bet on it! It may only be 24 counts, but it is heavily syncopated ad has quite a few 'ball' steps. It's esy to forget the 'ball's in the "ball-shuffle, ball-coaster" sequence. If you forget the first, just drop off the second and you'll be back on the correct foot after the coaster. Apart from that the dance is fairly straightforward and the music is "classical" country, a bit on the slow side. Even tho' the sheet has te dance as "beginner/intermediate" (ie: improver), it's more than tempting to up the difficulty level given the extensive syncopation, a 3/4 turn on an & count and two restarts. Champagne On Ice - Michael Vera-Lobos [2w,96]; 3/2007 Intermediate to pop ("A Woman's Needs by by Tammy Wynette And Elton John [Without Walls]). Call me biased, but you can't beat a finely crafted waltz for a dance with flow. And this one fits the bill admirably. Mind you, it's only with the music that this is fully apparent. Dancing it to the music, it's almost as if it is forcing you to dance it as a waltz (ie: with rise and fall). A pleasant change from a long string of waltzes in the past year that have been waltzes only because of the count. All the full turns can be easily omitted for the non-turners. There're a number of step & drags (on the one count) - the drags could be left off if needed, they're really just styling. The music is a tad quick and some of the drags can be hard to fit in, at least on the first week. The song is off a Tammy Wynette "duets" album released in 1994. One restart/tag (replace a drag with a 1/2 turn sweep). Not Forgotten - Rosalie Mackay [4w,32c]; 9/2006 Easy intermediate to country ("Forgotten" by Collin Raye [Twenty Years of Change]). A smooth dance. I found the 3/4 unwind (15-16) to be a strain on the right ankle, tho' this should only bother those with ankle problems. On the coaster and drag (19&20) make sure you drag the right across the left on the last count - this makes going into the lock-back-toe feel natural. Replacing the toe with the more common heels seemed to be a common problem. The two full turns in the last set of 8 can be reasily left out for non-turners. One restart and a 2 count hold bridge. Call Me Irresponsible - Carol McKee [2w,64c]; 1/2007 Easy intermediate to jazz ("Call Me Irresponsible" by David Campbell). Don't get jazz in line dancing, but this is a cute dance that fits well to the music, especially when done with feeling. Not much floor movement and nothing joint unfriendly. The dance does have a lot of turns, some of which can be left out if needed. Music may not be to everyone's taste. One restart. Bridges To Your Heart - Brett Jenkins & Josh Talbot [2w,64c]; 2/2007 Intermediate to country ("Building Bridges" by Brooks & Dunn [Hillbilly Deluxe]). An odd dance, which seemed a common reaction in class. Whether practice will fix this or not... The turning shuffle sequence (25-32) will likely take a few weeks to feel comfortable, tho' they are fairly straightforward. Counts 32-40 seemed to cause the most trouble in class, especially the ball-crosses. Dance has quite a lot of floor movement. One tag and one restart/tag. Burn It - Chris Watson [4w,32c]; 8/2006 Improver to disco ("Disco Inferno" by Marcia Hines). Pretend you're on the sicso floor (if you can remember and/or want to!) - this dance even comes with disco style hand and arm movements, complete with a signature John Travolta tag. John and Olivia eat yer hearts out! Basic stepwork and not much floor movement. Dance does suit the song, but the music won't be for everyone! One tag. Custom Made - Jennifer Hughes [4w,32c]; 1/2007 Intermediate to country ("Custom Made" by Andy Griggs [Freedom]). A nice rockin' track with a good solid and uncomplicated dance beat (no fading out of the music and so forth). Dance flows and moves well. Lots of turns, tho' as usual some can be left out or simplified - the turning triple at the end can be done as a vanilla coaster, as per the original stepsheet. The first 16 counts are fairly straightforward, the second 16 is where it gets tricky, especially the dorothy followed by the hook turn. Dance feels odd at first but quickly grows on you and got quite a positive reaction in class .. once it was done to the music. Three restarts, obvious in the music. Mr Pinstripe - Simon Ward [2w,32c]; 5/2006 Easy intermediate to big band ("Mr Pinstripe Suit" by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy [Big Bad Voodoo Daddy]). A lively dance that moves well. There's only one way to do this dance and that's with attitude - lots of it. The kicks on 6& and 8& are really just styling - some will end up skipping them and going straight into the next step, a cross. The Charleston is on the left lead, which will confuse some since Charleston's are almost always on the right. The last 4 counts sounds confusing during the walk thru', but I didn't notice anyone in class havign trouble when the music came on. Very little floor mvement. One restart, tho' I'm not sure how necessesary - we missed it once and didn't notice it until the 5th or 6th wall when it was remembered there was one somewhere. Best Day - Stephen Paterson [4w,64c]; 3/2000 Intermediate to country ("The Best Day" by George Strait [Latest Greatest Straitest Hits]). Certainly fet easier to learn this time around. The trickiest thing is to come to grips with the count: "1,hold,3,hold&5,6,7,8" throughout. Once you get this, the dance flows quite smoothly. Once you are comfortable with the steps, the holds 'vanish' and instead of "rock, hold, recover, hold" you "slow rock fwd & drag, slow recover & drag" and for the 2nd set of 8 you end up doing "slow 1/4 turn & drag/sweep, slow 1/2 turn & drag/sweep". The first 16 counts are the trickiest - the rest is fairly smooth sailing, especially with a lot of repetition (abiet on the opposite foot). On counts 25-29 and 33-37 make sure you emphasise te sways and pushes so the momentum works with the dance. Despite the music sounding slowish, the dance is fairly quick. Two tags and a 4 count hold 'bridge' (at the end of which you resume the dance on the word 'dad'). Out of Control - Michelle Henson & Matthew Price [2w,68c] Intermediate to country-rock ("She's Crazy for leaving" by Rodney Crowell [Greatest Hits]). A real old classic that keeps resurfacing. The biggest thing to watch out for is the speed - it's quite fast. On counts 1-8 when you step forward to the diagonals, twist you body to face the same diagonal. Count 20 is often done locally as a jump to the left side. The swivets (21-24) can be replaced by whatever's comfortable. 36-40 is actually a slow sailor & tap. 53-60 is probably the hardest part of the dance. Easier options include replacing the hitches (59,63) with a low kick forward or touching the right toe on the floor and doing a traditional unwind and also omitting the hitch. This allows to to retain your balance much more easily. No tags/restarts, although you drop 4 counts on the last wall. Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off - Colleen Satchell [4w,32c]; 6/2006 Improver to country ("Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off" by Joe Nichols [The Early Years]). An unfortunate choice of a dance name. One of two dances to this song being done locally, both about the same difficulty level. This one flows well, has a ncie feel and doesn't have much floor movement. No awkward steps, tho' make sure you end the unwind (7-8) with the weight on the right foot. That caught a few out. A fair few opportunities for more advanced dancers to add styling. One restart. No Dancin’ Today - Linda and Mitch Burgess [4w,64c]; 10/2006 Intermediate to disco ("I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’" by Scissor Sisters [single]). I'm not sure about the choice of song title for a dance! Song has a latin beat to it and is quite lively, tho' definitely not for everyone. Not much floor movement, but the dance is quick. May take a few weeks to get comfortably up to speed. Spots to watch out for ... the two syncopated step-step-pivots caused a fair bit of trouble in class (it's not a step-pivot-step). The step-tap-step-tap etc sequence troubled almost everyone in class, even after a few tries to the music some still had trouble with it. The ball-step back (&61) feel very quick. One tag and one restart, fairly obvious in the music. Listen to the Radio - Carl Sullivan [2/4w,64c]; 9/2006 Intermediate to country ("Listen to the Radio" by Lee Kernaghan [The New Bush]). Carl doesn't do many slow dances, but those he does are almost always brilliant and big hits and this one's no exception. A smoothly flowing dance with a bit of floor movement, but nothing excessive. Watch out for the direction change in the fugure 8 (25-32) - it's not the normal figure 8 - quite a few continued turning to the right. Carl's signature diagonals of course make an appearance, but not too painful. Quite a few turns and note that the restart turns the two wall dance to the other two walls. One restart. Leaving of Liverpool - Maggie Gallagher [4w,32c]; 6/2006 Improver to irish music ("Leaving Liverpool" by Sham Rock). A nice little dance that flows well. The second set of 8 is the 'hardest', the rest of the dance is fairly straighforward. While not difficult, quite a few in class had trouble remembering to do the stomps (9-10). Very similar in feel and music to Irish Stew and about the same difficulty level. No tags/restarts. Texas Girl - Lyn Booth [4w,32c]; 7/2006 Upper beginner to country ("There’s A Girl In Texas" by Trace Adkins [Dreamin’ Out Loud]). A smooth dance with a good pace for upper beginners and improvers. A good range of steps, but doesn't feel like a grab bag of step's thrown together. Flows well and not much floor movement. Going into the next wall after the restart felt a bit un-natural at first. One restart. New Dreams - Robbie McGowan Hickie & Karen Hunn [4w,64c]; 7/2004 Easy intermediate to mexican pop ("You Don't Have To Go" by The Derailers). There're two alternative tracks, "Sweet Maria" by The Cheap Seats [Sweet Maria] and "What You Mean To Me" by Chris De Burgh [The Road To Freedom]). The last is the one used locally. Quite a few turns - if you leave out the full turns, the dance shouldn't be too much trouble for improvers or maybe even upper beginners (the option of dropping the turns is on the sheet). A bit slowish and moves aorund the floor quite a bit. The music used locally (and in New Zealand apparently) could do with a bit more life. That Good That Bad - Tracie Lee [4w,64c]; 10/2006 Improver to country ("That Good That Bad" by Mark Chesnutt [Heard it in a Love Song]). A quickish dance with very little floor movement. CHoreographed as a 64 count non-syncopated dance so it could be done as a 'beginner' dance at a workshop, but feels more like a 32 count syncopated dance. The back 'lock shuffles' caused some trouble in class - people seemed to be doing them in every direction but backwards at first! Two restarts, tho' remember to point forward after the restart for the first count of the next wall. Dance With Me - Errol Colomb [4w,32c]; 8/2005 Improver to pop ("Dance With Me" by Orleans [Dance With Me]). I can't place it, but I'm sure this is a cover of a better known pop song (for some reason the Bee Gee's come to mind). Will probably fit the original (or another mix) if you can't get the Orleans' track. Apart from the rolling weaves, the dance is fairly easy and shouldn't trouble improvers - leave the rolls out and it should be easily do-able for upper beginners. The side rock, recover, side-ball-cross (5-8) felt strange the first few times, but one gets used to it eventually. A moderate amount of floor movement (so watch the furniture and the edge of the stage!). No tags/restarts. Cry Yourself a River - Maddison & Tom Glover [4w,48c]; 6/2006 Improver/easy intermediate to pop ("Babys Gone Home" by The McClymonts [EP]). Steps are fairly easy, tho' the dance is fast - the speed would be the only thing that should challenge improvers, but it shouldn't be out of their reach with practice. Steps flow naturally and there's not much floor movement. Has a VERY short intro (maybe 2 counts), so be on the floor before the music starts! Two restarts. Brave - Mark Simpkin & Kate Moore [2w,64c]; 4/2006 Intermediate/advanced to country ("Brave" by Jamie O'Neil [Brave]). A lot harder to walk thru' than to dance - one of those dances wich makes a lot of use of your momentum. Until you get to flow it can feel awkward. There're a lot of turns, many of them on the & count (tho' the music isn't all that fast). The fulls turns can probably be left out to make it a bit easier (especially for the non-turners). On the other hand, there're a few optional extra turns (not on the sheet). The full unwind (22) is easier if you begin the turn a bit earlier (the sheet is ambigious as to just when you turn) - do a 1/4 turn on the side-ball-cross and complete the turn and go into the sways. Similarly for the unwind on count 28. This dance isn't for everyone, but if you use your momentum right, it flows quite nicely. But with all the direction changes if the floor is too fast or too slow, it will likely cause some joint strain. One tag. Junkyard Dog - Kerry Bailey [4w,32c]; 2006 Improver to rock ("Bad Bad Leroy Brown" by Jim Croce [The Jim Croce Collection]). The sheet for this is very hard to find. I've only ever seen a rewrite by a local instructor. An old classic track which has had a fair few dances done to it over the years. This one's upper-beginner to improver - it has one turn and two syncopated heel switches. The rest of the dance is pretty much just vines and taps. Going into the next wall feels a bit odd - you have the right heel forward at the end of the wall and the next wall starts stepping the right foot forward. Not much floor movement, tho' it's quick. No tags/restarts. The Chosen One - Simon Ward [1w,54c]; 10/2006 Intermediate waltz to pop ("Taller, Stronger, Better" by Guy Sebastian [single]). One wall dances seem all the rage lately. With half of this dance to the diagonals, that's perhaps not a bad thing. Dance has something of a waltz flow, but there are some sudden direction changes and there were some complaints afterwards of sore joints. Counts 8 and 19 are something of a lunge/rock, but don't lunge too far. Some are replacing the hold (27) with a second kick.. Note there's NO weight change on count 35. Beware that the volume of the song tends to rise quite a bit in the middle, so either keep your hand near the volume or resist turning it up at the start. Got a mixed reception in class. One tag and three restarts. Hurts So Bad - Julie Dowse [2w,64c]; 6/2006 Intermediate to pop ("Hurts So Bad" by Anthony Callea [Anthony Callea]). A nice, smoothly flowing dance. There are a few sudden direction changes, but the music is slow enough they they don't break the flow. This is a dance that you can put the whole body into and not just the feet). The sailor (25&27) feels a bit awkwasrd at first, following the cross-ball-side. This did cause some trouble in class. The hinge turn sequence (35-40) seemed to cause the most trouble, so definitely extra teaching time there. One restart. Love You Like That - Ian Dunn [1w,phrased]; 6/2006 Easy intermediate to country ("Love You Like That" by The McClymonts [The McClymonts]). Yep, another one wall dance. An interesting dance - phrased with two parts and a tag done several times. When the music sows down, you do part B, when it's fast, you do part A - so all you need to remember is when to do the tags, and they're pretty obvious in the music. Dance has a nice boucy feel. Those who want to omit the scoot (4) can scuff or tap across instead. The last full wall (and tag) is double time. Either hold for 6 counts while the singer counts you in for the last full wall or do the tag (at double time) - or anything else. This is omitted on the original sheet, but it is there in the music and has been confirmed with the choreographer (who holds for 6 counts). Would You Go With Me - Carl Sullivan & Tracie Lee [2w,52c]; 1/2007 Intermediate to country ("Would You Go With Me" by Josh Turner [Your Man]). This is a bouncy dance but manages that without feeling jerky. The trickiest thing about this dance is the pace - it's quite quick. That and the tag. Counts 27&28 is essentially a triple/cha sequence with a 3/4 turn. The 3/4 turn on counts 35-36 is done on count 36 (the original sheet reads that it's done on count 35). The scoot (&41) is optional, just step to the side and tap. Personally I felt the scoot spoiled the flow of the dance, but each to their own. The tag does feel awkward and will likely take a bit of getting used to. It looks simple enough on paper, but even the choreographer's have trouble with it. Just make sure you end with the weight on the left foot. One tag. Heart Of An Angel - William Brown [4w,48c]; 7/2006 Improver waltz to pop ("Heart Of An Angel" by Modern Talking). There's a country alternative, butthere was another waltz done to that locally not long ago. The dance is fairly simple, tho' there're quite a few hook-waltz's, so may be too challenging for many beginners. I found the two turning waltzes at the end to be awkward, at least the first week. One tag done twice (no tags with the country track). Don't Say You Love Me - Robert Fletcher & Michelle Palmer [2w,32c]; 10/2006 Easy intermediate to a remake of a classic pop song ("Io Che Non Vivo (You Don't Have To Say You Love Me)" by Patrizio Buanne). Dance has quite a few quick turns (on & counts), but the music is slowish, so none of the turns are overly quick. Watch the weight change on the unwind - that caught some out in class. Has a very short intro, just 4 counts. A remake of an old Dusty Springfield song, tho' I don't know if the phrasing is the same. The Buanne track did not appeal to everyone in class. Three restarts and a tag - despite the sheet saying "beginner/intermediate", I'd not recommend this for a beginner class! White Lightning - Maureen Reynolds [2w,64c]; 10/2006 Improver to county ("White Lightning Hit The Family Tree" by Chris Young). A nice lively dance that flows quite well. While not tricky, some had trouble with the "heel, together, stomp x2, rock, recover" sequence. It does take a few tries to nail it down. Not much floor movement. Two tags, which're just sequences taken from the dance. You're The One That I Want - Linda Burgess [4w,32c] Improver to pop ("You're The One That I Want" by John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John). Another lively dance, this time to the original version of a well known song from the Grease soundtrack. Dance has been around for a few years but has been recently ressurected. Not much floor movement and the dance suits the music, tho' it's heavily syncopated (as are most of the choreographer's dances). Counts 25-30 are turn intensive and the hardest part of the dance. Three tags. Make Love To Me! - Stephen Paterson [2w,48c]; 9/2006 Improver to pop ("Make Love To Me" by Sanne [Cowboy's Sweetheart]). A fairly simple dance. Has a few ball-steps, so it may ne a bit tricky for beginners. Flows ok, tho' counts 25-30 may not be to everyone's taste. Not much floor movement. Two restarts. Just Ledoux It - Kevin and Maria Smith [1w,64c]; 8/2006 Easy intermediate to country ("Good Ride Cowboy" by Garth Brooks [single]). In memory of that legend of country music, Chris Ledoux, who died recently. The dance fits the music quite well and is remisicent of 90's line dancing with slaps (well ok, a slap), touches and claps. Very little floor movement and flows well. Count 27 felt awkward at first, but after a few tries to the music, it settles down. Some are teaching the dance with a 3/4 pivot on count 8, followed by a side shuffle, rather than the 1/2 pivot, followed by a 1/4 turn into the shuffle. It looks the same, so it's probably just a matter of how you wish to call it. Counts 13-14 are a side rock, recover & 1/4 turn. Dance ends with three toe struts, tho' again some are teaching it slightly differently with heel, toe, heel struts. One easy restart. Dance With Me - Terry Hogan [4w,48c]; 9/2000 Easy intermediate waltz to country ("You With Me" by Anita Cochran [Anita]). I forgot learning this back in 2000, but it quickly came back. A very smoothly flowing and graceful dance which nicely fits the music. Moves around the floor a bit, but nothing excessive. Stepping back on count 18 feels odd at first - you feel you should do another 1/2 turn instead. Counts 37-39 are a waltz forward with an optional full turn. Plenty of opportunity for the more proficient dancers to add styling. Music slows down near the end - just slow down the dance to finish facign the front at the end of the song. Five restartsm but all pretty clear in the music. It Ain't Over - Linda Burgess [4w,64c]; 8/2006 Intermediate to pop ("It Ain’t Over" by The Robertson Brothers). Dance fits the music well and there's not much floor movement. The song is a trifle overlong and there's a long intro (enuf time to go have a cuppa!). Counts 5-8 takes a bit of practice to feel comfortable. There's a strong tendency to cross over on count 6 rather than behind. Counts 39-40 are a coaster with a 1/2 turn, tho' I found it felt smoother to touch back, do a reverse 1/2 pivot and step forward (on the coaster count). Three restarts. Bubba Mia - Michael Vera-Lobos [2w,72c]; 4/2006 Intermediate to disco ("Mamma Mia" by The ABBA Teens). One for the ABBA fans, even tho' it's by a cover band. Quite a lively dance with a bit of floor movement. Quick and lots of turns, so be careful of doing it on a Quick floor. Dance sheets has it as a phrased dance, but it's really just several tags and a restart ('phrased' generally implies several parts), so don't let the 'phrased' put you off. Apart from the pace and the turns, there's nothing tricky with the stepwork. Three tags, one restart. Feeling Good - Michael Vera-Lobos [4w,44c]; 4/2006 Upper intermediate to pop ("Feeling Good" by Michelle McMannus [The Meaning of Love]). A tricky dance, but once you get it, the dance flows very nicely indeed. A very smooth dance. There're quite a few sudden drection changes, but because the music is slow, you have time to change your momentum and they do not pose a problem, tho' on count 30 (1/2 pivot turn), it's a good idea to lunge slightly forward at the end of the turn so you can more easily go into the rolling backwards shuffle. The intro seems longer than the 8 counts on the sheet - you start just before the heavy beat (at least we did). You will need to focus on where you have to face (thanks to all the turns), at least the first week or few. The first 9 counts are the trickiest, so need the most care when teaching. The only real downside is that towards the end, the music really goes out the window and it's difficult to pick up where to resume the dance after the holds (4th wall). One restart, one tag and a bunch (sheet doesn't say how many) of holds on the same wall as the tag. Hips Don’t Lie - Mitchell & Linda Burgess [4w,32c]; 7/2006 Easy intermediate to pop ("Hips Don’t Lie" by Shakira] The music will definitely not appeal to everyone - it'll either be loved or hated on the basis of the music, I suspect. A lively dance! The dances does move around the the floor quite a bit and with quite a few sudden direction changes, you'll need a slow floor. There were quite a few complaints about sore joints afterwards. Has some novel step sequences I've not seen before. The last 8 counts is pretty turn intensive. No tags/restarts. Pity about the music tho'... A Quick Goodbye - Noel Bradey [2w,64c]; 8/2006 Intermediate to country ("Your Coffee's On The Table" by Terrie Lea And The Mustangs [Solitary Tear]). An indie Aussie artist, so the music will be very ahrd to get. Cntact the choreographer, who'se licensed to sell copies. There's a very short intro, maybe 8 counts. Dance flows fairly well and suits the music. There is a bit f floor mvement. Counts 27&28 is sort of a coaster cross with a 1/4 turn. It caused the most trouble in class. Counts 31&32 are a cross shuffle, tho' there's a strong temptation to do a behind-side-cross. Counts 51&52 and 55&56 are shuffles moving slightly forward with a *LOT* of hip action. The non-hippers may want to just shuffle forward (with or without spinning). One tag. Solo Humano - Debbie Ellis [2w,40c]; 7/2005 Easy intermediate to latin pop ("Solo Soy Un Ser Humano" and "El Rey Del Dancing" by David Civera [Perdoname]). Both tracks are off the same album. According to the grapevine, there are several versions of the song being used and some are starting the dance facing the back - so be careful of local variations a bit more drastic than the occasional added turn! Dance has a nice mambo feel to it, tho' the music will definitely not appeal to everyone. The last four counts were the only ones to cause trouble in class. part from that, t's almost an improver level dance. One restart, depending on the music used. Push The Button - Peter Metelnick & Alison Biggs [4w,64c]; 9/2005 Easy intermediate to pop ("Push The Button" by The Sugababes [single]). Nothing particularly tricky with this dance, tho' make sure your weight is on the left foot after the unwind on count 64. There is a fair bit of repetition with several sections done twice on the opposite foot. This can be confusing for some at first. Not much floor movement. The music is rather monotonous (sounds like dance club music), but presumably some like it. As usual, watch out for the holds - the dance is littered with them. No restarts or tags. It's a Beautiful Life - Cathryn Proudfoot [2w,64c]; 5/2006 Intermediate to country-rock ("Awful, Beautiful Life" by Darryl Worley [Darryl Worley]). Song has a good solid beat to it and the dance nicely suits it. Not much floor movement and the 'worst' of the turns can be left out. It is a bit quick tho'. The dance is a bit reminiscent of the choreographer's earlier dance "Wanna Be Me", especially the start. The second set of 16 is almost the same as the first set, just on the other foot. The pivot on count 32 ends with the weight back on the right foot. This s different from a normal pivot and caused a fair bit of trouble in class with people ending with the weight on the wrong foot. Tis best to emphasise there's no weight change. Counts 37-40 also caused a fair bit of trouble in class, so again extra care when teaching. Counts &43 is essentially an out-out. On count 55, make sure you rock to the side - a rock forward seems more natural at first. Three tags. Note the music really slows down during the 3rd tag. Slow down to match the music. The next wall starts about 2 counts before the heavy beat resumes. I Loved Her First - Tom Glover [4w,48c]; 8/2006 Easy intermediate to country ("I Loved Her First" by Heartland). A fairly well flowing waltz that is slow enough to dance as a waltz, tho' it does move around the floor a fair bit. Counts 25-36 are the hardest and may need extra attention when teaching, especially with all the turns. It doesn't feel natural at first, but after a few tries to music, settles down for most dancers. Make sure you step straight back on count 31 - there's a tendency to cross behind, which complicates the following steps. Count 24 is really a 3/4 pivot, but since there're restarts on count 24, it's written as a 1/2 pivot to preserve the wall sequence. Three restarts, not too obvious in the music at first. Games That Lovers Play - Tom Glover [4w,32c]; 8/2006 Improver to 40's pop ("Games That Lovers Play" by Raul Malo [You're Only Lonely]). The singer is the lead from the Maverick's, but sounds nothing like the group. Unfortunately the music was very poorly received in class, tho' apparen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
