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Older Dance Reviews
(well more'n a few months old)
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I'm "just" a
dancer - I don't teach or choreograph, so I don't have to
worry about politics. ☺ In these reviews
I call the shots as I see 'em
- if I like a dance I'll say so, if I dislike a dance, I'll also say
so. Please note none of the comments are meant to be personal, just
what I thought of the dance in question.
If anyone wants to submit
a dance
review, please email 'em. Indicate whether ya wish the review to be
anonymous or not (still send me yer name), also what country &
state ya from.
Rating:
This is purely subjective and reflects my view of the dance, the music (keep in mind I'm a country music fan)
and how the two go together. '****' Brilliant, '***' great, '**' good,
'*'
so-so, '-' hmmm...
☺
I recommend any dance with a ** rating or above. The date refers to
when the dance was choreographed.
The album is given in [..]'s.
For
recent reviews, see the current reviews page (click here)
| Reviews: |
Among the
Gumtrees; Let's Twitch; Wildcat; Perfect Day; Good Morning Beautiful;
Get A Life; Your Love; Treat Her Good; Like a Bird on a Wire; Girls
Night Out; 16 Bars From Luckenbach; Live Your Dream; Hell Or High
Water; Wild Kisses; Bad Days; Forever on My Mind; Love Me, Love Me;
Shoop Shoop; I Believe in Angels; But I Do; Move It; Rock n' Roll Is
King; Birmingham; Just Wright; L.O.V.E.; Mr Lonely; The Fun Begins;
Sweet Dreams; God's Been Good; Angel Eyes; Home; Without You; Caught In
The Act; Into Something Good; Walk This Earth; Funtasia; Point, One,
Two; My Better Half; Walk On; All Day Long; Ready To Fly; I Found You;
And More; The Fifth Wish; Whiskey Girl; Tonight We're Young; Halfway to
Mexico; Save The Last Dance; Follow Me; Soluna; I Miss Me; Heat on the
Street; Across the Mississippi; Baptized In Beer; Nothin' to Lose; The
Ride; Gentlemen; Bigger Boat on the River; Strait Exit; Trying to Find
Atlantis; Guardian Angel; Down to the River; If It's Over; Flames of
Desire; Life Love Liberty; Do You Love Me; Another Day; Don't Wanna;
Wouldn't It Be Nice; Like She's Not Yours; The Right Side of Town;
Cotton Pickin'; You Know What That Means; Louisiana Melody; What If I
Said; Side By Side; Mars Attack; The Way That...; Breakaway; Shine Your
Light; Grace and Favour; I Love The Senoritas; No Way Out; Some Beach;
This I Swear; My Way; Someday Baby; Give It Up; What Car; Next To You,
Next To Me; Going All The Way!; Party for Two; Free For A Moment!;
Being Us Again; Lord & Master; Last Plane Out Of Sydney; Dixie's
Honky Tonk; I Ain't No Quitter; Dare
2 Party; A Better Man;
Don't Come Easy; Sky Full Of Angels; Goin' Down; Better Life;
Don't Know; Unburn All Our Bridges; In a Moment; Mr Mom; Take it Easy;
Too Much Candy; Shiv-a-ree; You and I; Big Time; Maybe; Barefoot &
Pregnant; A Man Is Not A Camel!;
Fudge It; Girls Gone Wild; Open Season; A Devil in Me; Push; Back To
The Island; Go West; Western Cha Cha;
Women Rule; All Clear; A Bit of Alright; Where I Belong; Mary's Zorba;
Drinkin' Bone; Turbo Twang;
Come Fly With Me; Pure Country; Ride 'em Cowboy; The Ice Cream Song;
Start Living; Guys Like Me; When She Drinks; Days Go By; Sun Up; Hold
You Now;
Waiting All My Life; Hey Good Lookin'; Wrong Girl; Something Easy;
Jamacia; Free With a Tree;
Canadian Stroll; Forever Dance; Show Me The Money; Neutron Dance;
Tumbleweed 2; Across The Sea (a.k.a. Sea Sick);
A Good Thing; Addiction; Drive; Amazing; Buy Me A Drink; Doctor,
Doctor; I Got a Feeling; Nights Like This; Elusive Love;
Is it Love Yet?; All Night Long
Romantasy; Burnin' Bridges; Just Got to Stay; You Are; The River; High
on the Mountain; Heartache Tonight; Much Too Young; Slow Burn;
The Meaning of Love; Hell Yeah!; Shine On; Leave Right Now; It's You;
Zest Appeal;
Where the Girls Are; Camp it up; My Valentine; Original Sin;
Rescue Me; Faster; Slow Hand; Extremity; Love Changes Everything;
Before it's too Late;
A Lotta Rhythm; Nu Flow; For the First Time; First to Last; Senorita;
Make Your Mind Up; Maybe I Could; Together 4 Ever; That's
a Woman; I Need Your Love; Man in the Moon; Sweet Southern Comfort;
Please Don't Stop; I Shoulda; Jacksonville; The Real World; Time After
Time;
Sway; You've Got No Heart; Cha Y'all; Do It All; How High; She Believes
In Me; Cheek to
Cheek; Crazy Love; Stranger in My House; Trembling Lips; Wave
on Wave; Scrapped; The Voice Within; What About Me; Sweet Nothin's;
From Here to Eternity; All in My Heart Waltz; Leave Right Now; Country
2 Step;
Crazy; Jump In; I Remember; Swing Your Chains; Done Deal; Cold Blooded;
31st
April; Light O' Day; Land of Enchantment; Secret Storm; Call Me; After
All; Spanish Waltzing;
Beautiful Senorita; Que Sera Sera; In Love With You; Here We Go;
Everybody's Doing It; The Swing; Desperado; Keeper of My Heart; Take it
to the River; By Your Side; Family Ties; My Guy.
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| Revised: |
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Among the Gumtrees - Linda Burgess [4w,32c];
9/2005
Beginner/improver dance to a country song ("Give Me A Home Among The
Gum Trees" by John Williamson [Home Among the Gum Trees]). Hard to
get much more country than this. A fairly simple dance, tho' the
shuffles and heeljacks strictly speaking put it in the improver level,
however this was done at a workshop and non-linedancers didn't have all
that much trouble picking up the dance (it's not quick). A fun dance
with optional arm movements. No tags/restarts.
Let's Twitch - Linda Burgess [4w,64c]; 9/2005
Easy intermediate dance to a rock 'n roll track ("Jukebox" by
Michael Martin Murphy [Land of Enchantment]). A fairly easy dance,
which is probably achievable at the imrpover level. Has a similar feel
and difficulty as 'Rock 'n Roll is King", which is also going around,
tho' not as quick. This one wasn't really to my taste, but seemed to go
down well in class. The one big drawback is that the dance travels
quite a bit, so small steps and watch the furniture if you're on the
outside. A few steps felt awkward when walking thru', but seemed to
settle down when doing to the music when you got the momentum going. No
tags/restarts.
Wildcat - John Hughes [4w,64c]; 7/2005
Intermediate dance to a country song ("Kentucky Wildcat" by
Kentucky Headhunters [Stompin' Grounds]. A nice pacey dance, but
doesn't feel too quick. Not much floor movement and the dance flows
fairly well. Quite a good effort by a novice choreographer. The only
section that caused trouble when teaching was counts 41-48 with all the
turns - the footwork isn't all that difficult but all the turns can be
a bit confusing and warrant extra attention when teaching
(alternatively leave out the full turn and just do a 1/4 turn for the
non turners). Count 41 did feel a bit awkward at first, but that passes
with practice. The 1/4 turn right & step together at the end felt
better as a 1/4 turn and two sways, but that's just personal styling.
One easy mid-wall tag done three times (every chorus) and a 4th tag
with is really just a restart.
Perfect Day - Brett Jenkins & Stephen Patterson
[2w,60c]; 7/2005
Intermediate waltz to a country song ("Oh, What a Perfect Day"
by George Strait [Somewhere Down in Texas]). A tricky dance that'll
take a fair few tries to nail down. It has quite a lot of syncopation
(has a 1-3&4-6 count), so a tad difficult to dance with waltz
styling. I've never liked waltzes with syncopation, so this one faces a
big uphill battle with me and just doesn't make it, especially with a
3&4&5&6 section. To my ear the syncopation doesn't seem to
be in the music and getting the right count did cause some trouble in
class (and it's an advanced class). Probably more an
intermediate/advanced dance. Nice music tho'. If you don't mind
syncopated waltzes, then it may be worth a try since some did like it.
One restart, but ignore the obvious restart in the music - the real one
is latter on.
Good Morning Beautiful - Mark Simpkin & Kate Moore
[2w,32c]; 6/2005
Intermediate dance to a country track ("Good Morning Beautiful"
by Steve Holy [Blue Moon]). A quickish dance that felt a bit rushed to
me, at least on the first week. After a few walls to the music it does
start to flow. The dance is fairly characteristic of Simpkin's
choreography style and will no doubt quite appeal to those who prefer
his style. Not much floor movement. Three restarts which may take a bit
of practice to hear in the music, especially the last two.
Get A Life - Carl Sullivan [2w,64c]; 7/2005
Upper intermediate dance to a contry track ("Gonna Get a Life"
by Mark Chesnutt [What a Way to Live]). A pacey dance with some tricky
stepwork. Definitely not for the improver or low intermediate class
(unless you're prepared to spent a long time teaching and revising).
Counts 33-40 will likely cause the most trouble in class, tho' they are
easier to do at dance speed when you have gotten the momentum going and
it's easier to keep your balance. The full turns would, of course, be
optional for the non-turners. When you do the full turn on count 16,
just trail the left leg around as you turn, but make sure the weight
stays on the right (or just step, drag). The 1/2 turn on count 27
caused a bit of trouble in class. Counts 50-56 seemed a bit simple and
out of place compared to the rest of the dance, but I guess it gives
you an opportunity to catch your breath. There's a bit of floor
movement, but nothing excessive. Two tags, two restarts.
Your Love - Mark Simpkin & Kate Moore [2w,64c];
1/2005
Intermediate dance to a country song ("How Your Love Makes Me Feel"
by Diamond Rio [Greatest Hits]). This one starts off with Mark's
signature kick-ball-changes, but after that the dance settles down to
flow fairly smoothly. There are several "step R to R, step L to L"
sequences on the sheet which could be side rock, recovers or stomps.
Given the choreographer's sytle, they're prolly stomps, however note
I've never seen the choreographer or his group do the dance. They did
end up being stomps in class. The restarts all occur with these "out,
out"s, which is convienient. There's not much floor movement and some
of the turns oculd be left out for non-turners and there're
opportunities to add extra turns for those who want a bit more. I
wasn't too keen on the tag. The dance was originally done as a comp
dance, so choreographed for appearance rather than feel. Two tags, a
restart and a restart/tag.
Treat Her Good - Brett Jenkins [1w,64c]; 7/2005
Improver dance to a country song ("Lonely Women Make Good Lovers"
by Steve Wariner [Ultimate Collection]). A fairly simple dance -
there's nothing difficult with the stepwork and the danced flows fairly
well. Counts 32-64 are a repeat of the first 32 counts, on the opposite
foot. This may cause some confusion at first. The dance did seem to
move a fair bit towards the 9:00 wall and after a few walls there was a
'traffic jam' on that side. Whether this is the dance or the class is
another matter. There is a tag, however it was accidently left off in
the teach and no-one noticed the lack of phrasing. One tag.
Like a Bird on a Wire - Tracie & Sylvia Lee
[2w,48c]; 8/2005
Improver dance to a country-pop song ("Bird on a Wire" by Jimmy
Barnes, Troy Cassar-Daley & Bella [Double Happiness]). Barnes is
one of those singers you love or hate. At least he actually tries to
sing in this song rather than his usual scream. Already quite a few
dances out to this song (and at least three going around locally) and
all are much the same difficulty. Choreography of this one flows quite
well. It's tempting to do 28-30 as a forward waltz, but the walks
forward ensure the dance doesn't move around the floor too much. Note
also that 7-12 move backwards - there's a tendency to do them on the
spot. I found the cross behind on count 13 to feel awkward, but with
practice it started to settle down. No tags/restarts.
Girls Night Out - Terry Hogan [2w,64c]; 1994
Intermediate dance to a country song ("Girls' Night Out" by Gina
Jeffreys [The Flame]). An old classic from the early days of
linedancing in Australia that keeps surfacing on local dance floors
every now and again. The first 8 counts are typical Terry Hogan -
"tricky". An easy option is to do a kick, 5 rocks, 1/4 turn right and
then step together. Note that the vine on counts 9-12 turns backwards.
The only other thing to be careful about is to make sure you get the
weight changes right (steps vs taps & holds). There's a lot of
repetition in the middle. Quite quick, so I'm not too sure of the b/m
on the dance sheet. No tags/restarts.
16 Bars From Luckenbach - Linda Burgess [2w,64c]; 7/2005
Intermediate dance to a country song ("16 Bars From Luckenbach"
by Rick Sousley [Patsy Proof]). Sousley is a new artist who sounds a
lot like George Strait (the whole album does). A nice flowing dance
well suited to the music. There is a lot of floor movement, in all four
directions. Counts 51-54 also felt awkward, tho' moreso when walking
thru'. This was the only spot that caused any toruble in class. Should
be Ok for an improver class, especially if you simplify some of the
turns. Two restarts.
Live Your Dream - Dee Musk [4w,48c]; 5/2005
Upper intermediate waltz to a country track ("Second Chance" by
Trisha Yearwood [Inside Out]). Note the choreographer has made a few
changes to this dance, so make sure you have a sheet dated 7/2005. A
really nice waltz. A bit quickish, but doesn't feel rushed like many of
the quick waltzes that've come out in the past year or so. The count is
a bit hard to pick up, especially on the first 3 walls, plus there're
quite a few tricky turns, so this one is probably not for everyone,
especially those who don't like turns. I'm a sucker for nice, flowing
'feelie' waltzes and this one definitely fits the bill. Not much floor
movement. The full turns on counts 13-18 and 43-48 are really done over
three counts. No tags/restarts.
Hell Or High Water - Yvonne Anderson [2w,48c]; 5/2005
Intermediate dance to country song ("Hell Or High Water" by
George Canyon [One Good Friend]). A very quick dance and probably not
for those who have dicky knees or ankles since it puts a lot of strain
on them and there were a few complaints afterwards about soreness. The
two "heel-hook-heel-flick, buttermilk, coaster" sections were the only
parts that caused trouble in class (and the parts which're hard on the
knees and ankles). Not much floor movement. There's a bit of
uncertainity about the 1/2 turn in the first set of 8. The original
sheet has the turn on count 6 which feels very awkward. In class we did
it on count 7, which is how the choreographer did the dance in a video.
Two tags.
Wild Kisses - Tracie Lee [2w,64c]; 1998
Easy intermediate dance to a country song ("Serious Love" by
Rick Trevino [Learning As You Go]). A pacey, lively dance from back in
the 1990's. Nothing particularly difficult with the steps tho' counts
25-32 did trouble a few initially. The shoulder shakes at the end are
definitely optional - when they're done properly it looks quite
impressive. Note that the dance does not phrase to the music, so watch
out for unintended restarts. Not much floor movement and the
choreography flows quite well. No tags/restarts.
Bad Days - Mitchell & Linda Burgess [4w, 32/64c];
7/2005
Intermediate dance to a pop song ("Bad Day" by Daniel Powter).
Originally choreographed as a 32 count dance, some people had taught it
as a 64 count dance so the sheet has been revised as a 64 count dance.
Take your pick as to which one you use, tho' of course the 64 count
version is done on the double-speed beat. Personally I think the 32
count version suits the music better (1-2&,3-4&). The dance
seemed awkward when walking thru', tho' this settled down when doing to
the music. The two coasters in counts 9-18 (in the 64 count sheet) are
both *back* coasters, which caused a bit of trouble in class with many
instinctively doing a forward coaster on the second one. Counts 17-19
again, in the 64 count version) are really a cross-rock, hold, recover
(this is obvious on the 32 count sheet). Dance has a bit of floor
movement. One easy tag.
Forever on My Mind - Peter Fry [4w,64c]; 6/2005
Advanced dance to a contry song ("It's Getting Better all the Time"
by Brooks & Dunn [Greatest Hits 2]. The sheet says intermediate,
but it's definitely not for the average intermediate dancer. Best leave
this one for the intermediate/advanced classes - it's a definite
challenge. Dance moves around the floor a bit and has a lot of turns.
The sheet looks a bit fearsome, but it's just a "&1-2, &3-4"
count throughout. After a few tries it does start to fit together and
flow and I suspect with a fair bit of practice this will be a smooth
and nice feeling dance, a bit reminiscent of his "The 5th Wish". A few
spots put a noticable strain on the ankles, especially counts
&9-10&11. Counts 32-40 seemed to cause particular trouble in
class. Two restarts (the 2nd is on count 36, not 44 as on the original
sheet).
Love Me, Love Me - Kevin & Maria Smith [2w,64c];
6/2005
Improver dance to a rock 'n roll song ("Love Me, Love Me" by The
Dean Brothers [Stuck on You]). There's a bit of debate with the music
for this. The sheet has the music "A Taste of Calypso". The Dean's
website does not list this, however there is a song "Love Me, Love Me",
to which there is a dance called "A taste of Calypso". I suspect the
music was obtained electronically under the name of the other dance,
not the song itself. The dance itself is fairly easy, with a nice flow
and well suited to the music. A fair bit of floor movement, especially
if you do shuffles instead of cha-cha's. No tags/restarts.
Shoop Shoop - Simon Ward [4w,32c]; 5/2005
Improver dance to a pop song ("The Shoop Shoop Song" by Cher
[Mermaids Soundtrack]). A simply little dance which nicely fits the
music. Nothing difficult with the steps, tho' the first 8 counts felt a
bit 'dicky'. Don't forget to shoop-shoop on counts 17-24! Not much
floor movement and shouldn't trouble upper beginners. Two tags (repeat
the last 8 counts).
I Believe in Angels - Gordon Elliott [2w,64c]; 4/2005
Upper intermediate dance to a contry song ("I Believe" by
Diamond Rio [Completely]). A tricky number. Unfortunately the large
number of turns and the very slow music may limit it's appeal - it got
a mixed reaction in class, some quite liking it, others just as vocally
disliking it because it was "too slow". A shame since I found it to be
a very smooth dance which nicely fitted the music - definitely a
"feelie" dance, so not for those who like them hard and fast. A few
spots caused trouble in class. The 1/2 turn sweep after count 4 is
relatively quick, on the & count. There was a strong temptation for
many to rock forward on count 17 rather than to the side. This made the
following steps rather more difficult. Not much floor movement. No
tags/restarts.
But I Do - Judith Campbell and Bill Larson [2w,32c];
4/2005
Improver dance to a country track ("I Do" by Mila Mason). A nice
feeling dance to a rather mellow song. The count is a bit tricky at
first - there's a lot of 1-2& (etc) counts and the few times
there's not an & count, you feel like doing one. Eg: a ball-step,
step instead of a shuffle. Counts 9-14 may take a bit of practice and
are the only steps in the dance that should challenge improvers. The
beat is a bit hard to pick up on the first wall. One restart.
Move It - Dancing Dynamics [2w,64c]; 3/2005
Intermediate dance to a spanish dance mix ("Muevete" by David
Civera). The music for this one will definitely not appeal to everyone.
However for those who like the music, the dance is very well styled to
the music. A lively dance and a good one for the exhibitionists in
class. Nothing tricky with the steps, tho' I did find it a bit of a
strain on the knees. Not sure if counts 33-40 are samba's or mambo's.
Travels a bit. No tags/restarts.
Rock n' Roll Is King - Barry Andracchio [2w,64c]; 5/2005
Easy intermediate dance to a rock 'n roll song ("Rock n' Roll Is King"
by Electric Light Orchestra). Easy steps, however the dance pace is
quite quick, so it may be a bit of a challenge for some improvers. The
rolling vines on counts 16-24 could be done as vanilla vines, making it
a bit easier. The music stops for 8 counts near the end, either dance
thru' or hold for the 8 counts (omitting the next 8 counts). Two
restarts;
Birmingham - Karen Jennings [2w,96c]; 3/2005
Upper intermediate dance to a country song ("Paint Me a Birmingham"
by Tracey Lawrence [Strong]). I saw this done at a few socials and
wasn't exactly impressed. Doing and seeing in this case were, however,
very different things. A very flowing and graceful dance with lots of
drags and sweeps, yet is isn't all that slow. Nothing exceptionally
tricky with the steps. The drag on count 48 is easy to leave out (and
get ahead) and the turns on counts 77-80 caused a bit of trouble at
first. The few sequences that had steps on the 4 and 8 counts may feel
a bit "off" at first since almost all these counts are holds, sweeps or
drags. A little bit of floor movement. Two restart/tags.
Just Wright - Maggie Gallagher [2w,64c]; 2/2005
Easy intermediate dance to a country song ("C'est La Vie" by
Chely Wright [The Metropolitan Hotel]). The music is very reminiscent
of Scooter Lee. The sheet says beginner/improver, but I've done this in
two intermediate classes and both times caused some trouble, so it's
probably more an easy intermediate dance. The start caused the most
trouble - starts off with a side shuffle, rock back - a common start
which is then followed by a side shuffle rock recover to the other
side. However in this dance you cross and then a series of points. More
than a few went into a shuffle instead. Apart from that the dance is
fairly easy. Has arm actions for those who like such things. No
tags/restarts.
L.O.V.E. - Joan Alexander [2w,64c]; 2005
Beginner/improver dance to a caberet style song ("L.O.V.E." by
Peter Perez). Not much to this dance - it's basically just a LOT of toe
struts and not much else. Two vines, two jazz-boxes and a few swivets.
The swivets may trouble beginners - fans, swivels etc would do just as
well. The 1/4 turn jazz-box at the end feels like it should turn the
other way (more natural), but that's just being fussy. A good dance for
introducing toe struts. The Perez music is hard to get and some are
using the version by Nat King Cole, for which the tag is dropped. One
tag.
Mr Lonely - Mitchell Burgess [4w,32c]; 7/2005
Easy intermediate dacne to a, errr, comedy rap song? ("Lonely"
by Akon [Trouble]). The music for this is, well, best described as the
Chipmunks go rap. The music got a rather poor reception in class, tho'
the dance itself was well received. It will probably only appeal to the
younger dancers. The dance has a nice feel with a bit of a bounce to
it. I found the last step awkward and felt better as a pivot turn
without a weight transfer. No tags/restarts.
The Fun Begins - Brett Jenkins [4w,48c]; 4/2005
Intermediate dance to a country song ("T.G.I.F." by Lonestar
[Let’s Be Us Again]). Might be a bit of a challenge for improvers, but
hardly the intermediate/advanced that the sheet says. Nothing
particularly difficult with the steps, tho' the music is fairly quick.
The tags & restarts are not too clear in the music (that may just
take practice) and the phrasing towards the end is 'curious' (the fault
of the song, not the dance). This is one of two dances to this song
going around locally, the other is a genuine advanced dance. Two tags,
one restart.
Sweet Dreams - Chris Watson [2w,64c]; 5/2005
Easy intermediate dance to a rap song ("Sweet Dreams My La Ex"
by Rachel Stevens [Funky Dory]). The music for this one will definitely
limit it's appeal and probably drastically. If most in the class like
this sort of music then it may be worth a try. I couldn't get past the
music, nor could most of the class. Only two remained on the floor for
a second try. No tags/restarts.
God's Been Good - Tom Glover [4w,32c]; 3/2005
Improver dance to a country-rock song ("God's Been Good to Me"
by Keith Urban [Be Here]). This is the second dance I've learnt to this
song and I have to admit I much preferred to other one ("Grace and
Favour"), which came out late last year. This dance would suit a spilt
floor with intermediates doing the other dance. Nothing difficult with
the steps. There is a lot of syncopation, but the music is a tad on the
slow side. One tag and one restart.
Angel Eyes - Gordon Elliott & Linda Pink [4w,64c];
11/2004
Intermediate dance to a pop-rock song ("Angel Eyes" by Michael
Learns to Rock [Blue Night]). This dance has been around a while and
has become very popular outside of Sydney. Flows quite nicely, tho' the
music may not appeal to everyone. A few spots probably warrant extra
attention when teaching this dance. The 3/4 turn on count 25 follows a
hold, which many in class left out, getting out of time. The two turns
on counts 32-40 are not pivot turns - there's no weight transfer. The
dance does travel a bit and is quite turn intensive (tho' many of the
turns can be easily left out). Went down quite well in class, apart
from a few who didn't like the music. No tags/restarts.
Home - Chris Watson [4w,32c]; 6/2005
Intermediate dance to a pop song ("I Wanna Go Home" by Michael
Buble [It's Time]). A deceptively tricky dance, mostly because of the
count. After a few walls it started to flow and fit the music, but
definitely one that will take a few tries to get comfortable with. I've
done this in two classes, one it was a success, in the other it
flopped. Some prefer another dance to the song and others disliking the
song itself. Keep track of the count or it can be easy to get out of
phrase. The rolling shuffle on 29&30 doesn't say which way to turn
on the original sheet, according to the choreographer it's a left turn.
The touch, 1/2 unwind (followed by the sways) is done on one count. One
short tag.
Without You - Rosalie Mackay [2w,32c]; 4/2005
Easy intermediate dance to a country track ("I'm Tired Of Being
Something (That Means Nothing To You)" by Ron Williams [Natural
Thing]). The music s quite slow and some gave the dance the thumbs down
because it was "too slow". The count is a bit unusual in places and
most of the turns are syncopated - apart from this the dance is
relatively easy. Dance flows well and has a nice feel to it. Count 7
feels strange, crossing behind instead of over, but it does flow better
that way (eventually). There's a sudden direction change at the end of
the wall going into the next wall, but if you end the wall with a bit
of a lunge, it flows ok. Rather than have a long (or no) intro, there's
a 16 count danced intro, which is just the last 16 counts of the dance.
Note that the dance starts on the word "they". No tags/restarts.
Caught In The Act - Ann Wood [4w,64c]; 2/2004
Easy intermediate dance to a rock song ("Who's Been Sleeping In My
Bed" by Glenn Frey [Solo Collection]), there is a country
alternative, but the dance suits the music so well it'd be a shame to
use anything else. Has a bit of pace, but the choreography flows very
nicely. Only two spots which may need extra attention. The heel jacks
with holds are sufficiently unusual to cause trouble with those who've
done heel jacks before - you might want to teach this with a click or
clap on the holds to emphasise them. The left turn near the end may
also cause a bit of bother - with the step sequence the turn would
normally be a right turn. Not much floor movement. No tags/restarts.
Into Something Good - Alison Biggs [2w,48c]; 4/2005
Easy intermediate dance to a 60's pop track ("I’m Into Something Good"
by Herman’s Hermits [20 Greatest Hits]). This one got a mixed reception
in class with a few walk off's during the music - probably partially
because of the music. Whether to do this one or not would very much
depend on the musical preferences (and probably age) of the people in
the class. Counts 5-10 felt like they should have been syncopated in
the music. No reason they have to be, but a few in class got ahead in
this section. Apart from that, nothing tricky with the steps, tho' the
dance is quite brisk. Steps should be ok for an improver class, but the
pace may put it beyond a fair number at that level. One restart.
Walk This Earth - Dee Musk [2w,48c]; 4/2005
Intermediate dance to a country song ("Just A Dream" by Jimmy
Wayne [Jimmy Wayne]). Dance has a nice feel to it and a fairly smooth
flow despite a lot of ball-steps'. Got a very mixed reception in class
with some liking it and others disliking it. Not sure if it'll make it
to the third week. A pretty turn intensive dance, few of which could be
left out (and then usually only the easy ones), so it's appeal will be
limited for the non-turners. A few step sequences are repeated, so keep
aware of just where in the dance you are. A fair bit of floor movement.
There's ot much beat in the music during the first wall. One restart.
Funtasia - Robbie McGowan Hickie [4w,64c]; 6/2004
Improver dance to country track ("Someone Should Tell Her" by
The Mavericks [Trampoline]). There are 5 alternative tracks listed for
this, however most already have dances. The Mavericks track as well as "The
Heart Is Right" by Carlene Carter [Little Love Letters] are the two
being used locally. Nothing difficult with this dance and is well
suited for the improver level. With two shuffles being the only
syncopation and no restarts (apart from one of the alternative songs),
this should be do-able for an upper beginner class without too much
trouble. Upper level dancers may find it a bit monotonous after a
while, but there's [plenty of opportunity for styling. Steps flow very
naturally and for it's level, it's a very well choreographed dance. The
only steps that caused any trouble in class were the vines and hip
bumps - not difficult, but there did seem to be a tendency to do the
hips and then vine. No tags/restarts.
Point, One, Two - Ben Summerell & Cathryn Proudfoot
[4w,32c]; 4/2005
Intermediate dance to a country track ("What Mattered Most" by
Ty Herndon [What Mattered Most; also Greatest Hits]). This one had a
very mixed reception in class - some liked it, some walked off the
floor. I found it awkward to do the first couple of times, but with
practice picked up the feel of the dance and it started to flow. The
full turns near the end are syncopated hinge turns rather than turning
shuffles - the hinge turns allow you to push off to turn in the
opposite direction. An easy option for the non-turners would be to
leave out the turns and just do side shuffles, tho' that part of the
dance feels nice once yu've gotten the feel. Make sure of the weight
change on count 12 - this was a common problem in class. Two tags and
two restarts, which're obvious in the music.
My Better Half - Robbie McGowan Hickie [4w,64c]; 11/2004
Easy intermediate dance to a pop-country track ("You're My Better
Half" by Keith Urban [Be Here]). There're several music
alternatives listed and the Glen Frey track was the unanamous pick in
class ("Call On Me" by Glenn Frey [Solo Collection]). The dance
seemed to fit the latter much more; it didn't seem to fit the Keith
Urban, track, nor did it phrase, plus there's a glut at the moment of
very similar sounding Keith Urban songs. Dance flows fairly well, tho'
the switches (25-32) seemed a bit out of place, especially when walking
thru'. Nothing overly challenging in the dance and should easily fit an
improver class. One tag with the title track, none with the Frey track.
Walk On - Brett Jenkins & Chris Watson [2w,48c];
5/2005
Improver dance to an old country song ("Walk On" by Reba
McEntire [Sweet Sixteen; Greatest Hits II]). A nice little lively
dance. Nothing difficult with the steps, tho' there was a tendency for
some to do a 'rock, recover' instead of a 'step, step' on counts 55-56.
Dance flows well and the choreograhy feels natural. Not much floor
movement and plenty of opportunity for extra turns and styling to keep
the more advanced dancers interested. Note the original sheet has a few
obvious mistakes. Two restarts.
All Day Long - Rosalie Mackay [4w,64c]; 5/2005
Intermediate/advanced dance to a country track ("All Day Long"
by Trent Willmon [Trent Willmon]). This is not for the faint hearted.
It's a fast dance with some pretty tricky steps. It's also just over 4
minutes long, so quite a workout. Not to be confused with the dance of
the same name being done to Mr Mom. Not much movement around the floor
and the dance fits the music pretty well. A few spots to look out for -
unless the sheet says to face the diagonals, when you are stepping to
the diagonal, face the wall so that you can easily go into the next
sequence (especially the restart). A common problem was adding a drag
before the coaster in the sequence "step, kick-ball-step, rock,
recover, back, coaster". The last 8 counts seemed a bit 'dicky' to me,
but that may pass with practice. One tag and one restart.
Ready To Fly - Robbie McGowan Hickie [4w,96c]; 9/2004
Intermediate waltz to a pop song ("Ready To Fly" by Richard Marx
[My Own Best Enemy]), tho' there is also a country alternative. There
are two versions of the song going around, one by Marx the other by
Bubba King, both are authorised by the choreographer. Both phrase the
same, tho' they have a different feel (one's a ballad, the other's more
rockier). Different classes are using either version. A quick waltz,
which felt nice when walking through, tho' the reaction of the class
when done to music was rather mixed. Doesn't seem to fit the music the
first few tries, but it does eventually settle down. The dance flows
most of the time, tho' the last 12 counts seemed decidedly
un-waltzlike. The cross-side-behind felt better (and more natural) as a
behind-side-cross. Not much floor movement. Definitely a case of a
dance that has to grow on you. One tag.
I Found You - Brett Jenkins [2w,64c]; 5/2005
Intermediate dance to a country track ("I've Gotta Find You" by
Lonestar [Lonely Grill]). This one got a rather mixed reception in
class. Has a fair few unconventional steps which means it's one that
will take quite a few tries to start getting comfortable with, maybe a
couple of weeks. Starts off the same as "Arms of Mary", which is a big
hit locally for 2005, which will probably lead to some confusion and
reduce it's appeal. 16 counts in the middle of the dance is repeated,
on the other foot. One tag.
And More - Julie Dowse [2w,64c]; 2/2005
Intermediate dance to a country-pop track ("And More" by
Restless Heart [Restless Heart]). A very smooth and flowing dance. A
common comment was that the dance didn't fit the music, but it seemed
ok to me. All the steps seemed natural and the one sudden direction
change is preceded by a rock/step from which you can push off from.
Most of the steps are easy intermediate level, tho' the turns on counts
29-32 did trouble some in class and are prolly the hardest part of the
dance. It's a bit quick, so prolly not for an improver level class. The
dance does travel a lot, so watch the walls and take small steps! Three
tags and a restart.
The Fifth Wish - Peter Fry [2w,68c]; 3/2005
Intermediate/advanced dance to a country song ("I wish" by Jo
Dee Messina [Greatest Hits]). Definitely only for the upper level
dancers. I missed the main teach so had to struggle to pick it up on a
revision. A very smooth and flowing dance that fits the body's momentum
remarkably well given the large number of turns, including more than a
few syncopated turns. Counts 25-40 is the hardest part of the dance and
is very turn intensive, with a turn every two counts. Until it clicks
this part of the dance is confusing and certainly warrants the most
attention when teaching. Two restarts, the first a bit hard to pick up,
the second quite obvious.
Whiskey Girl - Michael Vera-Lobos [4w,64c], 5/2005
Intermediate dance to a country track ("Whiskey Girl" by Toby
Keith [Shock 'n Y'all]). Dance has a nice feel when done to the music,
tho' it felt awkward when walking thru' because the dance makes
considerable use of momentum. The hold on count 12 is easy to forget.
The twists on counts 49-56 are ambigious on the sheet - you actually
twist the body left and the heels right (and vice versa for the return
twist). There's a sudden direction change on count 41 which didn't seem
to flow all that well the first week. The one downside of the dance is
that it travels across the floor a lot, so make sure you have a big
floor and are not near the edges! Two restarts.
Tonight We're Young - Carl Sullivan [4w,64c]; 5/2005
Intermediate/advanced dance to country song ("Young as We're Ever
Gonna Be" by Collin Raye [Can't Back Down]). This one is definitely
for the speed crowd, with a very quick beat and quite a bit of
syncopation. The steps that seemed to cause the most trouble in class
were the kick-ball-rocks (40-48), so extra attention here. Note also
that the weight stays on the right foot with the 1/4L pivot at the end.
Dance fits the music well and has a good flow, tho' it will take a bit
of practice to get the steps right at dance pace. Four tags, tho'
technically they are really restarts.
Halfway to Mexico - Charlie Mifsud [4w,36c]; 3/2005
Easy intermediate dance to a contry track ("Halfway To Mexico"
by Lane Turner [Right On Time]). A nice feeling dance which has a good
flow to it and suits the music. A few spots may need extra attention
when teaching - notably the drag (count 10) which has a weight change.
The "cross, hold, ball-step, back" (17-20) is a bit ambigious on the
sheet. This sequence moves to the side, so it's really a ".. ball-side,
back". Not much floow movement. Two tags.
Save The Last Dance - Lyn Booth [2w,72c]; 3/2005
Improver dance to a caberet-pop song ("Save The Last Dance For Me"
by Michael Buble [It’s Time]). Fairly simple steps in this dance and a
lot of repetition - you do a section, repeat it, do another section,
repeat it .. and that's the dance. Has syncopation and restarts so it's
tecnically not a beginner dance, but it shouldn't pose too much trouble
for upper beginners. The dance doesn't seem to phrase to the song - it
does, it's the vocals that are unphrased. Two restarts.
Follow Me - Linda Burgess [2w,108c]; 3/2005
Intermediate waltz to a country song ("Follow Me Home" by Jamie
O’Neil [Brave]). A quick waltz, so its appeal to those who prefer
slower waltzes may be limited. Don't, however, be put off by the 108
counts - the steps are all fairly easy, so it's not a difficult dance
to learn. A few sudden direction changes which felt a bif 'off' when
doing at dance speed, at least the first few times. This dance took out
first place in the waltz section of a choreography competition, which
just shows everyone has different tastes. One restart.
Soluna - Robbie McGowan Hickie [4w,64c]; 3/2005
Improver dance to a spanish-dance mix ("Monday Mi Amor" by
Soluna [For All Time]). An easy dance that would nicely fit an improver
class, depending on their music tastes. The 'step, pivot,
kick-ball-cross' may require extra attention - many automatically did a
'rock, recover' instead of the 'kbc'. The song has a nice lively upbeat
feel to it, tho' it will not appeal to all. Dance fits the feel of the
music quite well and there's little movement around the floor. The
phrasing is lousy, but it would probably take too many tags and
restarts to overcome that.
I Miss Me - Michael Vera-Lobos [2w,64c]; 3/2005
Intermediate dance to a country song ("I Miss Me" by Brad Cotter
[Patient Man]). A nice song, but the dance itself didn't seem to quite
jell to it the first week. The dance flows nicely most of the time,
tho' counts 44-48 can be a strain on the ankles. The full turn on
counts 25-26 flows a lot better if you begin the turn on count 24.
Dance does move around the floor quite a bit, so make sure there's
plenty of room (or ya not near the edges). The start in the music seems
a bit abrupt, so keep your ears open. Two restarts.
Heat on the Street - Maggie Gallagher [2w,80c]; 3/2005
Intermediate dance to a pop-dance track ("The Heat Is On" by
Glenn Frey [Solo Collection]). Also works to the Glenn Rogers version,
but not to other versions.. A quick dance, fortunately there're only
two syncopated steps. It got a very mixed reception in class, some
loved it, others hated it. Has a bit of floor movement and several of
the turns feel a bit rushed (if only at first). The two turns in 65-72
attracted the worst comments and I did find the sudden direction
changes there less than ideal. A lot of "point, hold"s, so be careful
just where you are in the dance. Two restarts.
Across the Mississippi - Gary & Cheryl Parker
[2w,32c]; 3/2005
Easy intermediate dance to contry song ("I Can See Arkansas" by
David Ball [Freewheeler]). Several local dances already off the same
album. A nice, flowing dance without any awkward steps. While easy
intermediate, I'm hesitant to label it improver because it's heavily
syncopated, as well as a few quick turns. However, the song is fairly
slow, so the dance itself is not quick, despite the syncopation. The
few missing & counts actually feel more like holds. Music slows
towards the end - just dance on thru' at the normal pace to the end.
One restart.
Baptized In Beer - Max Perry [2w,60c]; 6/2004
Improver dance to a country track ("The Lord Loves A Drinking Man"
by Mark Chesnutt [Savin' the Honky Tonk]). Liked the song (even if I
hate beer). A pretty easy dance, tho' the hinge turn shuffles prolly
put it above the beginner level. Apart from the shuffles, the only
syncopation are two weaves, not really beginner level either. Probably
wont appeal to many upper level dancers - the general reaction was
'boring', still a good dance for an improver class and there's the
opportunity to add plenty of extra spins. Not much floor movement and
mostly flows well, tho' I found the points followed by the weave to be
awkward. No tags/restarts.
Nothin' to Lose - Lyn Booth [2w,64c]; 4/2005
Intermediate dance to a country song ("Nothin' to Lose" by Josh
Gracin [Josh Gracin]). A quick dance that, at least on the first teach,
felt rushed at times. The phrasing seemed a bit uncertain at first, but
practice, practice, practice. I saw this demo'd by the choreographer
and liked the look and it got quite a few favourable comments at a
choreography competition (mistakes on the original sheet reputedly
robbed it of first place). Unfortunately the dance fell very flat at
class, with few expressing an interest in giving it a second try. One
restart.
The Ride - Kelvin Dale & Samantha Dixon [4w,64c];
oldie
Improver dance to a country track ("Enjoy The Ride"
by Brett James [Brett James]). One of the classic oldies done locally
to a great country track. There're no particularly difficult steps and
there's a fair bit of repetition, so not a particularly difficult
dance. It is, however, a quick dance with some sudden direction
changes. The full turns can be left out at first until one gets
comfortable with the footwork. One of those dances that's best done
with lots of body attitude. No tags/restarts.
Gentlemen - Linda Burgess [4w,32c]; 1/2005
Improver dance to a pop dance song ("Gentleman"
by Lou Bega [Ladies & Gentlemen]). Originally called the New Year
Cha Cha, this dance was modified and renamed. A bouncy song, very
reminiscent of Mambo #5, but definitely not for everyone. The
dance is not difficult and flows fairly well, but with 4 tags and
restarts, this will definitely cause a few groans. Does travel a lot,
in all four directions..
Bigger Boat on the River - Jan Wyllie & Dave Young
[2w,64c]; 2001
Improver dance to a disco track ("Boat On The River"
by Boney M [Greatest Hits]). Back to the 70's for this one with flairs
and frizzy hair-do's. A fairly basic dance with a lot of repetition.
The first 32 counts is a beginner dance, "Boat On The River",
choreographed by Dave Young, sometime in the '90's. Jan added an extra
32 counts onto the dance to do it as a floor split for beginners and
improvers. No tags/restarts.
Strait Exit - Jan Wyllie [2w,64c]; 12/2004
Improver dance to a country song ("The Cowboy Rides Away"
by George Strait [Greatest Hits II]). A very country track, which may
limit the appeal. A fairly simple dance, tho' there are a fair few
turns (some can be left out). Flows quite well. I found the start of
the dance felt awkward when walking thru', but it does come naturally
from the end of the previous wall. As one of the three most prolific
choreographer's in the world (according to Kickit), a lot of her dances
do tend to seem the same. One restart.
Trying to Find Atlantis - Linda Burgess [2w,88c]; 3/2005
Upper intermediate dance to a country track ("Trying to Find Atlantis"
by Jamie O'Neil [Brave]). There're several easy dances to this song, so
could readily be done as a floor split. Wasn't sure whether to rate
this one intermediate/advanced or not. It doesn't seem all that
difficult while walking thru', however the beat is quite fast, which is
where the challenge of this dance lies. It was also done at a workshop
and more than a few were obviously struggling. The timing of some of
the holds is tricky and takes a few tries to nail down. Has quite a few
turns, tho' the harder ones can be substituted - the figure 8 could be
done as two rocking chairs and the step & slow sweeps as "step,
hold, tap, hold". The pace is too quite to really flow smoothly,
however there're no un-natural feeling steps. Dance is on the double
beat, which may take a bit of getting used to. Two restarts.
Guardian Angel - Lyn Booth [4w,48c]; 3/2005
Improver dance to a country track ("Guardian Angel"
by Jason McCoy [Sins, Lies & Angels]). A nice bouncy feel to the
song and dance. Quite a bit of repetition anot that much pace, so not a
difficult dance. The last 4 counts would be the 'hardest' and the only
ones that needed extra attention when taught. The two turning shuffles
could be done as vanillas and the 5/4 turning shuffle done with a 1/4
turn for the non-turners. Three restarts.
Down to the River - Jennifer Hughes [2w,64c]; 3/2005
Intermediate dance to soft rock song ("The River"
by Keith Urban [Keith Urban (1991)]). Note this is off Urban's first
self titled album released in 1991, not the more familiar one released
in 1999. The choice of steps in this dance means that even tho' the
music doesn't change pace, the dance has fast and slow sections. The
dance did have a nice feel to it and flows well tho' like her previous
dance to another song of the same title, this one has quite a few
unusual steps, along with an unusual count, so takes a fair bit of
getting used to. The twists in the middle are a bit awkward to do for
those with less than perfect ankles, but don't let this put you off the
dance. he tag seems to cause the most trouble - it's similar to a
section of the dance. One tag.
If It's Over - Kerry Hughes [2w,32c]; 10/2004
Intermediate dance to a pop song ("If It's Over"
by Shane McAnally [Shane McAnally]). This one fell very flat in class,
with most walking off the floor before it'd finished, mostly because
it's very hard to pick up the dance beat and keep with it - mostly
because the song has a 1-2& beat, but the dance doesn't. The song
beat does get more noticable after a few walls. No tags/restarts.
Flames of Desire - Brett Jenkins [2w,64c]; 1/2005
Intermediate/advanced dance to a country song ("Nothing On But The
Radio"
by Gary Allan [See If I Care]). Brett has a reputation for smoothly
flowing and very well choreographed dances. This one, at least on the
first week, seems below his usual standard. Several of the step
sequences felt awkward the first week or two, notably the "step, hold,
back coaster" and the
dance as a whole just didn't seem to flow as well as Brett's dances
usually do. Has an unusual count and it
takes a while to get the feel of the beat, hence the difficulty level.
One tag and one restart.
Life Love Liberty - Ian St Leon [4w,64c]; 1/2005
Intermediate dance to a disco-opera song ("Vincero (Disco Mix)"
by Fredrik Kempe [Song for your Broken Heart]). That music description
is right. The choreographer calls it "unique". Maybe not that but
certainly very unusual. Music is also apparently hard to get. The dance
has some unusual step sequences. Travels a fair bit and it is a bit of
an ankle strainer in places. One did get the impression that the
choreographer was trying to squeeze in as many different step sequences
as possible. Dance starts quite late into the music - 16 counts after
the heavy beat kicks in. No tags or restarts.
Do You Love Me - Chris Watson [2w,48c]; 1/2005
Improver dance to a 60's style rock 'n roll song ("Do You Love Me
(Now That I Can Dance)"
by The Contours [More Dirty Dancing]). A quick but fairly easy dance
with a lot of repetition. Will likely appeal to the younger dancers as
well as those who grew up on 60's music. The original sheet (which was
the one floating around at Tamworth '05) has several mistakes, so make
sure you have the corrected sheet. The pace and feel of the dance were
very reminiscent of Chris' Jump In. At least on the first week, the
beat did seem a bit too quick for some of the steps which felt rushed
and lead to a bit of fudging. Having recently seen the Dirty Dancing
musical, I was curious to learn this dance. The only tricky steps are
counts 25-32 which may take a bit of practice to get used to. One
restart. There is a fake ending in the song, just dance thru' it to the
end.
Another Day - Trent & Narelle Duncan [4w,72c]; 1/2005
Intermediate dance to a country-rock song ("Live to Love Another Day"
by Keith Urban [Be Here]. Like most of Urban's songs, this one has a
great dance beat, tho' the heavier tracks on this album all sound very
similar. You need to watch out for the fake ending - there's a break
before the music resumes. Just keep dancing. There's also a fake start
- the dance begins 2 counts before the lyrics. There's a fair bit of
repetition in the dance and flows quite well, tho' I felt the heel
switches were a bit out of place and felt rushed. The last 8 counts are
unusual and will require a bit of concentration. Ends with a ball-cross
which leaves you in an awkward position to start the next wall. A
ball-step would feel more natural. One restart, not terribly obvious in
the music.
Don't Wanna - Jennifer Hughes [2w,32c]; 9/2004
Intermediate dance to a country song ("Don't Wanna"
by Suzy Bogguss [Voices In The Wind]). This is really a waltz done to a
waltz track - you can easily add the rise & fall waltz styling,
however it's choreographed in 4/4 time. The dance flows quite well and
has a very smooth and sweepy feel throughout. Some of the steps do take
a bit of getting used to, but this 'different' feel is typical of the
choreographer. This does mean that it can feel awkward at first, but I
found this quickly passed with repetition. The 3/4R followed by the
1/2L turns near the end are best done as lunges and are the hardest
part so prolly deserve more attention when teaching. While count 26 on
the sheet is a step to the side, it is being taught as a step together,
which flows much more nicely. One mid-wall tag done twice.
Wouldn't It Be Nice - Jessie & Ben Summerell
[2w,56c]; 10/2004
Improver dance to a 60's pop song ("Wouldn't It Be Nice"
by The Beach Boys [Very Best Of]). This one did not go down well at
class. Might need a few weeks to get the feel, but I doubt I'll get the
opportunity. There is a lot of repetition in the dance and the steps
are not too difficult, tho' there is a bit of pace to it. Probably best
for the younger crowd (there're choreographed hand & arm movements
which appeal to that set) or those with 60's nostalgia for the Beach
Boys. The music slows down half way thru' and this latter picks up
again - you are s'posed to slow the dance down as well, tho' we didn't
know that at the time. No tags/restarts.
Like She's Not Yours - Gordon Elliott [2w,64c]; 11/2004
Intermediate dance to a country track ("Like She's Not Yours"
by the Bellamy Brothers [By Request]). The song sounds something like
the Beach Boys gone country. A very smooth dance with no awkward steps,
even when first learning. Personally, I found the dance to really suit
the song, tho' it may not appeal to the non-country crowd. The dance
does travel a fair bit, which is it's one failing, as such. On a
crowded floor you might be best replacing the shuffles with cha-cha's
(triple's). There're similar step sequences throughout the dance so
keeping track of just where you are is important - at least for the
first few weeks. This repetition does not mean it's boring tho'! The
two 3/4 turns are the only spots that might trouble improvers. Two
restarts.
The Right Side of Town - Linda Burgess [4w,32c]; 12/2004
Beginner/Improver dance to a country track ("Livin' on the Right
Side of Town"
by The Wolverines [Making Tracks]). Music will be very hard to obtain
outside of Australia. An easy dance well achievable by an upper
beginner class that has already been introduced to the idea of
syncopation. Nothing tricky with the steps, however the many shuffles
and other syncopated step sequences puts it firmly as an improver
dance. Has a nice, quick and boucy feel, but not rushed. I did find
going from the end of one wall into the next a bit awkward since the
dance ends moving to the left and begins moving to the right. No
tags/restarts.
Cotton Pickin' - Gordon Elliott [4w,32c]; 1/2005
Beginner/improver dance to a country song ("Cotton Pickin' Time"
by Blake Shelton [Barn & Grill]). The music has a good strong beat
to it. A fairly simple dance which flows fairly well and has a nice
bouncy feel. Quite a few syncopated step sequences which would restrict
it to upper beginners and above. Did seem to have a somewhat limited
appeal to the more advanced dancers (too basic), tho' it's the sort of
dance that could appeal to the younger set locally. Might work well as
a floor split with a harder dance. Two tags.
You Know What That Means - Paul Snooke & Cathryn
Proudfoot
[2w,64c]; 8/2004
Intermediate/advanced dance to a country track ("T.G.I.F."
by Lonestar [Let's Be Us Again]). Note that this is not a cover of the
song by Nsync, to which the dance T.G.I.F. is still being done. A
fairly pacy song and with a lot of syncopations, turns and tricky
footwork, this one keeps you on your toes all the time. Definitely an
upper intermediate/advanced dance. I didn't find this to be a smooth
dance the first week, but instead it had a rushed, jerky feel a lot of
the time. This did settle down in the following weeks, so persistance
is important. Has some unusual step sequences and counts, which require
a fair bit of concentration to pick up. Very turn intensive (and none
of 'em are really optional). Three restarts.
Louisiana Melody - Rosalie Mackay [4w,64]; 1/2005
Improver dance to country music ("Louisiana Melody"
by David Ball [Freewheeler]). An old-style linedance, straight from the
90's, complete with hitches, slaps and so forth. Actually the dance
appears to be a compilation of well known 'oldies', all meshed together
- with sections from Slap Leather, Kokomo and Hot Tomales quite
recognisable. A nostalgic dance, but didn't seem to go down well at
class, tho' it's gotten a better reception at other classes. Quite a
bit of repetition (almost every sequence is done twice). No
tags/restarts.
What If I Said - Brett Jenkins [2w,32c]; 1/2005
Intermediate dance to country track ("What If I Said"
by Steve Wariner & Anita Cochran [Burnin’ The Roadhouse Down]). A
beautiful song, but the dance is definitely one that requires a bit of
practice for it to grow on you. Probably more an upper intermediate
dance. Plenty of unusual steps and syncopated turns aplenty. Some step
sequences take quite a bit of attention when teaching - notably the
"ball-1/4-ball-1/4, cross-shuffle" which seemed to trouble most in
class getting the syncopation right. The ball-rock near the end is
another that caused a bit of trouble. With practice the dance develops
a really graceful and sweeping feel and well worthy of the song. Even
the non-country crowd liked this one. Two restarts.
Arms of Mary - Michael Vera-Lobos [2w,64c]; 11/2004
Intermedaite dance to a country song ("Arms of Mary"
by Keith Urban). According to the dance sheet, this song is on the
album "Keith Urban", however it's not on the copy I have - maybe a
special edition or s movie soundtrack? Definitely not an easy
intermediate dance as the sheet claims. Very turn intensive, probably
too much so for most lower intermediate dancers, tho' a few could be
left out. The large number of turns and a degree of repetition do make
it difficult to keep track of just where you are in the dance. Flows
quite well most of the time, tho' I felt the ball-side in the first set
of 8 (and repeated in the 2nd) to be a bit awkward. There's a sailor
with a 3/4 turn left which feels very strained to do - better done as a
3/4 turn cha (triple). Music beat is a bit soft at times and can be
hard for some to follow. Went down well in class, however at other
clases it was very badly received, dropped after one teach, so the
reception of this one will prolly vary a lot. Quite a bit of sideways
movement. No tags/restarts.
Side By Side - Pat Stott [4w,64c]; 4/2004
Improver dance to a country track ("We Work It Out"
by Joni Harms [Lets Put The Western Back In Country]). The music for
this is very country, olde style. The dance itself is fairly easy and
most of it consists of "shuffle, rock, recover" and variations thereof.
There's a hold which may cause a bit of bother (ya wanna do
'something'), otherwise the only 'difficult' part is the figure-8 vine
that comes straight out of Cruisin', among other dances. A sudden
direction change going from the end of the dance into the next wall was
the only part that seemed 'off'. Flows fairly well. A good easy dance
for improver and upper beginner classes into country. Two easy tags.
Mars Attack - Rachael McEnaney [4w,64c]; 11/2004
Improver dance to a pop-dance song ("Chocolate (choco-choco)" by
Soul Control [Here We Go]). This is one of those fun dances that you'll
either love or hate, somewhat reminiscent of Mony Mony
in feel and music. Nothing difficult with the stepwork - the only bit
that'd be difficult for improvers is the shuffle left with a 1/2 turn
left. Dance has a fair bit of repetition and a moderate amount of floor
movement. The music may turn some off, but it should be a hit with the
younger crowd. One mid-wall tag.
The Way That... - Noel Bradey [4w,32c]; 9/2004
Intermediate dance to a pop song ("The Way"
by Clay Aiken [Measure Of A Man]). Definitely not an easy intermediate
dance as the dance sheet claims, this is a solid intermediate dance
with some tricky steps, a 1-2& beat and almost no beat on the first
wall. Oh, and did I mention that the start is very hard to pick?
There's no indication in the music and you know you've got it when the
second wall starts on the heavy beat. Felt strange at first and took a
few tries before it started to fit together and started to flow,
especially when you add in the optional drags. A few steps still felt
awkward even after doing it a few times to music. The reaction to this
one in class was rather ambivalent. Some really nice step sequences but
the dance itself just didn't seem to work. Three restarts and two tags.
Breakaway - Julie Dowse [2w,48c]; 10/2004
Intermediate waltz to a pop song ("Breakaway"
by Kelly Clarkson [Princess Diaries 2], also on single). The steps have
quite a nice and flowing feel to them, tho' there are a few tricky
weight changes which will take a bit of getting used to. There is also
a fair bit of movement across the floor, but not excessively. The music
is, however, quite fast. Way too fast for a waltz and the dance feels
very rushed when done to the music. So much so that it was a near
universal consensus at class that the music fatally ruined what
could've been a good dance if a slower waltz track had been chosen. Two
tags and a restart.
Shine Your Light - Michael Vera-Lobos & Noel Bradey
[4w,64c]; 9/2004
Upper intermediate dance to a country track ("Shine Your Light"
by The Mavericks [The Mavericks]). One of those dances you can only
call "interesting" (if ya being charitable, that is). Is this a phrased
dance or a dance with a lot of tags and restarts? Officially the
latter, but I'd call it the former, especially since the music changes
speed when you don't do the restarts. A pretty bouncy dance with a
strong latin feel. Flows well most of the time, apart from one section
near the end of the full wall. A fair bit of floor travel. Has 4
restarts and 2 tags.
Grace and Favour - Gaye Teather [4w,32c]; 9/2004
Improver dance to a country-rock track with a gospel flavour ("God's
Been Good To Me"
by Keith Urban [Be Here]). Like the rest of Urban's 3rd album, this one
has a strong dance beat and this dance nails is quite well. While the
song is slowing, the dance is fully syncopated, so it is deceptively
quick. The only part of the dance that would cause trouble is the left
sailor with a half turn right. On first tying, this got a "What the?"
reaction, but it's really just a "behind, 1/4 & step forward, 1/4
& step to side". Dance flows smoothly, tho' there are a few step
sequences that feel rough at first, but they all settle down with
practice. Not much floor travel. Despite the gospel style music, this
was a hit even with the non-country crowd and was very reminiscent of
Urban's earlier "But for the Grace of God". Two restarts (the 2nd is
not obvious in the music at the time).
I Love The Senoritas - Keith & Glenda Davies &
Gina Varrasso
[4w,64c]; 9/2004
Improver dance to a country track ("Senoritas"
by Adam Brand [Get Loud]). This dance is getting positive comments
around the country, but unfortunately it fell very flat at class when I
did it. Some of the weight changes felt awkward to do and the series of
hinge turns at the end was difficult to do cleanly. Dance has a lot of
repetition (the 1st 12 counts are repated on the other foot and this is
almost half the dance). The travelling heel switches and the hinge
turns are probably the only steps that would be challenging for upper
beginners. Two restarts.
No Way Out - Carl Sullivan [4w,64c]; 12/2004
Intermediate dance to a country track ("No Way Out"
by Julie Roberts [Julie Roberts]). A nice bouncy dance with a fair bit
of pace. Dance has a nice feel & doesn't feel jerky as a lot of
bouncy dances can easily end up feeling, but instead flows well. A bit
of floor movement, but nothing excessive. Has some unusual step
sequences that may take a bit of practice to get comfortable with. A
pretty turn intensive dance, tho' non-turners could leave some of the
turns out easily enough. The hitch-ball-step will likely quickly end up
as a kick-ball-step. Probably not for improvers. Two restarts.
Some Beach - Robbie McGowan Hickie [4w,64c]; 9/2004
Improver dance to a country track ("Some Beach"
by Blake Shelton [Barn & Grill]). One of a crop of dances going
around to this song, all to my knowledge are beginner or improver. The
lyrics of this song may be a bit distracting for dancers who've not
heard it before. The dance makes no attempt to phrase to the music and
this is painfully obvious throughout the dance. The inclusion of a few
tags or restarts would possibly have made this a great dance (I'm not
part of the anti-restart crowd). A few steps feel a bit dicky - the two
paddle turns felt better as a cross & unwind. Not many turns - the
'hardest' being a 3/4 pivot. Dance has a nice feel in parts and there's
not much floor movement. No tags/restarts.
This I Swear - Lu Olsen [2w,56c]; 8/2004
Advanced dance to a pop track ("This I Swear"
by Nick Lachey [Soulo]). The choreorapher rates this intermediate, but
I'd call it tricky enough to be a definite advanced dance. The count is
a bit tricky to pick up and the step work quite unusual. Beacuse of
this it will take a few tries in order to pick up the beat and only
then will the dance begin to flow. The song is not all that quick, but
with a lot of syncopated, the dance is deceptively quick. A very turn
intensive dance and a lot of the turns will feel awkward until you get
the feel of the beat, whereupon everything clicks into place.
Definitely a dance for the upper level dancers, but one well worth the
effort to learn. Two restarts and a tag, along with optional styling.
My Way - Kevin & Maria Smith [2w,72c]; 12/2004
Improver dance to a country track ("I Wouldn't Have it any Other Way"
by Aaron Tippin [Read Between the Lines]). Pretty basic stepwork,
consisting almost entirely of vines with a few pivots and toe-struts. A
fairly typical Kevin & Maria dance. The choreographer's elected to
choreograph to the double-time beat, but it felt better to me doing it
to the single-time beat (ie: replacing a vine and hold with a shuffle),
especially since the dance is fairly pacey and there're a lot of holds.
Some of the turns were a bit tricky to do properly at full speed. One
restart.
Someday Baby - Linda Burgess [4w,48c]; 12/2004
Intermediate dance to a country-rock song ("A Better Life"
by Keith Urban [Be Here]). The song has a really good dance beat and
the dance hits it fairly well and you are not left with the feeling of
"is this all?" that seemed to be a common comment with the other dance
taught locally to the song. The only complaint about this dance is that
it moves quite a bit, especially the first 10 counts which all move
forward. Hint - take small steps! Dance has a bouncy feel and flows
quite well with no awkward turns and all the steps feeling natural. No
tags/restarts.
I'll Be There - Pam Ackary & Peter Probert [2w,60c];
10/2004
Easy intermediate dance to an old rock 'n roll/pop song ("Reach Out"
by The Four Tops [Motown's Greatest Hits]). Dance originally released
with 'Joy Alan' as the choreographer because of politics. I found the
dance to be rather uninspiring, but it would prolly go well with an
improver class, especially with those who like the music. Has a fair
bit of syncopation, but there's also a lot of repetition. I found the
restart to be awkward, tho' the rest of the dance was fairly smooth.
Probably lacks the 'oomph' to keep upper level dancers interested.
Give It Up - Mark Simpkin [2w,64c]; 11/2004
Easy improver dance to a country song ("Move Over Madonna"
by Confederate Railroad [Notorious]). A nice beat to the song, tho' a
bit quick. Nothing overly difficult with the stepwork and it should be
ok for upper beginners, tho' maybe with a bit of practice getting up to
the pace (it's quick). An old song and there're already dances to it. I
found the double kick at the start to be awkward coming out of the end
of the previous wall and the two jazz-boxes seemed a bit strained.
Probably a bit lacking in "oomph" for more advanced dancers. No
syncopation, tags or restarts.
What Car - Kristina Beeby [4w,32c]; 11/2004
Intermediate dance to a pop song ("What Car"
by Cliff Richard [Something's Goin' On]). This one felt nice and
flowing to do while walking through, but it did seem a bit rushed when
done to the music and that seemed a fairly common comment. At least on
the first week. Dance ends with two left Monterey's, which may take a
bit of getting used to (seeing almost all Monterey turns are to the
right). It also has two "backward dororthy's", which have appeared in a
few dances over the past year, but are still quite a rare step, so may
take a bit of practice to get comfortable with - however not as
different as the left Monterey's. There's not much movement around the
floor and apart from the left Monterey's, none of the turns should
prove difficult to a low intermediate dancer. The beat is a bit pacey,
which will probably put it beyond many improvers. One restart and one
tag.
Next To You, Next To Me - unknown [4w,20c]; 1998
Novice dance to a country track ("Next To You, Next To Me"
by Shenandoah [Super Hits]). Could be done to any quick two-step. A
real novice dance on par with the Electric Slide consisting simply of
vines and steps with scuffs & taps. Two turns. No tags or restarts
(naturally), tho' the dance is a bit quick.
Going All The Way! - Teresa Lawrence & Vera Fisher
[4w,64c]; 10/2004
Upper intermediate dance to a pop song ("We Went As Far As We Felt
Like Going"
by The Pussycat Dolls [Shark Tale Soundtrack]). Dance has quite an
unusual feel to it and the most common comment was that it was hard to
pick the right beat at first. Has an 8&1 count all the way through,
which may cause trouble with those dancers unfamiliar with this count.
After a few tries the feel of the rhythm kicks in & it has a nice
funky feel. I found the holds to be the hardest part as well as the
slow drag followed by a ball-step (there's a strong temptation here to
get ahead of the music). The holds near the end didn't seem to suit the
rest of the dance. The music is probably nor for everyone. Not many
turns and not much movement across the floor. No tags/restarts.
Party for Two - Maureen Reynolds [2w,64c]; 11/2004
Intermediate dance to a country-pop song ("Party for Two"
by Shania Twain and Billy Currington [Greatest Hits]). One of several
dances already out to this track. I found the dance awkward at first
but with practice and more room on the floor it smoothed out and flowed
reasonably well. Not recommended for a crowded floor - not because it
moves around (it doesn't) but because it requires quite a bit of foot
space to flow properly, especially the full turn followed by two
heel-ball-crosses. There are plenty of turns, but the full turns can be
readily omitted for non-turners. Counts 55&56 are a 1/2 turn and
shuffle forward - make sure you step to the side on the last step of
the shuffle or the following sailor is next to impossible. Three
restarts.
Free For A Moment! - Stephen Paterson [4w,48c]; 11/2004
Easy intermediate waltz to a country track ("Under The New Moon"
by Beccy Cole [Little Victories]). An Aussie singer, so will be hard to
get the music elsewhere. The song has been out for a while and I learnt
another dance to it last year. This one, however, suited the music
better and while it's a quick waltz, didn't feel rushed (unlike the one
I learnt last year) and you can fit in the waltz rise and fall. Most of
the turns are easy. There is one 5/4 turn 'vine' which could easily be
done as a 1/4 turn for the non-turners. The only step that seemed to
cause trouble in class was the drag followed by a weight transfer -
there's a big temptation to drag and touch. Dance has a nice feel and
flows well. Two restarts, fairly clear in the music.
Being Us Again - Charlie Mifsud [4w,64c]; 5/2004
Advanced dance to a country track ("Let's Be Us Again"
by Lonestar [Let's Be Us Again]). There's another dance to this track
also going around locally (from the UK by Cox, Cox & Palmer). I
found this dance to be overly complicated and definitely only for the
upper level dancers. The dance flowed in parts but elsewhere was jerky.
Overall, IMO, the dance just did not fit together. A very turn
intensive dance with quite a few turns on the &" count. Not all the
turns felt natural and there were several awkward direction changes. A
caution - the original sheet is hard to follow and contains several
mistakes. This dance is definitely one of those you should only teach
if you've learnt it from someone else and not just off the sheet. One
restart.
Lord & Master - Brett Jenkins [2w,54c]; 10/2004
An easy intermediate waltz to a country track ("(Who Says) You Can't
Have It All"
by Alan Jackson [A Lot About Livin' (And A Little 'Bout Love)]). An old
song, but one that's a great waltz track. Dance fits the music quite
well and flows excellently. You can add a definite rise and fall style
to this dance (there's been a dearth of dances that you can do this
with the past year - most of the waltzes have been pseudo waltzes).
There're no awkward direction changes or turns, however there is one
tricky turn (19-21) that will take a bit of practice. One restart -
note there should be an extra hold after the restart which is not on
the original stepsheet.
Last Plane Out Of Sydney - Sandy Kerrigan
[4w,64c]; 11/2004
Intermediate dance to an Aussie rock 'n roll classic from the 70's ("Khe
Sahn"
by Jimmy Barnes & Cold Chisel). Barnsie's not to my taste, but
almost every Aussie over 30 should know this song which should be
available on many Aussie Rock 'n Roll compliations. The dance is
unusual and will definitely take a few tries in order to get the feel,
but 'tis well worth it - with persistance it flows quite well and has a
nice bouncy feel (but not a jumpy feel, if that distinction makes
sense). Not too much floor movement and no sudden direction changes,
tho' it is pretty pacey. The heavy beat kicks in well into the music
and this is where the dance starts 'officially'. Some are teaching the
dance with an extra two walls before the heavy beat. No tags/restarts.
Rating: ***
Dixie's Honky Tonk - Charlie Mifsud [80c,2w]; 10/2004
Intermediate/advanced dance to a country track ("Dixie Rose Deluxe's
Honky Tonk, Feed Store, Gun Shop"
by Trent Willmon [Trent Willmon]). I first saw this dance at a social
and wasn't overly impressed, but 'tis a case of a dance that feels much
better than it looks. The dance is pacey and is pretty turn intensive.
It does move around the floor quite a bit, tho' with the difficulty
level this is hardly likely to be a problem since this one's only for
the upper level dancers. The step sheet is a bit strangely worded in
places and IMO makes the dance seem harder than it actually is. Apart
from the first "&" count which is part of an out-out, all the
"&" counts are part of shuffles - these "&" counts seem quite
strange until you pick them as shuffles rather than the ball-step or
step-ball's as on the sheet. Picking this up, the dance starts to flow
and fits nicely to the music. One restart. Rating: ***
I Ain't No Quitter - Yvonne Anderson [80c,2w]; 10/2004
Improver dance to a country-pop sng ("I Ain't No Quitter"
by Shania Twain [Greatest Hits]). One of a the new songs on Shania's
Greatest Hits collection. The dance has a lot of turns, but there's an
easy option for the most "turny" section and other turns could be
easily simplified. IMO the music really did not suit the dance. The
start of the dance is especialy poorly matched to the music with a
1,2& etc beat in the music but a 1,hold,3,hold count in the dance.
The dance itself is ok, just not to the song in question. There's
almost no intro in the music, so be ready for a quick start. The
phrasing is quite poor - there're no restarts or tags. In comparison
another dance to this song has 4 restarts and 3 vanilla walls. Rating:
*
Dare 2 Party - Chris Watson & Johnny Montana
[2w,32c]; 10/2004
Improver dance to a country track ("Party For Two"
by Shania Twain & Billy Currington [single]). Choreographed as a
phrased, 2-part, 80 count dance, however I strongly recommend teaching
this one as an unphrased 32 count dance with 3 restarts (part B in the
original simply being counts 1-16 of part A!). One of quite a few
dances to this track that came out around the same time. I've heard
there're pop and country mixes for the song, but I have no idea if they
phrase differently. A good dance track, but IMO the dance didn't quite
do it justice - it felt like there should've been more to it (more
"oomph", that is, not necessesarily more difficulty). Starts with
Dwight's, which're prolly the only part of the dance that'd pose
problems for improvers unfamilar with them. I've since dropped this for
another dance to the track which I feel is much better. Rating: *
A Better Man - Linda Burgess [4w,32c]; 11/2004
Intermediate dance to a pop track ("Better Man"
by Robbie Williams [Sing When You're Winning]). The dance is a bit
slowish, despite quite a bit syncopation. While it does flow reasonably
well, I didn't feel it quite fitted to the music. A pretty turn
intensive dance, tho' the 3/2 turns can be replaced by 1/2 turns and
the full turns left out for improvers. A few steps felt like they
should've been something else (eg: a step, step felt better as a rock,
recover), but this might pass with practice. Counts 27&28 seemed to
cause the most trouble in class, so would warrant extra attention
during a teach. Hardly any floor movement and no restarts/tags. Rating:
**
Don't Come Easy - June Hulcombe & Barbara Willshire
[2w,64c]; 9/2004
Intermediate dance to a country track ("If It Don't Come Easy"
by Tanya Tucker [Love Me Like You Used To]). A nice dance track however
IMO the dance didn't quite make it. At several spots the footwork felt
awkward, especially the cross-shuffle followed by a step forward &
then a pivot (I ended up doing a behind-side-step fwd, which seemed to
flow much better). Also seemed a bit rushed. The last 16 counts are
very turn intensive (almost all "rock, recovers with 1/2 turns"). A
fair bit of repetition & not much movement across the floor. I did
find this to be a bit of a strain on the ankles as well. One tag.
Rating: *
Sky Full Of Angels - Yvonne Anderson [4w,32c]; 4/2004
Improver dance to a country track ("Sky Full Of Angels"
by Reba [Room To Breathe]). This dance is almost entirely syncopated,
tho' since the music is slow, the syncopation shouldn't trouble
improvers. Apart from the pivots, only the 1/4 turns are syncopated.
Music has an old-style country feel. I've already learnt another dance
to this track - there're several, hence not much to say about this one.
No tags/restarts. Rating: **
Goin' Down - Simon Ward [2w,32c]; 9/2004
Intermediate dance to an old rock 'n roll song ("Down by the Lazy
River"
by The Osmonds). This dance comes under the 'interesting' category and
is best kept for classes that go in for lots of styling and arm actions
(it has choreographed arm actions). If the class liked Michele Perron's
"Push", then they'll likely like this one as well. The dance moves a
fair bit around the floor and has something of a funky feel. One tag
that's quite obvious in the music and a second that isn't. Rating: *
Better Life - Peter Metelnick [4w,48c]; 9/2004
Improver dance to a country-rock track ("Better Life"
by Keith Urban [Be Here]). The song has a great tho' quickish dance
beat. The dance doesn't have any particularly difficult steps. There's
also a fair bit of repetition - f'instance the 1st set of 8 is done
twice with a 1/4 instead of 1/2 turn at the end. A fair bit of
syncopation, but it still manages to flow fairly well. However, the
dance seemed to lack the 'oomph' that the song demanded - there's a
definite feel of something missing. Still, it should go down well with
an improver or easy intermediate class. No tags/restarts. Rating: **
Don't Know - Jennifer Hughes [2w,48c]; 9/2004
Intermediate dance to a country track ("Don't Know Why I Do It"
by Mark Chesnutt [Mark Chesnutt]). This is a quick, high-energy dance
(but not exactly 'fast'). There's a fair bit of repetition, not much
syncopation and the steps are not too difficult, so the dance itself
should be achievable by lower intermediate dancers without too much
trouble. Song has a really good dance beat and the dance hits it quite
well. Dance flows smoothly, despite some holds and a sudden
kick-ball-change. Not much floor movement. The only spot in the dance
that seemed to cause trouble was going from the end of one wall into
the next. Dance does have a bit of an unusual feel, especially when
walking thru', but persistance and this'll become comfortable, just
like her previous dance. Two restarts, one obvious, the other not so
obvious. Rating: ***
Unburn All Our Bridges - Charlie Mifsud [4w,32c]; 4/2004
Improver dance to a country track ("Unburn All Our Bridges" by
Josh Turner [Long Black Train]). This one's been around since early in
the year, but somehow I've not gotten around to doing it until now. A
slowish dance that doesn't have anything particularly difficult in the
stepwork. The hardest part, such as it is, is the twisting shuffles,
which are straight out of "@ The Hop". The dance has a lot of turns,
but only one full turn and that could easily be left out. Note that the
dance starts with two skates (and likewise for the tag) and not sweeps
as on the original sheet (the choreographer taught the dance with
skates). Two easy tags that're obvious in the music. Rating: **
Too Much Candy - Robbie McGowan Hickie [4w,64c]; 6/2004
Improver dance to a country track ("Too Much Candy For A Dime"
by Eddy Raven). Nothing difficult with the steps in this dance. There's
some syncopation (mostly ball-steps) which would prolly be the only
thing to challenge upper-beginners. Has a bit of floor movement, but
not excessively. The dance isn't smooth, instead it has something of a
jerky feel, but this is intentional in the choreography. One tag which
is just the last 8 counts repeated - which means you end up doing four
1/2 Montereys in a row, which felt a bit too much. Rating: *
In a Moment - Thomas O'Dwyer [2w,52c]; 1999
Intermediate dance to a country track ("Living In A Moment" by
Ty Herndon [Living In A Moment]). Another oldie that continues to get
played at local socials. The dance does not phrase to the music (no
tags or restarts) and this may cause trouble for those dancers used to
the current practice of phrasing. Most of the dance has a very graceful
and flowing feel, tho' there is a syncopated bracket of taps, switches
and brushes which IMO doesn't flow with the rest of the dance and seems
to come out of nowhere. The dance does move a fair bit in the 3:00/9:00
direction. Rating: **
Mr Mom - Hazel Pace [4w,64c]; 9/2004
Easy intermediate dance to a country song ("Mr. Mom" by Lonestar
[Let's Be Us Again]). There're also two alternative tracks by Paul
Overstreet. There's nothing challenging with the steps, just a rather
quick dance which did feel a bit rushed at one or two points.
Fortunately there's no syncopation in the dance, tho' the beat in the
music would equally well fit a 32 count syncopated dance. Flows fairly
well despite the pace with no sudden direction changes. The "hitching
steps" near the end of the dance seem best done as sweep steps. One
easy, but long, bridge. Rating: **
Take it Easy - Maggie Gallagher [4w,64c]; 7/2004
Intermediate/advanced dance to a country-rock track ("Take It
Easy"
by The Eagles). Track appears on most of the Eagles best of
collections. The slightly faster cover by Travis Tritt (on "Common
Thread: Songs Of The Eagles") is also a suggested track, with the same
phrasing. Something of a confusing dance to learn (but it was a hot
evening without any AC). I like the music, but the dance just didn't
grab me first time around. The dance is fairly quick, with a lot of
syncopation. Not much mopvement around the floor, but some of the turns
felt awkward, even after doing the dance a few times. Rating: * (might
get upped next week)
Shiv-a-ree - Maggie Gallagher [2w,64c]; 9/2004
Intermediate/advanced dance to a pop track ("Goodnight Moon"
by Shivaree [Kill Bill 2 Soundtrack]). This is a challenge of a dance
in anyone's book. Lots of turns and a unusual count most of the time,
along with plenty of unexpected steps. In a words, this dance is
different. Sufficiently so that a fair number of dancers will not like
it (at least going by the reaction when I did it). But for those who
enjoy a challenge and something different, definitely give this one a
try. Only for the upper level dancers tho'. Dance has a number of
styling steps which can be left out, at least at first. One dead easy
tag. Rating: **
Backroads Cruisin' - Penny Kelly [2w,64c]; 7/2004
Improver dance to a country rock 'n roll song ("Backroads"
by Ricky Van Shelton [Backroads]). A fairly easy dance that'd suit
either an improver or intermediate class. The dance is a bit repetitive
and the steps a bit basic, but has a nice feel to it. Has a few akward
feeling steps, notably the "ball-step, scuff" sequence which is done
twice (the only syncopation in the dance). But as usual, practice will
likely smooth this out. Dance does travel a lot, all over the floor, so
make sure there's plenty of room and take small steps when necessesary.
One restart. Rating: **
You and I - Julie Carr [4w,56c]; 8/2004
Intermediate dance to a pop track ("You And I"
by Celine Dion). This dance flows very nicely and has a very smooth
feel. It does have a lot of turns and moves a LOT around the
dancefloor, so make sure you have plenty of room. The second restart
will probably cause some trouble, especially with the more experienced
dances. There is an obvious restart on the 5th wall which leaves the
dance phrasing for the rest of the song, however the choreographer has
chosen to do the restart on the 4th wall (not in the music, so you'll
have to count). The rest of the dance doesn't phrase as well, but the
last wall does end facing the front. Having done the 2nd restart in
both places, I felt doing it on the 5th wall (and adding a 1/2 turn at
the end) resulted in a much better dance. Two restarts. Rating: ***
Big Time - Martin Ritchie [4w,32c]; 8/2004
Improver dance to a new-country track ("Big Time"
by Big & Rich [Horse Of A Different Color]). There is a more
traditional country alternative. The dance has a few unusual steps
which may catch the more experienced dancers by surprise. I found the
reverse full turn (which is optional) at the start needed a bit of
practice to get used to, especially coming out of the previous wall.
The "1/4 pivot turn" on count 30 is really a 1/4 turn & drag
together, leading into the coaster. No tags/restarts. Rating: **
Maybe - Justine Shuttleworth [2w,96c]; 1999
Intermediate waltz to a pop-country track ("I Love You"
by Faith Hill [Love Will Always Win]). This is another oldie that's
having a revival, tho' it never really dissapeared from the local dance
floors. The song is really in 4/4 time at 60 b/m with the dance count
being 1&a, 2&a, 3&a etc. Since this count is unfamilar to
most dancers, the choreographer chose to write the dance in waltz count
(at 180 b/m), making it a very quick waltz (tho' a lot of holds alieve
this somewhat). The speed of the dance does lend itself to a fair bit
of fudging (eg: replacing twinkles with sweeps) to avoid feeling too
rushed. The dance nonetheless is very smooth and has a distinct waltz
feel, despite the pace. Has a 12 count bridge near the end of the 6th
wall (the sheet doesn't actually say which wall) which, while it did
fit the music, didn't seem to fit the feel of the dance. Rating: ***
Barefoot & Pregnant - Ian Dunn [48c,4w]; 9/2004
Improver dance to a country track ("Everybody's Sweetheart"
by Vince Gill [I never knew lonely by Vince Gill]). A lot of repetition
in this dance, starting off with the first 4 counts being repeated 4
times to make a full turn pattern. Another 8 is the diamond shuffle
pattern from Reggae Cowboy. And that's half the dance. Nothing in the
dance that should overly tax an improver dancer and should be ok even
up upper beginners, especially with the easier options. Does travel
around the floor quite a bit, especially with the Reggae Cowboy
pattern. The restart and two tags would probably be the hardest thing
for beginners to pick up. There's not much to the dacne, so may have
limited appeal to the upper level dancers. Rating: *
A Man Is Not A Camel! - Linda Burgess [48c,4w]; 8/2004
Intermediate dance to a country track ("A Man Is Not A Camel!"
by Tom Curtain [Smack Bang]). A great track, however it will probably
be impossible to get hold of outside of Australia. The dance took out
first place in the Australian Music section of a recent choreography
competition. Music has a nice strong beat to it (try not to get
distracted by the lyrics while you learn it!) and the dance doesn't
have any awkward turns or direction changes. Dance is a bit pacy,
especially with a lot of syncopation. Travels around the floor a lot -
so make sure there's plenty of room. You'll need to lean forward on the
scoot (count 35) so your weight will be right to do the heel-grind. Two
restarts (same spot), the 2nd has an added 1/4 turn. Rating: **
Fudge It - Simon Ward [64c,2w]; 8/1999
Intermediate dance to a country-rock track ("How Do You Do What You
Do So Well"
- J. C. Jones [One Night]). Not a new dance, but one that's having a
modest revival at the moment (and new for me). Song has a great dance
beat and the dance pickts it quite well. Nothing overley difficult with
the steps, tho' the stomp and turn near the end do require a bit of
practice to end with the feet in the right positions afterwards. This
bit at the end did feel a bit awkward at first, but soon settled down
once I got the feel of it. The speed of the dance (it's quite fast)
probably puts it beyond the reach of most improver level dancers, tho'
it's by no means a super-fast dance. No awkward turns or sudden
direction changes. One obvious restart. When this first came out it was
considered an advanced dance. Rating: ***
Girls Gone Wild - Christine Bass [64c,2w]; 8/2004
Intermediate dance to a country song ("The Girl's Gone Wild"
- Travis Tritt [My Honky Tonk History]). The steps of this dance are
quite easy (almost beginner level). The only challenge is the speed -
this is a fast dance. There's a lot of repetition with the 2nd set of 8
being repeated on the 4th, 6th & 8th sets, leading on the oppsite
foot each time - this can lead to a bit of confusion when you go into
the following set (which one?!). There's not much floor movement and
the dance flows fairly well with no sudden direction changes (which is
important with fast dances). Slowing the music down while teaching is
probably a must for this one. Two tags. Rating: ***
Open Season - Maggie Gallagher [32c,2w]; 8/2004
Intermediate dance to a country track ("Open Season On My Heart"
- Tim McGraw [Live Like You Were Dying]). A smooth & slow dance.
Has a few tricky steps & some unusual counts. Dance has a
1-2&,3-4,5-6&,7-8 count & fits the music quite well. The
ronde will likely need a bit more attention with teaching since it
seems to be easy to get a count ahead there - the cross behind is not
on the same count as the rhonde. I found the last 8 counts to be the
hardest. There is one restart which is not obvious in the music (so
count the walls). Rating: ***
A Devil in Me - Kate Sala [64c,4w]; 8/2004
Intermediate dance to a dance-mix track ("Diavolo In Me (A Devil In
Me)"
- Zucchero with Solomon Burke). Another of those songs that defies
traditional labelling - which is to say it's a bit of country, a bit of
gospel, a bit of pop and a lot of dance-club music. The dance itself
has been heralded as the best thing since sliced bread (with I
personally loathe) and lead to a rather unpleasant flamewar on the LDUK
mail-list. I felt the dance fitted the music quite well (which
incidently has a great dance beat), however the dance itself didn't
flow all the time. A few steps did seem counter to the natural flow of
the dance, tho' it seemed to settle down a bit after a few tries. A
fairly turn intensive dance. While I was looking forward to doing this
one, it got the thumbs down at class & not just from the country
crowd. Rating: **
Push - Michele Perron [32c,4w]; 6/2004
Improver dance to a pop-dance track ("Push"
- Dannii Minogue [Neon Nights] or "Wait 'til I Get Home" - C-Note
[Different Kind Of Love]). The title song has a good dance beat and the
dance fits the music fairly well, with a nice funky feel to it. This is
probably best described as a 'cute' dance, especially with all the hand
& arm actions. Probably wont go down too well with those dancers
who prefer to focus on footwork, but for those who enjoy arm waving and
pop music, this'll probably be a go-er. Has a fair bit of syncopation,
which puts it above the beginner level. The last 4 counts didn't seem
to flow with the rest of the dance - it felt better to do a cross and
then a slow full unwind (as in Slow Burn). Rating: **
Back To The Island - Charlotte Skeeters [64c,2w]; 8/2004
Improver dance to a country track ("Back To The Island"
- Jimmy Buffett [License to Chill]). Been a while since I've seen
anything from Charlotte. The dance seemed to flow in stops & starts
and felt awkward in spots, especially the holds, but this may just be a
matter of practice. Unfortunately this one got dropped after the first
week, so didn't have a chance to get used to its feel. Has a lot of
repetition, with the 1st 16 counts being repeated almost verbatum. Some
unusual counts in the middle of the dance. One 16 count tag. Rating: *
Go West - Mark Simpkin [64c,2w]; 8/2004
Solid intermediate dance to a country track ("Go West Young Man"
- Orrall & Wright [Orrall & Wright]). Dance has some unusual
counts (eg: 1, 2&3 etc) which may take a bit of getting used to.
Isn't a smooth dance with a lot of kicks, jumps, ball-changes etc (a
tardemark of this choreographer), so it has an intentionally jerky
feel. The dance does move a lot across the floor, both 12:00/6:00 and
3:00/9:00. Fairly pacy, tho' doesn't feel rushed, even the syncopated
sections. Two tags. Dance will likely go down well with those dancers
who the jumpy/kicky style dances (I prefer smooth dances myself).
Rating: *
Western Cha Cha - Mark Simpkin [32c,2w]; 7/2004
Upper beginner dance to a mex-country track ("Land
of Enchantment" - The Dean Brothers). For the most part a cha-cha,
hence the name. Flows fairly well and there's not much floow travel. A
ball-cross would be the 'hardest' step sequence in the dance. The dance
was choreographed as a beginner floor-split with Simpkin's intermediate
dance, "Land of Enchantment", done to the same song. No tags/restarts.
Quite a simple dance, tho' probably a bit boring for intermediate &
above dancers. Rating: *
Women Rule - Charlie Mifsud [2w,64c]; 6/2004
Intermediate dance to a country track ("Women Rule the World" -
Lonestar [Let's Be Us Again]). Song has a terrific dance beat, tho' a
bit quickish. The dance really suits the music and flows very well with
a lively feel. The dance does move a fair bit in the North/South
direction, especially near the end of each wall. The speed and
syncopation would prolly put this beyond most improver dancers (but I'd
not call it int/adv as the dance sheet says). I wasn't too sure about
the kick-ball-changes fitting into the dance initially, but after a few
tries they slotted in. Dance starts with a 'heel, hold' and there're
also several heel-ball-changes, so a bit of care may be needed to keep
them all in their right spots. Some dances I need weeks and weeks to
pick up, others one teach cements it in place (and that has nothing to
do with the difficulty level). This dance was very much one of the
latter. Two tags which're very obvious in the music. Rating: ***
All Clear - Linda Burgess [4w,32c]; 3/2004
Improver dance to
a country track ("The Coast is Clear" - Scotty Emerick [The
Coast is
Clear]). This one's been around a while with the beginner and improver
classes, I only learnt it as a catchup. There were a few awkward step
sequentces in the dance that were counter to the flow of the dance (ie:
they didn't feel right). A 1/2 pivot followed by two back lock-shuffles
felt particularlt awkward to me. The dance is heavily syncopated, but
the music is quite slow, so the dance itself is slowish-medium paced.
One restart. Rating: *
A Bit of Alright - Linda Burgess [4w,48c]; 8/2004
Upper
beginner dance to a country track ("A Bit of Alright" - Tom
Curtain
[Smack Bang!]. A great track and a great album, however as an
independent Aussie artist, the music will be hard to get in Australia
and probably impossible elsewhere. There's no syncopation in the dance,
however it feels like there is - the music is a bit pacey and there're
slow shuffles, slow coasters etc. The dance and music flow quite well
and the only steps that would trouble beginners would be the holds and
the Elvis knees. The forward movement on the latter is optional and is
only slight anyway. There're no sudden direction changes or steps
that're counter to the natural flow of the dance. Quite suitable for an
upper beginner or improver class - while Linda has done some good
intermediate and advanced dances, the beginner/improver level is her
forte. Two turns and one restart. Rating: **
Where I Belong - Peter Fry [2w,48c]; 6/2004
Advanced dance
to a country track ("Softly" - Lonestar [I'm Already There]). A
lot of
unusual syncopation in this dance (mostly it's 1-2& etc) and the
dance is quite a challenge - definitely not recommended for anything
less than an upper intermediate class. The dance has quite a few sudden
direction changes, tho' only one is a serious problem - a double
rolling vine back after doing a forward lunge. Those who have less than
perfect knees will have trouble at this spot. I did find the dance
rushed at times, especially some of the turns. The dance is very turn
intensive - with 23 turns, on average that's a turn every 2 counts!
With all the turns and the rushed feel, this dance did not flow,
however there are spots where, after a few tries, it starts to flow,
which may hold promise for the rest of the dance with more practice.
One restart. Rating: *
Mary's Zorba - Lyndon Satchell [4w,32c]; 1999
Improver dance
to a pop-dance track ("Zorba's Dance" - L.C.D. [single]). Not a
new
dance, but resurrected because of the Athens olympics. Dance is done to
a dance mix of the well known Greek song. Nothing complicated with the
dance, tho' make sure you have the right dance sheet - the one on
Kickit (and prolly elsewhere) has the counts badly wrong. The music is
quite fast, although in the middle is slows down considerably for a
wall or so before speeding back up. The speed is the only thing
stopping this from being labelled a beginner dance. No tags/restarts -
but add your own arm actions. Rating: *
Drinkin' Bone - Noel Bradey, Michael Vera-Lobos & Robert Fletcher
[4w,32c]; 8/2004
Improver dance to a country track ("Drinkin' Bone" - Tracy Byrd
[The Truth About
Men])." Apart from the first 8 counts this is a fairly easy dance. The
first 8 counts are not, in themselves all that hard, just that you
repeat the first 4 counts with a step instead of a touch - the sort of
thing that's easy to forget and you end up on the wrong foot. I also
found counts 5-8 to have an awkward feel - with as much experience as
the choreographers have, surely they could've made it smoother? The
rest of the dance flows quite well and there's not much movement across
the floor. No tags/restarts. Rating: **
Turbo Twang - Max Perry & Peter Metelnick [4w,32c]; 7/2004
Improver
dance to a dance-mix country track - at least that's the best I can
describe it as ("Turbo Twang" - Wayne Warner). There's nothing
really
spectacular about the dance, tho' with a fair bit of syncopation
including syncopated weaves & heel switches - with holds - this is
definitely not a beginner dance as the sheet suggests. The music is,
well, interesting to say the least. Imagine a contemporary dance track
with banjos and fiddles and ya starting to get the idea. The music beat
changes a few times, but you just keep dancing and it comes back again
- fortunately the steps are not too difficult. The phrasing is bad, but
it would undoubtedly take too many tags and restarts to match the
phrasing so the choreographers have wisely chosen to forget about the
phrasing. Rating: **
Come Fly With Me - Brett Jenkins & Cathryn Proudfoot [4w,48c];
7/2004
Upper
beginner/improver dance to a cabaret-style track ("Come Fly With Me"
-
Michael Buble [Michael Buble]). There's a fair bit of repetion in this
dance and while it's rated improver, with a bit of practice, upper
beginners should have little trouble picking up the dance. 8 counts of
the dance come straight from the old classic, "Smokey Places".
The
'hardest' part of the dance would be the back, lock's in the last set
of 8. Dance doesn't take up much floor space and flows quite well. The
only downside for me was that I disliked the music. The music is not
particularly well phrased, but the choreographers elected not to
include any restarts so as to keep the dance simple. Rating: *
Pure Country - Darren Mitchell & Cathryn Proudfoot [2w,72c]; 5/2004
Intermediate
dance to a country track ("She Lays it all on the Line" - George
Strait
[Pure Country soundtrack]). Originally choreographed as a phrased
dance, after howls of complaints, it was rewritten as an unphrased
dance with a restart/tag (no change to the steps tho'). A well
choreographed dance that prolly verges on the upper intermediate.
There's not much movement across the floor and the dance flows quite
well. While there's a fair bit of syncopation, the music is not fast so
the dance doesn't feel rushed. Note that count 45 is a step back.
There's a "1/2 pivot, step" rather than the more familar "step, 1/2
pivot" which may take a bit of getting used to. Quite a few turns in
the dance, but it's by no means turn-intensive. Rating: ***
Ride 'em Cowboy - Leonie Smallwood [4w,32c]; 8/2004
Improver
dance to a country track ("Save a Hose (Ride a Cowboy)" - Big
&
Rich [Horse of a Different Color]). This is the latest in around 2
dozen dances to this track, almost all of which are beginner or
improver level. The big hint for this dance is not to take it
seriously! The dance harks back to the days of the "Bus Stop" -
body
movement is just as important as the footwork. There's nothing
difficult with the steps, although the dance appears to be
choreographed to the double beat, so it is a bit quick, especially with
the syncopated sections. Even tho' there's not much to the dance, the
pace & syncopation probably put this above most beginners. A tag
done 3 times (just repeat the last 8 counts). Rating: *
The Ice Cream Song - Leonie Smallwood [4w,32c]; 5/2004
Improver
dance to a country track ("How Your Love Makes Me Feel" -
Diamond Rio
[Greatest Hits]). There's nothing much to this dance, tho' the
dorothy's probably put it above the reach of beginners (dorothy's *not*
being a beginner level step sequence IMO). The full turn on counts 5-6
was a bit awkward. A long dance - I lost count after a dozen walls. Two
tags and a tag/restart. {I missed this teach so no rating}.
Start Living - Carl Sullivan [4w,48c]; 8/2004
Upper
intermediate dance to a country-rock track ("Days Go By" - Keith
Urban
[single]). The music hasn't been released in Oz and the album's not yet
out in the US and there're already three dances to this song doing the
rounds here in Sydney! This is a fairly quickish dance and, IMO, the
best of the three (well of the two that I've tried). The dance didn't
feel rushed and flowed quite well and with a tag & a restart, it
phrased better than the other dance I've learnt to this song (which has
only one tag & definitely needed something latter on). A moderate
amount of movement across the floor, but not all that much. Part of the
dance is done to the diagonal, which seems to be a Carl's "signature".
While there are actually not all that many turns in the dance, it does
feel like you are doing lots of turns. Some unusual step sequences in
the dance to keep you on your toes. The music was a bit of a
disappointment, given Urban's previous linedance hits. Rating: ***
Guys Like Me - Mark Simpkin [2w,64c]; 8/2004
Upper
intermediate dance to a country track ("Guys Like Me" - Gary
Allan [See
If I Care]). This is the 4th dance I've heard of to this song and 3 of
these have the same title. The dance also got a lot of exposure on the
weekend - not only was it taught in the workshop, it was entered in the
choreography competition and it was also performed in the team dance
competition. A quite fast dance and one which thankfully had no
syncopation. Nonetheless, the dance felt rushed to me - it seemed more
like a race than a dance. With practice I daresay this rushed feel may
well pass. I found counts 25-32 to be the hardest to get used to at
dance speed (there was a big tendency to fudge a bit there). The steps
themselves are not that hard - I missed half the teach and still had no
trouble picking them up .. it's just that the dance is quick. One tag.
Rating: **
When She Drinks - Paul Snooke [2w, 32c]; 4/2004
Improver dance to a country song ("She Only Smokes When She Drinks"
- Joe Nichols [Man With a Memory]). A smoothly flowing dance which
doesn't take up much floor space. The dance has a 1-2&,3-4&
count throughout & fits the music quite nicely. There are two turns
in the first set of 8 which're done on the & count, however a lot
of people tend to do the turns early using a 3&4 etc count. The
full unwind, following straight after a 1/2 unwind is prolly the
hardest part of the dance and does feel awkward at first. Non-turners
could replace the full unwind with a cross and hold. Note that the
original sheet has a missing step and a couple of mistakes with the
count. Two restarts. Rating: ***
Days Go By - John "Grrowler" Rowell [2w, 48c]; 7/2004
Intermediate dance to a country track ("Days Go By"
- Keith Urban [single]). The song has only been released as a singler,
so may be hard to find. Dance flows fairly well, however there's one
sudden direction reversal and several steps that don't feel quite
kosher. The "ball-recover, 1/2 hinge" in the first set of 8 feels
awkward when walking thru', but feels better when done to the music.
The dance is a bit turn intensive in places, so may be difficult for
non-turners, although the two full turns could be replaced by vanilla
vines. The main criticism I had with this one was actually the music.
In the last half the phrasing and beat go totally out the window - nice
to listen to but not to dance to. One easy tag. Rating: **
Sun Up - Mary Kelly [4w, 32c]; 10/2003
Improver dance. The original sheet has two tracks, one pop & one
country, ("Sunrise" - Simply Red [Home]) and ("Talking To A
Stranger" - Rodney Crowell [Greatest Hits]). For some reason
locally it's being done to another country track ("I've Got a
Feelin' For You"
- Joni Harms [Let's Put the Western Back in the Country]), tho' this is
not on the original dance sheet. A simple little dance, almost a
beginner dance, if not for several hinge turns, shuffles and
kick-ball-crosses. A fair bit of repetition in the dance. The Joni
Harm's track didn't seem all that dancable to me, maybe it'd've done
better to one of the original tracks? No tags/restarts. Rating: *
Hold You Now - Michael Vera-Lobos [2w, 64c] 12/2003
Intermediate dance to a slow pop song ("Hold You Now"
- Ronan Keating [Turn It On]). Music has a bit of an irish feel to it,
however it didn't seem to me to be a dance track. The dance itself I
found awkward and with little flow. Some interesting step combinations,
but with the dance full of sudden direction changes and awkward steps,
this is a definite clanger for me. No tags/restarts. Rating: -
Waiting All My Life - Teresa & Vera; 7/2004
Intermediate dance to a country track ("Waiting all my Life"
- Rascal Flatts [Rascal Flatts]). I quite liked this ne, however it
fell flat at class - only the diehard country fans were willing to
persist with it. The dance is for the most part a cha-cha
(1,2,3&4), tho' not perfectly. Has quite a few turns and a few
tricky steps, such as starting off with a full unwind. Omitting the
full turns is possible and would lower the level to easy-mid
intermediate. At first the dance feels awkward and lacks any flow,
however after a few tries it started to fit together - one should
really give one a few weeks trial. May take a bit to get used to the
forward toe touches (rather than heel touches) & on count 46 I
ended up touching over rather than forward - it felt better. One
mid-wall bridge. Rating: **
Hey Good Lookin' - Carol McKee; 4/2004
Improver dance to a country song ("Hey Good Lookin'"
- Prentiss Varnon [Nashville Star]). There're quite a few covers of
this song. The dance will fit other versions, however the 'feel' &
pace of the dance best suits the one by Varnon. The dance is heavily
syncopated, tho' music is slow enough that it doesn't feel rushed. On
the other hand, there're only two turns and no tags or restarts.
Probably not a good idea to do this with a beginner class given the
ball-steps, ball-heels, extended shuffles etc that fill the dance.
Dance has a fair bit of repetition. Rating: **
Wrong Girl - Trent Duncan, 7/2004
Intermediate dance to a country track ("Wrong Girl"
- Lee Ann Womack [Greatest Hits]). Much of this dance is done to the
diagonals, plus there're lots of turns, so one needs to pay extra
attention to the right direction. The dance flows fairly well, tho'
there're a few steps that don't feel natural, at least the first week
(eg: crossing over instead of behind). A coaster following a 1/2 turn
feels like it should be a forward shuffle. There is quite a bit of
floor movement, so make sure there's plenty of room. Has the
weave/figure 8 out of Beautiful Senorita & Cruisin', which accounts
for a good chunk of the dance. Also a fair bit of repetition, tho'
usually on the other foot. No tags or restarts. Rating: **
Something Easy - Bill Bader; 6/2004
Upper beginner dance done for his Australian workshop tour. Done to a
country track ("If You Love Somebody"
- Kevin Sharp [Measure Of A Man]). A rather simple dance with vines,
two turns, a rock/step & some taps. The full turn on counts 12-16
could be omitted to make the dance easier for novices/low beginners.
The dance does have a lot of holds, which will prolly be the only thing
that would challenge beginners (I've long held that holds are the
hardest 'step' in linedancing). Rating: n/a
Jamacia - Tracie Lee; 7/2004
Easy improver dance to a reggae-country track ("How'd I Wind Up in
Jamaica"
- Tracy Byrd [The Truth About Men]). The dance is quite simple and an
upper beginner class shouldn't have any trouble. The dance didn't seem
to suit the music. We did it to "Montego Bay" by the Allnighters
and it went very well to that. Incidently, that's now an official
alternative track. Only three turns and no tags or restarts. Not much
floor movement. A good dance for introducing the next level of steps
above vines and taps to beginners. Rating: *
Free With a Tree - Charlie Misfud; 7/2004
Easy intermediate dance to a country track ("The Shade"
- Joe Nichols [Revelation]). Liked the song, however the dance didn't
seem to fit the music, nor did it flow well. Several abrupt direction
changes, however the music is fairly slow, so that wasn't a problem.
The dance did feel rushed at times, despite the slow music. Note the
orignal sheet has several mistakes. Rating: -
Canadian Stroll - Bill Bader; 7/2003
Novice dance to a country track ("Make Love to Me" - Anne
Murray).
Alternative tracks include almost any version of "Sea Cruise"
(eg: Frankie Lord, Johnny Rivers, Jimmy Buffett, The Deans etc). It's a
novice dance, what more can I say? Choreographed for people who've
never line danced before. The steps are as basic as they get. Only one
easy turn, no tags, no restarts, no syncopation - just vines &
touches .. and only 16 counts.
Forever Dance - Bill Bader, 8/2003
Improver dance to a country song ("Forever and Ever, Amen"
- Randy Travis). There're two non-country alternatives. I learnt this
one last year shortly after it was released, but sadly it didn't take
off. A fairly straightforward dance with easy steps. The only potential
trouble is the change in pace from non-syncopated to syncopated
sections. There are a fair few turns, but none difficult. Not much
floor movement. A good dance for introducing sambas, jazz-boxes, mambos
& paddle-turns for upper beginner dancers given the slowness of the
music. One restart. Rating: **
Show Me The Money - Bill Bader, 6/2004
Improver dance to a polka track ("If You've Got The Money, I've Got
The Time"
- Jimmy Sturr & Mel Tillis). This is a different version of a
fairly well covered country track. The Sturr & Tillis version is
available for free legal download off Amazon.com (see Bill's website
for details). Be careful of the count - the dance starts an extra 2
counts after what would feel normal (it's a 34 count dance). Nothing
difficult in the steps. There is some syncopation, but the music is
slow enuf that only the heel switches after the dorothy's felt rushed
to me. Dance has a nice feel to it and only 3 turns. One restart (or
'special event' as Bill calls 'em). Rating: **
Neutron Dance - Bill Bader, 2003
Improver dance. There're three recommended tracks for this dance
including a country track ("Old Flames Have New Names" - Mark
Chesnutt), a pop track ("Neutron Dance" - Pointer Sisters) and a
country-pop track ("Old Hickory Lane"
- Bekka & Billy). I learnt this one to the Bekka & Billy track
& have to confess the music didn't appeal to me, nor the dance for
that matter - however others did like it. A lot of repetition (there're
really only 24 counts) and it's heavily syncopated, but the music is
slowish, so it's not overly fast. There's quite a bit of movement
across the floor, so make sure there's enuf room to move. No
4tags/restarts. Rating: *
Tumbleweed 2 - Bill Bader, 1/2004
Easy intermediate dance to a 12-bar blues track ("Tumbleweed" -
Coco Montoya [Ya Think I'd Know Better] or "Tumbleweed"
- The Fantastic Shakers [Shakin' The Shack]). There're also several
country alternatives. A smoothly flowing dance with a nice funky feel.
Nothing difficult with the steps, so shouldn't tax an improver class.
Not much movement across the floor and no awkward turns or rushed
spots. Note the sailors (28-32) move slightly backwards. The feel of
the dance reminded me a bit of Slow Burn. This was the pick of the
workshop dances, IMO. Rating: ***
Across The Sea (a.k.a. Sea Sick) - Jan Wyllie & Bill Bader; 7/2004
Intermediate dance to a country track ("Sea of Heartbreak"
- Jimmy Buffett & George Strait [License to Chill]). With a lot of
ball-heels & ball-steps this dance will never flow smoothly, but
nonetheless, it flows well and does not feel rushed (the music is
slowish). The dance does, however, move quite a lot across the floor.
The dance is almost entirely syncopated, so it's quicker than the music
would suggest. Note that counts 41-48 move backwards (this isn't
obvious on the sheet). No tags or restarts. Rating: **
A Good Thing - Tracie Lee; 7/2004
Intermediate dance to a country track ("Too Much of a Good Thing"
- Alan Jackson). This is off Jackson's upcoming album, although it has
been released in the US as a single. I thought this was a bit less
polished than her last dance to a 'AJ' song, but nonetheless, 'tis a
great dance. The music is very country, so it's appeal may be limited
outside of country fans. A smoothly flowing dance with not too many
turns and not much movement across the floor. There's nothing all that
difficult in the steps, tho' the restart (there's only one) is a bit
hard to pick in the music. Has something of the feel of "I Remember".
The kick-ball-changes at the end don't seem to fit the feel of the
dance, at least on first teach, but that's my only quibble. Rating: ***
Addiction - Robbie McGowan Hickie; 3/2004
Easy intermediate dance to a country-rock track ("Tequila Sunrise"
- The Eagles [Desperado]). Can also be found on most of their Greatest
Hits collections. There is an alternative pop track, ("Amazing"
- George Michael), however that already has a dance to it locally (see
below). This continues the flood of dances to old Eagles tracks that've
appeared in the past year or so. Hey, I like the Eagles. A smoothly
flowing dance with a cha-cha feel most of the time (1,2,3&4). Quite
a few turns, however most of them are optional - leaving out the turns
this should be fine for an improver class. No tags or restarts, but the
dance still manages to phrase well. Note that most of the "rock,
recovers" are done with attitude. Rating: **
Suds in the Bucket (aka Drive) - Kira Jacobs & Paul Snooke; 7/2004
Upper intermediate dance to a country song ("Suds in a Bucket" -
Sara Evans). Paul has done two dances this year called 'Drive', which
will no doubt cause some confusion. The steps of this dance are not all
that difficult, however the speed of the music and the heavy use of
syncopation make this a very fast dance. Did I say fast? Believe me ..
it is. Definitely only for the speed freaks. The dance itself is well
choreographed - lacking awkward turns & sudden direction changes
and it flows quite well with only minimal movement across the floor.
Counts 20-28 seemed to cause a bit of confusion, even tho' they ain't
all that difficult. Two easy restarts. Rating: **
Amazing - Michael Vera-Lobos; 5/2004
Intermediate dance to a pop track ("Amazing" - George Michael).
While this dance has it's fans, the music is not to my taste and it
took a long time
for this one to grow on me. The dance is fairly quick and I felt it
rushed at times.
Also moves across the floor quite a bit, but not excessively.
No tags or restarts. Rating: **
Buy Me A Drink - Maggie Gallagher; 3/2004
Improver dance to a country track ("Do You Still
Wanna Buy Me That Drink"
- Lorrie Morgan). According to the original sheet, this is a beginner
dance. I would have to strongly beg to differ and call it an improver
dance. Beginner dances do not have extensive syncopation with mambos,
syncopated rocking chairs, lock shuffles etc. Oh, and there's a tag.
There's only one turn and the beat's a bit on the slow side, so upper
beginners should be able to pick it up. Rating: **
Doctor, Doctor - Masters in Line; 4/2004
Intermediate dance to pop dance track from the 80's ("Bad
Case Of Loving You"
- Robert Palmer [The Very Best Of]). In a word, this is a fun dance.
There's nothing spectacular about the steps, tho' the music has a
really good dance beat. No awkward turns and the dance flows well &
doesn't move much across the floor. The hardest part would be the
turning toe-heel switches, but they can be replaced by heel switches.
On the jump back's (8-16) we found it felt better to do 'out-out,
in-in, out-out, in-in', moving backwards, instead of just jumping
backwards. Don't be put off by the length of the dance, there is a lot
of repetition - in all but the last set of 8 you dance 4 counts &
then repeat it, sometimes on the other foot, sometimes with a very
minor variation. Doing heel switches and leaving out the full turns,
the dance should be do-able for an improver class. One restart &
one restart/tag. Rating: **
I Got a Feeling - Mark Simpkin; 6/2004
Advanced dance to a country track ("I Got a Feeling"
- Billy Currington [That's Just Me]). The song reminded me a lot of
Chad Brock's "She Said Yes", which Simpkin also did a dance to a few
years ago. The dance has a lot of unusual syncopation and counts and
will be a challenge to learn even for advanced dancers - perhaps
fortunately since the dance moves quite a bit and would be difficult to
do on a crowded floor. No sudden direction changes or awkward turns,
tho' there are a few syncopated turns. With 19 ball-steps in the dance,
it will never be smooth and will take a fair bit of getting used to,
but after a few tries it does start to flow. The part that seems to
cause the most trouble is the 5th set of 8, so anyone teaching the
dance should concentrate a bit more there. Two easy tags. The
choreographer rated the dance upper intermediate, but I have no
hesitation calling it advanced. Rating: **
Nights Like This - Brett Jenkins; 6/2004
Upper intermediate dance to a country song ("Nights
Like This"
- Steve Azar [Heartbreak Town]). This is a dance that feels awkward
when stepping it out, but which flows beautifully when done to the
music. The dance is heavily syncopated and almost every turn is on an
& count - however the music is slow, so the dance does not feel
rushed in the slightest. One tag & one restart and plenty of
opportunity for styling variations. The 7/4 turn on 7&8& near
the start is prolly the hardest part to nail down and if necessesary,
one could just do a 3/4 turn. The dance travels a bit, but not
excessively - you wont have to worry about dancing on the tables.
Rating: ****
Elusive Love - Sandy Kerrigan; 4/2004
Intermediate dance to a country track ("In The Dream"
- Craig Morgan [I Love It]). A few steps feel strained - maybe only at
first? (eg crossing over instead of behind) and the repeated forward
rock, recovers take a bit of getting used to. The full turn on count 40
will definitely take a bit of practice. A few sudden direction changes,
but the dance is slow enuf that they ain't awkward. Apart from the 5th
set of 8 where there're several holds the dance flows pretty well. Note
that much of this dance is done to the diagonals, so you'll need to
watch the direction. Three easy tags. Rating: **
Is it Love Yet? - Carl Sullivan; 6/2004
Easy intermediate dance to a 90's country track ("Is
it Love Yet?"
- Chely Wright [Let Me In]. A lot of syncopation, so this is a fairly
quick dance and it did feel rushed in spots - this may pass with
practice. Doesn't move much across the foloor. Not a smoothly flowing
dance, but that's the choreographer's style. Not many turns, tho' there
is a fair bit of diagonal movement. One mid-wall tag done three times.
Rating: **
All Night Long - Robbie McGowan Hickie; 2/2004
Easy intermediate dance to a dance-pop song ("You
Rock Me"
- Enrique Iglesias [Seven]). Song has a really strong dance beat and
the dance really nails it. A very well made dance, which is no surprise
since RMH is one of the UK's top choreographers. There's a lot of
repetition and not many turns, so should be do-able even for an
improver class. Not much movement across the floor and the dance flows
exceptionally well. One bridge. Rating: ***
Romantasy - Peter Metelnick & Alison Biggs; 7/2003
Improver dance to a country track ("Alone With You"
- The Derailers [Genuine]). This dance phrases poorly to the music,
which will probably bug those who insist on phrasing. The dance flows
quite well and has a graceful feel to it, although I found starting a
new wall to be a bit awkward. Two figure-8's taken straight from
Crusin' is almost 1/4 of the dance. A nice little dance which has had a
huge success overseas, but surprisingly hasn't gotten off the ground
here & didn't get all that positive a reaction in class. Rating:
**
Burnin' Bridges - Kristen Wade & Samantha
Dixon; 5/2004
Intermediate dance to a country track ["Bridge That You Won’t Burn"
- Travis Collins [single]). A nice song, but it will probably be
impossible to get hold of outside of Australia. Even in Australia it'll
probably be hard to get. On first teach I found the dance to be rushed
in spots, but that may pass with practice. The heel-clicks between the
out-out and in-in are very much optional. Not many turns, which is a
marked contrast to the choreographer's last few dances. Rating:
**
Just Got to Stay - Rosalie Mackay; 4/2004
Improver waltz to a country track ("Bad Morning for Leaving"
- John Anderson [Mississippi Rainstorm]). A nicely flowing dance that
has a definite waltz feel - that is, it has a rise & fall feel. No
awkward turns (not many turns at all for that matter) and not much
movement across the floor. I did find the cross over on count 35 to be
awkward - crossing behind flows better & feels much more natural.
One dead easy tag (waltz fwd, waltz back). The sheet says it's
intermediate, but it's definitely more the improver level, tho' prolly
too challenging for a beginner class. Rating: ***
You Are - Kerry Hughes & Mark Simpkin; 6/2004
Upper intermediate dance to a country track ("You Are"
- Wynonna Judd [Someone Like You Soundtrack]). A long song, over 5
minutes - you may want to fade it out after a while. I found the dance
to be very awkward and it has quite a few sudden direction changes -
there's one going into the new wall which is downright nasty. While I
liked the music, I didn't think the dance suited it. The count is
unusual, which will take some getting used to (hence the level). A
bridge done three times. The class unanimously gave this one the thumbs
down. Some interesting step combinations which I'd like to see recycled
in future dance. Rating: -
The River - Jennifer Hughes; 6/2004
Intermediate dance to a country track ("The River"
- Garth Brooks [Garth Brooks]". A lovely song and the dance phrases to
it quite well. The rock-rock-side step is quite unusual (first time I'd
encountered it) and it takes a bit of getting used to - you don't get a
new step combination every day. Dance doesn't move much across the
floor. No awkward turns, tho' a few of the turns are syncopated
(fortunately the music is slowish). I did find the dance felt jerky at
first, but this passes with practice. One tag and one restart. Rating:
****
High on the Mountain - Judith Campbell; 2/2004
Improver dance to an old country classic ("Mountain
Of Love" - Charley Pride [also to "Mountain Of Love"
- Johnny Rivers]). Nothing difficult about this dance and there're even
easy options on the dance sheet which'd suit an upper beginner class.
The dance does move across the dance floor a lot, so you'll need to
watch out unless you're in the centre. While choreographed with a heel
touch on count 16, most seem to be teaching the dance with a toe touch.
Two tags, both obvious in the music. Rating: **
Heartache Tonight - Linda Burgess; 5/2004
Upper intermediate dance to an old rock classic ("Heartache
Tonight"
- The Eagles [The Very Best Of]). Song has a great beat and almost
everyone should recognise it, so it's a surprise there ain't a horde of
dances already to it. This dance fits the music quite well and for the
most part flows quite well with little movement across the floor.
There're quite a few turns (read that as lots) and quite a few of them
are syncopated. I found only one of the turns to be awkward and that
was a syncopated turn going straight into a dorothy and coming after a
rolling shuffle (the turn on the shuffle is optional tho'). This turn
quickly lends itself to a fudge. The full turns can, of course, be left
out, to make it a bit easier. I don't recommend this dance on a
slippery floor. Two restarts, a mid-wall tag and a dead easy intro.
While the music is slowish, the dance is heavily syncopated, so the
dance itself is not all that slow. Rating: **
Much Too Young - Gary Lafferty; 12/2003
Improver dance to a country track ("Much Too Young"
- Garth Brooks [Garth Brooks]. A fairly easy dance which should be in
the reach of most upper beginner dancers. The hardest steps are
probably the toe-struts with 1/2 turns. No syncopation and no
tags/restarts. The dance beat is faster than the music would suggest,
but there're a lot of holds. Doesn't move across the floor all that
much. Rating: **
Slow Burn - Kathy Hunyadi & John H. Robinson; 3/2004
Upper intermediate dance to a pop track ("Fire"
- Des'ree & Babyface [Supernatural]. There are reportedly over 8
different mixes for this track (by the same duo) and only one of them
phrases with the dance so it is very important to have the right one.
If in doubt, use the alternative track ("Slo Love" - Janet
Jackson [Damita Jo]). Did the dance to "Alone with You" - Derailers and
I felt it fitted quite well, tho' the phrasing was a bit out. The dance
has a graceful, flowing but funky feel much of the time, tho' there're
quite a few ball-steps in the dance. Moves across the floor a lot. Not
too many turns, tho' watch the timing of the unwind turn at the end of
the dance - it's real slow. Rating: ***
The Meaning of Love - Teresa Lawrence & Vera Fisher; 3/2004
Intermediate waltz to a pop track ("The Meaning Of Love" -
Michelle McManus). At long last a waltz that actually feels like a
waltz! Very nicely choreographed and enuf different steps to get even
jaded dancers interested (but not too much to make it 'wierd'). The
dance doesn't move much across the floor and while it is 96 counts,
there are quite a few holds and a fair bit of repetition. Some steps
will take a bit of getting used to, but the dance flows quite well and
has a definite rise & fall waltz feel. Three restarts. Rating: ****
Hell Yeah! - Kevin & Maria Smith; 5/2004
Improver dance to a country track ("Redneck Woman" - Gretchen
Wilson [Here for the Party]). This is a cracking country track just
screaming for a linedance and it's no surprise that there're something
like a dozen dances already to it on kickit. Myself, I didn't feel this
dance did the song justice. I know the beat is quick (186b/m), but the
dance felt rushed and somewhat messy - definitely did not seem to flow.
Rating: -
Shine On - Brett Jenkins; 6/2004
Intermediate dance to a country track ("Shine On" - Jeff Carson
[Real Life]). Note that the music for this may be hard to find. Contact
the choreographer for a licensed copy. One of a bunch of dances Brett
choreographed for a workshop here in Sydney. It's best described as
"interesting" - the dacne bears a lot of similarty to Terry Hogan's
style. At least on first doing it I didn't feel that it flowed all that
great, however a lot of people say they loved the dance when they did
it at the workshop. Quite a few unusual weight changes which are tricky
and will definitely take some getting used to. Does travel much over
the floor and no awkward turns, however I did feel unbalanced at
several spots in the dance. This may pass with practice. Also seemed to
be an ankle strainer. Two restarts. Rating: **
Leave Right Now - PJ Henry; 12/2003
Improver dance to a pop track ("Leave Right Now" - Will Young
[Friday's Child]). Note that the sheet on kickit has a number of
mistakes, including a missing step. Dance flows well, tho' it travels
across the floor quite a bit. Some unusual syncopation. I found the
first set of 8 awkward to do coming out of the previous wall, but this
may pass with practice. A cross, unwind followed by a rolling vine
would be the hardest part of the dance (if necessesary the rolling vine
could be replaced by a plain vine), but does feel nice to do. No tags
or restarts. Rating: **
It's You - Brett Jenkins; 6/2004
Intermediate waltz to a country track ("If It Ain't One Thing It's
you"
- Alan Jackson [A Lot About Lovin' & a Little About Love]). Another
of Brett's Sydney workshop dances. A nice slow waltz song, however the
dance just does not work for me. Probably because there's a fair bit of
syncopation and a total absense of a waltz feel - it's only a 'waltz'
because of the count. If a waltz doesn't have a rise & fall feel,
it just does not work for me. Sorry Brett. One restart and a tag.
Rating: *
Zest Appeal - Michele Perron; 1/2004
Improver dance to a hip-hop pop song ("Boom Shack-A-Lack" -
Apache Indian [Best Of]). Dance has an 8&1 count. I couldn't get
past the music - definitely not my cup of tea. I didn't feel the dance
fitted the music all that well and others made the same comment. If ya
like the music, give it a try, otherwise I'd suggest trying something
else. There is an alternative track, tho' I've not heard it yet. One 16
count tag. Rating: -
My Valentine - Michael Vera-Lobos; 5/2004
Intermediate
dance to a slow pop song ("Valentine" - Martina McBride [Greatest
Hits]). I know Martina's country, but I challenge anyone to pick this
as anything but pop not knowing the artist. Reminded me a lot of a
slowish Billy Joel track. Dance flows failrly well and for the most
part has a graceful feel. No awkward step sequences or sudden direction
changes and the dance itself is quite well choreographed and a pleasure
to dance. The music, however, is another matter, lacking any real beat
for it's entire length. Unless you have a really good musical ear,
count to yourself or have someone to follow, you will likely have
trouble with the beat, at least (hopefully) for the first few weeks.
Even seasoned dancers may have trouble keeping "in time". A fair few
turns (the full turns can be easily omitted) & there's a fair bit
of syncopation. One restart. Rating: *
Original Sin - Jessica Lamb; 3/2004
Upper intermediate dance to a country track ("I Feel A Sin Comin' On"
- Jason McCoy). This is a pretty quick dance and the speed is a big
part of it's difficulty level. No awkward sequences or sudden direction
changes and the dance flows quite well. A difficult turn near the end
(3/4 turn on an & count), which will likely lead to a bit of
fudging. The "ball-step, step"s will be a bit of a challenge for those
who've not done them before & will take a bit of getting used to. I
had trouble with the "step, lock, step, lock" - I kept wanting to scuff
instead of lock on the last. One tag & one restart. Rating: **
Where the Girls Are - Michael Vera-Lobos; 2/2004
Improver dance to a country track ("Where the Girls Are"
- Billy Currington [Billy Currington]). A nice, smoothly flowing dance
that neatly fits the music. No tags or restarts and no sudden direction
changes. A fair few turns, however none overly difficult and the harder
ones can be omitted or simplified. The number of turns and a syncopated
lunge would prolly be the only things to challenge an upper beginner
dancer. Plenty of oppurtunity for styling and extra turns to keep the
more advanced dancer interested. The dance does travel across the floor
a fair bit, so watch if the floor's crowded. A local dance which has
gotten around a bit in the UK but for some reason has been very slow to
take off here. Rating: ***
Camp it up - Simon Ward & Rachael McEaney; 4/2004
Improver dance to a pop song ("All Things (Just Keep Getting Better)"
- Widelife & Simone Denny [What's That Sound: Music From Queer
Eye]). Song is the theme song for the tv series, hence presumably the
title of the dance. Music has a good beat, but had limited appeal in
class. The dance itself doesn't move much around the dance floor, flows
ok and has no awkward spots or sudden directional changes. No tags or
restarts. Some unusual syncopation. Rating: *
Love Changes Everything - Gordon Elliott & Anita Kecskes; 5/2004
Intermediate dance to a, hmmm, classical track ("Love Changes Everything"
- Michael Ball & Cast [Andrew Lloyd Webber: Royal Albert Hall
Celebration]). Not quiet sure how to classify this music - but anyone
who's heard Webber's music will recognise it. Not what I'd pick for a
dance and the combination I'd best label as "interesting". There's no
consistent beat for the first few walls & good luck picking the
start - the choreographer doesn't give a count-in either. This is a
classic case where the choreographer must give a count-in on the sheet.
No sudden direction changes and the dance flows fairly well with not
much movement across the floor. One tag - which is the first and last 8
counts of the dance. I just couldn't get into this dance with the
chosen music. Rating: *
Before it's too late -
Kristen Wade & Samantha Dixon; 4/2004
Advanced waltz to a country track ("Days
of Our Lives"
- James Otto [Days of Our Lives]). Another one for the speed freaks. I
normally don't like fast waltzes, however there is no syncopation, a
fair few holds and the dance does have a waltz feel to it, unlike most
fast waltzes. There are a *lot* of turns (hence the advanced rating),
but quite a few of these can be left out or simplified to make the
dance easier. A few sudden direction changes which you'll need to watch
out for. The difficulty and speed will no doubt limit the appeal of
this dance, however it does look good when done properly and placed
quite well when it was done as a competition dance (the social dance
version is a bit easier!). A great country track. Two tags, which're
just the last 12 counts of the dance. Rating: ***
Rescue Me - Terry Hogan;
4/2004
Upper intermediate dance to a country track ("Rescue Me"
- Wynonna Judd [What the World Needs Now is Love]). Anyone familar with
Terry Hogan's choreography will quickly recognise his distinctive style
- complicated and unexpected (like rock/steps without recovers). The
dance moves around the floor a lot, so make sure there's plenty of room
and avoid the edges if the floors crowded! There're no messy or awkward
turns & steps and the dance flows quite well, hitting the bit in
the music quite well for most of the song. However, the music and the
dance seem to go in seperate directions after the first restart and
only come back together again after the second restart. A lot of
direction changes, so like any Hogan dance, requires a lot of
concentration. Rating: ***
Faster - Mitchell Burgess
& Bree Sarkies; 3/2004
Advanced dance to an Aussie country track ("Faster"
- Jake Nickolai ['CMC Country 2003' also on 'Faster']). This dance is
not for the faint hearted - not only is the dance itself quite a
challenge, but it is quite fast. Despite this and a fair bit of
syncopation the dance does not feel rushed and it looks faster than it
actually is. Not much movement around the floor, flows well and
there're no awkward steps or turns. Has some applejacks & shimmies,
but these can be substituted, if necessesary (arthritis and applejacks
don't go together, alas). Because of it's pace and difficulty level,
it'll probably have a limited appeal - the more advanced dancers and
any speed freaks, tho' it is garnering a fair bit of local interest.
Some interesting steps and thankfully a few places you can catch your
breath. The music may be hard to obtain outside of Australia. Rating:
***
Slow Hand - Rosalie
Mackay; 4/2004
Upper intermediate dance to a country version of a rock 'n roll classic
("Slow Hand"
- Conway Twitty [Silver Anniversary Collection]). The dance was
something of a challenge to learn, but I felt it well worth the effort
and after a few attempts it started to feel comfortable. Has a graceful
and sweepy feel to it. One restart/tag which is just 16 counts of the
dance repeated. Lots of turns and quite a few of them are on &
counts. Flows well, tho' watch out for the commedians in the class.
Rating: **
Extremity - Noel Bradey;
4/2004
Intermediate waltz to a country version of an old Eagles classic. ("Take it to the Limit"
- Suzy Bogguss [Common Threads]. I have a very strong aversion to
syncopation in waltzes and waltz dances which lack the waltz 'feel'
courtesy of my first teacher who taught me to dance waltzes as waltzes.
This dance badly fails on both counts - a shame since the song really
cries out for a lovely waltz. I found the dance awkward to do and it
didn't seem to fit the music, tho' that last may be due to my aversion
to non-waltz waltzes. One easy restart. Rating: -
A Lotta Rhythm - Jim Watt;
4/2004
Improver dance to an old country track ("Got a Lot of Rhythm in my Soul"
- Patsy Cline [The Definitive Patsy Cline]). The song isn't typical
Patsy and doesn't sound old (if that makes sense). A fairly quick beat
and a lot of syncopation make this a fast dance, however it doesn't
feel rushed. No awkward turns and it flows well. Very little movement
around the dancefloor. Song has a really strong beat and the dance
nails it quite well. The speed would likely preclude it from a beginner
class, but should be no trouble for an improver class. Some found it
easier to replace the side-kick-recover's with kick-ball-changes.
Rating: **
Nu Flow - Masters in Line;
2003
Intermediate dance to a rap song ("Nu
Flo"
- Big Brovaz [Nu Flo]). I suppose the music does appeal to some, but I
loathe rap music with a passion. When the music came on, only 2 people
stayed on the floor out of the whole class. I can't otherwise comment
on the dance - I couldn't get past the music. Rating: -
For the First Time -
Michael Vera-Lobos; 4/2004
Intermediate dance to a ballad style pop song ("For the First Time"
- Kenny Loggins [Greatest Hits]). While the music is quite slow, the
dance beat is deceptively faster, so don't think this is a slow dance
just cuz the music's slow. A tag done three times (and a 4th time as an
intro). I found the dance to be quite awkward in spots, especially
going into and coming out of the tags - in more than a few places steps
felt like they were going in the wrong direction. I also found it to be
pretty hard on the ankles. The dance covers a lot of floorspace, so
watch out if the floor's crowded. Didn't feel any better the next week,
so I've dropped this one. Rating: *
First to Last - Nigel
& Barbara Payne; 8/2003
Improver dance to a disco-ish song ("My
First, My Last, My Everything"
- Barry White [All Time Greatest Hits]). For those not fans of the
music, there're two country alternatives given on the Linedancer
Magazine stepsheet (but not listed on Kickit). There're at least two
mixes of the title song, the right one has the 16 count intro. I found
the dance to be a bit monotonous at times - however extra turns &
styling should overcome this. One restart and a tag done twice. Listed
as an intermediate dance on the sheet, however there's nothing
particularly difficult in the dance and I'd call it an improver. Seems
to be taking off here'bouts. Rating: **
Senorita - Tom &
Maddison Glover; 4/2004
Improver dance to a Mexican-style country song ("Senorita Mas Fina"
- Kevin Fowler [High on the Hog]). The song was very reminiscent of the
Mavericks. I found the dance to be rather uninspiring, but it did suit
the music. No tags or restarts and only a small amount of syncopation,
prolly achievable by an upper beginner class. Doesn't take up much
floor space. Rating: *
Make Your Mind Up - Ian
Dunn; 4/2004
Improver dance to an 80's teen pop song ("Making Your Mind Up"
- Bucks Fizz [One of Those Nights]). The music was definitely not to my
taste, but you can't please everyone all the time. The dance itself
didn't seem to fit the music - either style or beat, tho' it did phrase
with three restarts. It also left me with sore ankles after one try,
which is a sure sign to drop it. Rating: -
Maybe I Could - Robbie
McGowan Hickie; 2/2004
Improver dance to a good old rock 'n roll song ("I Might"
- Shakin' Stevens [The Hits of Shakin' Stevens Vol 2]). The dance is
fairly simply, tho' long (96 counts), but it really nails the music,
both with the beat and in style. It's not a linedance done to a rock 'n
roll song, it's a rock 'n roll linedance. A bit pacy (but no
syncopation) and a lot of holds which may challenge beginner dancers,
but there're no tags or restarts. Rating: **
Together 4 Ever - Tracie
Lee; 4/2004
Intermediate dance to a country track ("Survivors"
- Collin Raye [The Walls Came Down]). The dance is quite fast (it's on
the double beat) and while there's no syncopation, I felt it was way
too fast in spots and there's a definite rushed feel to much of the
dance. I found it somewhat easier to count it as a 32 count syncopated
dance (it's 64 counts). Some interesting step combinations and no
awkward turns. Doesn't move much around the floor and no restarts or
tags. I liked the dance itself, tho' IMO it should've been done to a
much slower track. Rating: *
That's a Woman - Brett Jenkins; 4/2004
Intermediate dance to a slow country track ("That’s A Woman" - Mark Wills [Crowd
Goes Wild]). The dance phrases and flows quite well. There is a lot of
syncopation, but the music is fairly slow. A few unusual step
combinations may take a bit more practice than usual. No tags or
restarts, however the music (and the dance) slows down for the 4th
wall. The dance ends with two syncopated 1/2 pivots which will probably
quickly end up being fudged as a full pencil or sweep turn. The dance
starts when the beat kicks in (32 counts in) and not with the lyrics
which start straight away. My only complaint is that the song is short
and with the long intro, the dance only lasts 2 minutes. If you start
on the lyrics, you can get in an extra wall, although the slow wall
then becomes the 5th wall & the ending is different. It was
accidently taught this way, so I know it fits. Rating: ***
I Need Your Love - Stephen Rutter; 7/2003
Beginner dance to a slow country track ("Desperately" - George Strait
[Honkytonkville]). A simple dance with no restarts or tags. Flows quite
well and quite well suited to an upper beginner class - the dance has
shuffles and coasters so would not suit a novice or low beginner class.
Plenty of opportunity for extra turns for the more confident dancer,
although its appeal is prolly limited with the more advanced dancers.
Rating: **
Man in the Moon - Tim Gauci; 5/2003
Beginner dance to a country track ("Mr Man in the Moon" - Patty
Loveless). With 6 shuffles and two turns this would be an upper
beginner's dance. Lots of styling opportunities for the more advanced
dancer. Been around a while and seems to have gotten all over the
country. I'm a big Patty Loveless fan, so it's got a plus straight away
for me. Flows well, not too fast - all in all a nicely choreographed
beginner's dance. Rating: **
Sweet Southern Comfort - Linda Burgess; 4/2004
Intermediate dance to a country track ("Sweet Southern Comfort" - Buddy
Jewell [Buddy Jewell]). The dance is almost completely syncopated,
fortunately the music is slow, so the dance does not feel rushed. Great
song (brings back memories - I used to live in southern USA). Dance
flows well and has no awkward turns or sudden direction changes,
although the rolling shuffle near the end does feel a bit awkward at
first. The dance does move a bit over the floor within each wall, but
not excessively so. A few unusual step combinations will take a bit of
practice, most notably the 1/2 pivot & rock (&27) which I found
easier to think of as a 1/2 sweep & rock. 1 tag and 2 restarts, all
easy & obvious from the music. Rating: ****
Please Don't Stop - Ree Patterson; 3/2004
Improver dance to a country track ("Please
Don't Stop Loving Me" -
Dolly Parton & Porter Wagner [The Ultimate Collection]). Ya can't
get much more country than Dolly. Rated intermediate on the dance
sheet, but should be achievable by upper beginners. The only steps that
would be a challenge at that level are the hinge turn shuffles and a
full turn shuffle near the end - since the latter is followed by a
non-turning shuffle the obvious easy alternative would be for two 1/2
turn shuffles. An easy tag done once. The dance didn't spark for me,
but that's prolly just personal preference. Rating: *
I Shoulda - Maddison
Glover, Tom Glover & Ian Dunn; 1/2004
Improver dance to a country track ("It's
a Little Too Late" - Mark
Chesnutt). I found this to be an awkward dance and it didn't flow at
all IMO. The heeljack-syncopated ball-point bracket which is done twice
seemed to badly clash with the rest of the dance (which otherwise has
very little syncopation). I wont be doing this one again. Mind you,
this is one of those "love it or hate it" dances. Nice music tho'.
Rating: -
Jacksonville - Noel
Bradey; 3/2004
Intermediate dance to a country track ("Jacksonville" - Josh Turner
[Long Black Train]. A great country track, but my first impression was
that it was a listening song, not suited for a dance. I'd prolly rate
this upper intermediate because of the music - there's no beat until
halfway thru' the first wall, so you really need to start on time (with
the lyrics - helpful). There're three restarts and the dance flows
quite well. The only awkward spot I
found was an unwind turn followed by a monterey in the opposite
direction, but the music is slow enuf that with practice it can be
nailed. A beautiful dance to watch and do. Rating: ***
The Real World - Ruthie
Bea; 11/2003
Intermediate waltz to a soft pop track ("The Real World", D-side
[Stronger Together]). When this dance came out there was a lot of fuss
and angst over just where the dance started - some sheets don't have
the count-in and it's not obvious in the music. Fortunately by the time
it got down here that had been sorted out. A bit fast for my taste (I
prefer slow waltzes), but not so fast you feel rushed doing it. A few
spots which will probably take practice to feel comfortable, but the
dance flows well. The dance is long (96 counts), but there is a fair
bit of repetition and there're no really difficult steps. Rating: **
Time After Time - Barbara
Hile; 4/2004
Upper beginner dance to a slow pop track ("Time After Time" - Rod
Stewart [As Time Goes By]). This is one of Rod Stewart's older style
tracks and may not appeal to everyone. Medium paced, no syncopation or
tags/restarts and only three turns so should be easily attainable by
upper beginners (tho' prolly not novice level dancers). When I learnt
the dance I kept rocking back after the second kick, even tho' ya
s'posed to cross over, but I eventually got used to it. Rating: **
Sway - Carl
Sullivan; 3/2004
Intermediate dance to a swing style pop song ["Sway" - Michael Buble]. Buble seems
to be the flavour of the month; unfortunately I don't like his style of
music. Dance has a cha-cha count, flows pretty well and does suit the
music. Odd count early in the dance. One tag (note the tag has been
changed). Rating: **
You've Got No Heart -
Rosalie Mackay; 12/2003
Improver dance to a country track ("You've
Got No Heart" - Red Rivers With Anne Kirkpatrick). An old style
country track and an old style linedance. Music may be hard to obtain
outside of Australia. A good beat and the dance really nails it. A fair
number of turns, but no syncopation. Should appeal to anyone who has
fond memories of the country linedances of the 90's. No awkward spots
nor any sudden direction changes. Note the original sheet has a turn in
the wrong direction. Two easy tags. Rating: ***
Cha Y'all - Peter
Metelnick; 2/2004
Intermediate dance to a country track ("I Can't Remember, Friends I'll Never Forget"
- Toby Keith [Shock 'N Y'all]). Nicely paced song with a clear beat
throughout. Despite the title there're no cha-cha's in the dance, just
lots of shuffles. Lots of repetition - the 2nd 16 counts is almost
idential to the 1st 16 but leading on the opposite foot. Seemed to be
an awkward spot near the end, but that could just be because of the
repetition & 'expecting' to do the same steps again as earlier in
the dance. Two restarts. Rating: **
Do It All - Kevin &
Maria Smith; 12/2003
Improver dance to a country track ("I
Wanna Do It All" - Terri Clarke [Pain to Kill]. The music is a
bit pacy, but there is a strong beat throughout and the dance fits the
music fairly well. A fair bit of syncopation, so prolly more suited to
improver/intermediate dancers. Kevin & Maria specialise in improver
level dances. There are a fair number of turns, but easy options are
given for the harder ones. An easy tag and one restart on successive
walls. Note some versions of the dancesheet have errors - the version
on my site has been corrected. Rating: ***
How High - Carol
McKee; 12/2003
Improver level waltz to a country track ("How High Did You Go" - Keith
Norris). I'd never heard of the singer before but he has a great voice
and there're quite a few dances appearing to his music in the past
month or two. Quite a fast waltz, too fast in fact in my view - but
then I'm a firm believer in waltz's being slow. I found it to be
awkward to do and it did not flow all that well - some of the steps
just did not feel natural. A shame since it's such a cracking good
song. Rating: -
She Believes in Me -
Maureen Reynolds; 3/2004
Upper intermediate dance to a pop remake of a Kenny Rogers classic ("She Believes (In Me)" - Ronan
Keating [Turn It On]). For the country purists, the original may fit,
but I haven't checked. There's not much of a beat during the first wall
(which seems to be the norm these days), but it kicks in on the 2nd
wall. The dance has a lot of turns and is almost completely syncopated,
fortunately the music isn't too fast. The dance fits the music quite
well and after giving it a few tries flows quite well, especially with
the optional styling (sweps, points etc). One obvious restart. The
dance can be a bit of a challenge at first, especially when first doing
it to music, but it quickly settles down and it well worth the effort.
Rating: ****
Cheek to Cheek -
Rob Fowler; 10/2003
Improver dance to a cover of an old swing track ("Cheek To Cheek" - Glenn Rogers).
I'm not a fan of swing so the music for this one doesn't do much for
me. No awkward direction changes or steps and the dance does fit the
music quite well, both steps & feel, but starting off with
dorothy's it prolly wouldn't suit a beginner's class. Rating: **
Crazy Love - Chris Watson;
10/2003
Improver dance to a swing-style remake of an Elvis classic that
everyone
and the drover's dog has covered ("Crazy
Little Thing Called Love" by Michael Bubble). A rather funky
dance, prolly more suited to the younger set with knee pops and sassy
walks. Does seem a lot shorter than the number of counts would suggest.
The song is over long, IMO (don't know if the dance would fit another
version). Only a few turns and the dance does flow quite well, tho' I
didn't think it matched the music. Rating: **
Stranger in My
House - Gordon Elliott; 1/2004
Improver dance done to a pop dance mix ("Stranger in My House (HQ2 Mix)" -
Tamia [Totally Dance]). Music has a very strong dancebeat and the song
and dance have a very similar feel to many of Gordon's recent dances.
The song is a tad overlong (over 4 minutes) and may not appeal to all
dancers. The dance really nails the song and there're plenty of
opportunities for styling. A lot of turns, but they flow pretty well
and there're no sudden direction changes or 'jerky' spots. There is a
lot of repetition. Gordon was one of the founders of linedaning in
Australia and this dance shows he can still hold his own against all
the new comers. Rating: ***
Trembling Lips - Rosalie
Mackay; 12/2003
Improver dance done to a country remake of an old rock & roll
classic ("Hold Back Trembling Lips"
- Becky Hobbs [Hottest Ex in Texas]). The phrasing of the original song
does not fit the dance. I found the dance to be awkward
to do in spots and there were quite a few sudden direction reverses,
which I'm very rarely keen on. One restart and a short tag done three
times. Rating: *
Wave on Wave - Alan
Birchall; 6/2003
Beginner-improver dance done to a cracking good country track ("Wave On Wave" - Pat Green). Music
has a good strong beat which the dance fits admirably. No tags or
restarts and the dance flows very well. Quite suitable to an
upper-begginner or improver class. Easy to see why this one is big in
the US and UK. Rating: ***
Scrapped - Warren
Mitchell; 4/2003
An improver/easy intermediate dance to a country track ("Scrap Piece of Paper" - Paul Brandt
[That's the Truth]). Song has a good, clear beat (tho' not too strong)
and the dance fits it quite well. Only a few turns and no tags or
restarts so improvers should have no difficulty with it. Dance beat is
a bit quick, but by no means fast. Several sections bring a sense of deja vu, but the dance isn't new,
so that finger can be pointed elsewhere. Rating: **
The Voice Within - Linda
Burgess; 11/2003
Intermediate dance to a slow-paced pop track ("The Voice Within" - Christina
Aguiliera [Stripped]). The dance flows ok with awkward direction
changes and a few novel steps (always a rarity these days), however I
felt that the dance did not suit the music at all. The beat of the
music really asks for a non-syncopated dance, however this one is
almost completely syncopated. The only parts which seemed to fit the
music were the few non-syncopated steps. Song is just over 5 minutes
long. Rating: *
What About Me -
Kerry Hughes; 2/2004
Intermediate level dance to a country song by the runner-up in
Australian Idol ("What About Me"
- Shannon Noll [That's What I'm Talking About]). Song is remake of an
80's Aussie pop hit. Done to the vanilla mix, not the dance
mix. Feels awkward to do in spots and the beat vanishes entirely at
times so it's easy to get out of synch. A few sudden direction changes
which felt quite awkward, especially given the speed of the dance. Good
song tho'. May be easier to halve the counts and add
syncopation (eg: replace a slow coaster, hold with a 2-count coaster).
Three restarts and a tag. Rating: *
Sweet Nothin's - Karen
Graves; 11/2003
Improver dance done to a reasonably well known 1950's track ("Sweet Nothin's" - Brenda Lee). The
dance didn't do anything for me, tho' this was likely mostly because I
disliked the music - the song has the usual tinny 50's tone. May go
down well for those who remember the 50's and it's music with fondness.
Rating: -
From Here to Eternity -
Mark Simpkin & Kate Moore; 2/2004
Intermediate dance to a country-pop track from a few years back ("From Here to Eternity" - Michael
Peterson [Michael Peterson]). With 3 restarts and a lot of turns, this
dance is probably more upper intermediate. Flows well, tho' there are a
few turns which take time to get used to and will likely confuse lower
and mid intermediate dancers, at least for a while. A few turns feel
like they should go the other way, but this passes as you get used to
the dance. The restarts come after a forward rock-recover and the dance
starts with another forward rock-recover which feels awkward. There's a
spin on an "&" count in the first bracket -
this is really optional. The last 8 counts doesn't really feel like it
should belong with the rest of the dance. Rating: **
All in My Heart Waltz -
Kevin & Maria Smith; 2/2004
A country as country gets track ("All
in my Heart" - John Michael Montgomery). A novice-beginner level
waltz with only two turns. No tags or restarts, 1 wall and a very
waltzy-feel song. Would be an ideal dance to introduce the idea of the
waltz count to novice dancers. Plenty of opportunity for more advanced
dancers to add styling. Rating: **
Leave Right Now - Mark
& Jan Caley; 11/2003
Improver dance to a slowish pop track ("Leave Right Now" - Will Young
[Friday's Child]). A lot of syncopation (so the dance is faster than
the song beat) would put this above the beginner level, despite the
rating on the dance sheet - beginners should not be exposed to sambas,
ball-steps, syncopated twinkles and so forth. I didn't think the dance
flowed all that well and didn't feel comfortable to do. Rating: -
Country 2
Step - Masters in Line; 6/2003
A beginner/ improver level dance done to a 2-step country song ("I Just Want my Baby Back" - Jerry
Kilgore). The walls do not phrase with the music, but it is a beginner
dance. The steps do, however phrase. A pivot turn followed immnediately
by another turn is prolly the only part that would be difficult for a
beginner dancer. Apart from this there is only one turn. There is no
syncopation, however you could equally well view the dance as a 20count
dance with syncopation (using the quicker beat in the music). A solid
upper beginner dance. Rating: **
Crazy - Mark Simpkin; 1/2004
Upper intermediate/advanced dance to a country track ("Crazy" - Pat Green). The dance is
deceptively fast and does feel rushed at times. Two restarts which are
not very obvious in the music. Has a lot of sweep turns (which I like),
which the choreographer seems to have rediscovered this year. Dance is
fairly smooth & flows well with no sudden direction changes. The
speed will likely lend itself to a bit of fudging. Some unusually
placed holds which may require a bit of thinking. Rating: **
Jump In - Chris Watson; 1/2004
Improver dance to a fast pop track ("Jump
(For My Love)" - Girls Aloud [Love Actually Sound Track]). One
word can sum up this dance ... "aerobics".
The dance is quite fast and quite energetic. It's also very long - over
12 walls. The steps are pretty basic and there are a few spots each
wall where you can catch your breath. The big hit from Tamworth 2004
and is filling the dance floors everywhere. Desite the pace there'r
eplenty of opportunities for styling. Rating: **
I Remember - Tracie Lee; 9/2003
Solid intermediate dance to a beautiful country track ("Remember When" - Alan Jackson
[Greatest Hits 2]). This dance has been going around Sydney for a while
but has gotten a boost at Tamworth 2004 when the rest of Australia got
to see it. This dance is, simply put, brilliant. I consider it one of
the finest dances I've ever learnt, if not the finest. Done to a lovely
country track by an artist who'se music has proven very fertile ground
for linedance choreographers. The dance nails the song perfectly, flows
very well and is simply a dream to do. The harder parts do have easier
alternatives. Michael Vera-Lobos called it the best dance he'd seen all
year. Can't argue with that! Two restarts and a short tag, which're
obvious in the music. My only criticism is that I don't like the tag,
which doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the dance. A "step, drag,
back, drag" fits much better. Rating: ****
Swing Your Chains - Dee
Soares & Shaun
Maguire; 2/2003
An improver level dance done to a pop song ("Chains" - Tina Arena [Don't Ask]).
I didn't think this was anything spectacular, still it was a reasonably
decent dance that flowed reasonably well and suited the music &
deserves the success it's had elsewhere & I'd like to see it take
off here as well. Rating: **
Done Deal - Simon Ward; 9/2003
Done to a heavy beat pop track ("Perfect
Situation" - Marcel [You and Me and the Windshield]). I've been
doing this since October '03. A neat improver level dance with a good
beat to the music. Lots of restarts, but hey .. they're in the music.
The backward scoots seem to end up with a lot of fudging & seem a
bit awkward to me. Rating: **
Cold Blooded - Scott Blevins; 8/2003
Improver level dance choreographed to a pop track ("Sophisticaled Lady" - Mya
[Moodring]). I'd read a lot of raves about this on the internet, but I
have to say I really disliked the music and I'm not big on
choreographed hand movements (I prefer to ad lib). Besides, I cringed
thru' the disco era. The dance steps were fairly simple. Rating: *
31st April - John H. Robinson; 3/2003
A solid intermediate dance done to a lovely country track ("Coast to Coast" - Barry Amato
[Vintage]). The dance and music both appealed to me. My only quibble
was that the beat was hard to pick up - at least when learning it - but
practice usually fixes that. Nice song and the dance flowed quite well.
Dance has a "2-8,1" count, which makes the weak beat a bit tricky.
Prolly only for the intermediate plus dancer. Rating: ***
Light O' Day - Cathryn
Proudfoot & Warren Mitchell; 8/2003
Upper intermediate dance choreographed to a medium-paced country track
("Everywhere I Go" - Craig
Morgan [Craig Morgan]). An obscure artist, so may be hard to find the
music. Dance has a lot of turns and syncopation, but flows pretty well
most of
the time. A few of the turns feel awkward to do especially the repeated
"ball-touch full unwind turn", tho' these could be fudged with a
"ball-touch hold" - I don't like those turns (or my ankles don't, to be
accurate), but the rest of the dance is nice.
One tag & 2
restarts. Rating: **
Land of Enchantment - Mark Simpkin; 1/2004
Choreographed to a slow-medium paced cha-cha track ("Land of Enchantment" - Dean
Brothers), a remake of an older song. Personally I found the music very
boring and monotonous. There are already several dances
out to this track. The cha-cha's in the choreographer's dancesheet are
actually shuffles. A very sweepy dance. The music and dance style are a
marked departure
from the usual for the choreographer and I have to admit neither
appealed to me. Rating: *
Secret Storm - Brett Jenkins ; 11/2003
Intermediate level dance choreographed to a neat country track ("Concrete Angel" - Martina McBride
[Greatest Hits]). Unfortunately there are two dances to this track
going around locally. This one flows quite well and suits the music.
Brett is only new on the scene but has already established himself as
one of Australia's best choreographer's. Starts with 'backward
dorothys', which I've never encountered before. Dance has been around a
few months but is getting more interest since Tamworth. Rating: ***
Call Me - Brett Jenkins; 11/2003
Improver dance done to a medium paced non-country track ("634-5789" - Blues Brothers Band
[Blues Brothers 2000]). A fairly easy dance - I picked it up after a 1
minute teach after class. Has some syncopation, but no tags or restarts
so should be achievable by all bar novice dancers. A shuffle to the
left side immediately followed by one to the right side did feel a bit
strained. Suits the music.
Rating: **
After All - Karen
Jennings; 12/2003
Improver dance done to a R&B country track ("After All" - Jill King
[Jillbilly]). Has the same feel as "Down 'N Out", which is off the same
album. Music is a bit pacy, but there's no syncopation. Good beat and
fits the music with not too many turns. Nice to see the return of the
bronco. Rating: **
Spanish Waltzing - Tracie
Lee; 11/2003
An intermediate level waltz ("Spanish
Waltzing" - Dean Brothers [Rock Bottom]). Originally
choreographed as a duo competition dance, this dance does look
impressive, however I found it to have a very awkward feel and the
dance flowed poorly. No restarts or tags. Rating: *
Beautiful Senorita - Rosalie Mackay; 12/2003
A solid intermediate dance choreographed to a slowish-medium beat
mexican-style country track ("She
Showed Me A Little Bit More" - Jacob Lyda). I found the dance to
flow exceptionally well and in my view was the best of the new dances
released at Tamworth 2004. As Rosalie said, style it! Has received a mixed
reception locally. One short tag. Rating: ****
Que Sera Sera - Ian St Leon; 1/2004
An intermediate dance done to a remake of an old classic ("Que Sera Sera" - Hermes House Band
[The Album]). At first glance this would probably scare most dancers -
a phrased dance with 3 parts, 3 tags, a hold and a restart. However it
is not quite as bad as it would seem - the tags are all short and the
music changes drastically during the different parts (part A is a waltz
and parts B & C are 4-count). Rating: **
In Love With You (Just
Because) - Tracie Lee; 1/2004
Intermediate dance choreographed to a pop/rock song ("I'm In Love With You" - Billy Dean
[single]). The dance fits the song nicely, flows well and has no
awkward turns. The dance is slow enough that it should be acheivable by
most improver level dancers. Rating: ***
Here We Go - Brett Jenkins
& Cathryn Proudfoot; 12/2003
Improver/intermediate dance to a country track ("Heartbreak School" - James
Bonamy [What I Live To Do]). Unusually, this dance starts facing the
back. For the most part the dance flows well and fits the music,
however I found the restarts a bit awkward, requiring a sudden turn
against
the flow of the dance, tho' with practice these do become more
confortable. Three restarts, all in the same place. Rating: **
Everybody's Doing It - Ben Kelly, Robyn Lahiff & Neil Gavin; 1/2003
An improver dance done to a country dance mix ("Southside Stomp" - Jenai [Jenai]).
Can be danced to the album version. A sleeper of a dance which has
taken off a year after it was choreographed (moral - if you don't post
your dance on the internet it wont take off quickly, if at all). Not
all that well phrased and the music changes at the end of the tag.
Nevertheless, the dance has a good feel & plenty of opportunities
to stomp! Rating: **
The Swing - Jessica Hall
& Mark Simpkin; 1/2004
An advanced dance done to a fast country track ("The Swing" - James Bonamy [Roots
& Wings]). This dance quickly gathered a sizable following, despite
it's speed and difficulty. Has a nice feel. The dance is long (128
counts), with an intro and a tag. Makes considerable use of applejacks
and ankle-rocks, so variations are the rule for those with less than
perfect ankles. Rating: **
Desperado - Gordon Elliott
& Michael Vera-Lobos; 12/2003
An intermediate dance choreographed to a remake of an Eagles classic ("Desperado" - Jill Johnson
[Discography]). I am unsure if the dance will fit the original (Johnson
is a local independent artist). The beat can be hard to find and
vanishes entirely at times, but if you can handle this, the dance flows
very nicely and is a very 'feelie' dance to a very 'feelie' track. Two
short tags, obvious in the music. Rating: ****
Keeper of My Heart - Peter
& Rhiannon Fry, Sandy Allen, Bianca Haskew; 1/2004
Intermediate dance choreographed to a country track ("Walkin' Away" - Diamond Rio). One
restart. Maybe someone else can say something good about this one.
Sorry Pete. Rating: -
Take it to the River -
Kevin & Maria Smith; 12/2003
An easy improver dance that sees a return to the country band that made
'Elvira' famous ("Gonna Take A Lot Of
River" - Oak Ridge Boys). Easy enough that upper beginner's
should be able to pick it up. The only syncopation are shuffles and
there are only a few turns. Rating: **
By Your Side - Jim Watt;
2/2004
An improver level dance choreographed to a disco-ish track ("Love Won't Work" - Ronan Keating
[Destination]). No restarts or tags, although there are quite a few
turns. The dance flows well with only one sudden direction change -
however this was intentional. The music choice may limit the dance's
appeal. Rating: **
Family Ties - Peter Fry;
1/2004
An advanced level dance choreographed to a 'feelie' country track ("The Baby" - Blake Shelton [The
Dreamer]). At first encounter the dance is very confusing and
considerable effort is required to consolidate the steps - it well
deserves the advanced rating. However with practice the steps do gel
and the dance then has a great feel. For the upper
intermediate/advanced dancer only. No tags or restarts, which is a
relief. Rating: ***
My Guy - Rachael McEnaney;
11/2003
An improver dance done to a remake of a well-known classic ("My Guy" - Mary Wells [Early
Classics]). The dance has a few interesting moves including some
chorus-line kicks. The music may not appeal to everyone. Rating: **
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