Hi
Grundy Gallop
"....I'm quite new to LD so don't know lots of these oldies....."

And as I have been saying quite openly over the years... 'We just didn't go from One Step Forward to The Beast - we did a heck of a lot of dances in between. We should never loose track of that - but sad to say a good number of Instructors and Choreographers have lost track.
As they become more experienced (?) they assume that everyone else is at their 'level' (hence some Absolute Beginner dances with full turns and syncopated movements). At one time you were lucky to get to see (let alone taught) a dance with even a single half turn - such was the simplicity of those early dances.. these are the very dances that 'some' of out illustrious Instructors and Choreographers were taught - and no doubt gave them a heck of a lot of pleasure.... so why have they turned their backs in an almost arrogant way and ‘mock’ those quite basic dances.

Even with those ‘basic’ dances we can (and do) add a little styling or use different music.

Grundy Gallop was a huge hit tonight! Danced 4 times and had everybody in fits of laughter (although that could've been my 'styling' which involved horse impressions & lassooing motions, naturally!! )

I have some dancers who go to another class where they are starting to learn the likes of Heart of An Angel, Dont Feel Like Dancing (wonderful dances which fill the floors so obviously have to be learned!) but they really enjoy learning the 'Golden Oldie' beginner dances so they come to me as well.

These ladies told me tonight that their other class has a social coming up which they have been discouraged from attending. The reason? They are beginner/improver level and most of the other dancers are either too 'advanced' or only like 'new' dances and will not want beginner/older ones eating into their dancing time.

I think its a really sad situation, dancers being made to feel inferior simply because they stick to the older or easier dances. I know you have to please the majority of dancers, but its hard enough for beginners to go to socials and feel completely comfortable. They are adament they are going though so good for them!

(Sorry! Soapboxing again!!)

Jennie!!... soapboxing???.... you stick to it, girl.

Too many Instructors feel that their beginners (?) are holding them back. The Instructors want their dancers to be at their level... and thus creating peer pressure resulting in (often) dancers being taught some very 'boring' (not to be confused with 'basic') dances which are being taught to the latest 'awesome', 'funky' and or 'cool' (but very popular) music.

Hubbs and I had to teach ourselves all the old dances we know -because none of the instructors would teach them. The amount of times we've been told just to join in and we'll pick it up.

It's really hard coming into line dancing when others have been doing it for years. We have to try to keep up with all the new ones and try to learn the oldies but goodies.

Gets a bit daunting and has made us wonder if we want to keep it up

Just looking at my old files to see which dances are still popular & back in 1996 I taught Rock Around The Clock....this is such a useful dance, as it fits loads of tracks of music. Midnight Waltz still being danced as is Waltz Across Texas, Native American, Stroll Along, Fly Like A Bird, Tush Push, Copperhead & as mentioned by Jennie, Grundy Gallop. Lamtarra, God Bless Texas, Watermelon Crawl, Jose Cuervo, Twist Em, Country Walkin', My Maria, Just For Grins, Tropicana, Sweet Maria.....am getting bored now & only up to the end of 1997

Hi,
I might be late to answer, but.....most of the old favourites of yours are still danced and teached here....we might be a little "behind" the latest dances.... and the easier/beginner dances you all mentioned, like Tushpush, Rock around the clock, Waltz across Texas and and and are floor fillers here. One reason could be, that we don´t have so much possibilites to learn dances, as you have in England and are happy to get to learn any dance
We did a repetition night last wednesday and here is, what we danced:
Urban Living
Coastin´
Closer
Redneck
Jolene
More to follow
Straighten up
Naughty but nice
Quando when Quando
Midnight Waltz
Stroll along
Grundy Gallop
King of the road
Speak to the sky
Never Ever
Don´t feel like dancing & Holding back the Ocean.
As you can see, mostly old favourites....we will be going on a social on saturday and I think, that all of them will be danced

We do have the problems of having some dancer getting bored with the older or beginner stuff,too. But as I don´t have to earn my living through teaching, I personally think....if they don´t like it and can´t accept beginner dancer.....they are free to go and find another class....might be a little hard, I know.....

As most of the clubs I visited while I travelled do some of the older stuff in their classes, I´m always happy to join in


Thanks for that !!!!
Pat

Danced Derailed the other night. Managed to dance it perfectly by the time we got to the last wall

Nice dance.

Hi,

S'funny... some people knocking YouTube regarding Line Dancing ... and yet.... couldn't help noticing a number of Instructors in the UK have VERY recently started to re/teach THE BEAST... and all because the ladies loved YouTube (though they would NEVER admit it....lol).

Have to admit, I wasn't keen on the dance when it came out... still not keen now.... but quite a few did.

Hi KK...

The only downside I can see regarding 'recaps' is simply... when does an Instructor/Organisor say 'enough is enough' (with quick run thru's).. remembering that its a 'social' that everyone is at. The trouble is.. as one piles on the years with Linedancing... we tend to to forget more and more of the 'older' dances.