Dancin' Daze Dances Taught

2011 at Lilleshall Memorial Hall

The class comprises of dancers of mixed ages, preferences, likes and dislikes. We don't generally split the class for teaching purposes. We teach linedances at all levels and all genres, the entire class takes part in the instruction, or not, as they see fit. Our aim is to ensure that our dancers can go onto a dance floor anywhere and enjoy themselves. The class is incredibly enthusiastic, very knowledgeable and quite demanding - we wouldn't have it any other way. The comments on each dance are purely personal opinions and are not intended for any other interpretation.
Don't You Remember Dee Musk Adele "Don't You Remember"	This amazing 32 count, 2 walled, advanced dance has been around for a little while but has only recently got dancers excited. But these dances tend to take a little while to receive the accolade they deserve. As you might expect from Dee the choreography fits superbly with the song which runs at just 60 bpm but seems a little faster with the constant syncopation in the dance. The choreography flows superbly for each aspect of the dance starting with a full turn easily into a drag step then a rock step followed by another full turn and a quarter then through the entire dance ending on reverse half turn, a syncopated step/half turn/step and a final full turn before starting again with that first full turn - choreography that only a few can get right and Dee has choreographed it perfectly. The hardest part of the dance to get absolutely right seems to be the 3rd section, the prissy walks at count 3 and 4, as it's extremely easy to lose the timing at this point which then makes the weave in double time that follows a bit rushed and awkward - but it is an advanced dance so you wouldn't want it too easy. We found either counting the beats properly or using the lyric 'the reason you left me before' in the chorus helped (count 3 on the final 'e' of 'me', count 4 on the 'be' of 'before' and counts 5&6& on the 'fore' of 'before') but practice is what's needed to get it all spot on. For our dancers it was really the 4th or 5th time of dancing it before the dance came completely together with the music. The huge reward is that when that unique harmony occurs everyone realises just how awesome this dance truly is and it has become a firm favourite of our more experienced dancers.
Don't Want Nobody Wil Bos and Esmeralda Van Den Pol Ike Turner "I Don't Want Nobody"	It's a peculiarity of Dutch choreographers that generally their surnames only consist of 3 letters, although Emeralda has been a little greedy in this respect. So, when we saw the choreographers on this dance sheet and heard Ike's song we just had to teach it. It's a little reminiscent of Jo Thompson's west coast dances from years ago (Cowboy Blues for example) with a funky feel to it, particularly in the middle section of the dance. This is a superb improver dance as it introduces a west coast feel with the anchor step and funky hip bumps for those that haven't danced them before and fits them nicely with basic steps that a dancer at this level would be comfortable with. There is a restart in the 4th wall which can catch out the unwary but the restart means that the dance can be finished with that all important flourish on the front wall at the end of the song - fantastic. We're just waiting for Ria Vos to co-choreograph with these two to complete the 'Vos Bos Van Den Pol' triple.
The Rush Peter & Alison The Wanted "Lightning (Alias Remix Radio Edit)"	We've never danced to The Wanted before but this dance is awesome. 64 counts, 2 walled and at intermediate level it comes with 1 restart and a simple tag done at the end of every 2nd wall. The thing to remember is that the restart occurs 16 counts after the first time the tag is danced so don't spend too long congratulating yourself over the tag or you'll miss the restart. The second half of the dance is done mainly on the diagonals instead of square to the walls which can cause confusion and so just needs a little patience when teaching the dance. Don't forget to square off to the back wall in the final counts before restarting the dance. At 135 bpm, it is a little nippy and we found slowing the music slightly for teaching purposes paid dividends.
Jealousy Karl-Harry Winson Will Young "Jealousy(Moto Blanco Radio Mix)"	Ever since we danced 'Ambitions' we've been keeping a look out for this choreographer and recently we found this 64 count, 2 walled, intermediate dance. The dance steps are straight forward and the full turns can be replaced with simple 2 step walks for those that don't want to turn. The dance goes amazingly well with the song and it has become a class favourite.
Don't Let Me Down Maggie Gallagher Chris Young & Patti Loveless "Love Don't Let Me Down"	Maggie dedicated this dance to the French Dancers so if you're ever heading to France before the end of 2011 you probably need to learn this one on the ferry as you cross the Channel. At improver level, it has just basic steps and easy turns and was a 5 minute teach for the class.
Count On Me Rob Fowler Bruno Mars "Count On Me"	This 4 walled, improver dance flows quite nicely and was an easy teach for the class. Basic steps and easy turns, some of which can be taken out to make it even simpler. The dance starts 5 seconds into the music and we counted it in as '5 and 6 and 7 and 8 and' for ease.
Caribbean Pearl Maggie Gallagher Scotty "The Black Pearl" (The Dave Darell Radio Edit)	We were lucky enough to be taught this dance by Maggie at its trial launch and we could see immediately just how good this choreography was. The dance starts with a 24 count waltz repeated 4 times and a one off 8 count in single time as an introduction before the main dance begins. The main dance is 2 walled and 64 counts. The introduction is quite easy and absolutely necessary. The main dance begins about 51 seconds into the music and the choreography fits superbly well as you would expect from Maggie. The choreography is at intermediate level and is relatively straight forward for the level of dance. The hardest part in the dance is getting the very first '&1' count in time with the music after the introduction - stick with it, practice makes perfect. Fortunately the dance script is faultlessly written and Maggie has ensured that there is a quality video on YouTube to aid teaching/learning the dance. This dance has an amazing 'feel good factor' about it, a quality that most choreographers strive endlessly for but never achieve. The dance is hugely popular with the class and is requested several times on each class evening since we taught it. There has been some criticism that there are already 2 dances to the music before Maggie's dance was written but it's strange that nobody knew about these dances (or danced them) before Caribbean Pearl. But if this dance creates interest in the other dances then surely that's a good thing, well done Maggie.
Drink On It Ria Vos Blake Shelton "Drink On It"	This intermediate dance is 4 walled with 32 counts to an excellent song with some very clever choreography included. The class particularly like the 'Sailor Sway' step and for those that don't like to turn too much there is a full turn that can be taken out. There's a restart which is easy to spot and there is that all important big finish - the class love it.
Move A Like Ria Vos Maroon 5 "Moves Like Jagger"	This is a superb 64 count, 2 walled dance at intermediate level. All the class took to this dance as soon as it was taught, which doesn't happen very often. The class particularly like the swivels in the first section, the knee pop in section 3 and pretty well all of section 7. The dance steps just flow from one into the next easily and the choreography maps onto the song amazingly well. I recommend this dance to you all.
All Of Me Maggie Gallagher Blake "All Of Me"	This intermediate dance is 32 counts and 4 walled with an easy restart. The hardest part in the dance is getting the start point right, the count in takes a bit of practice. The dance is highly syncopated with 23 '&' counts but the steps hit the beat of the music amazingly well. The class particularly like the ronde sweeps. When Blake were told that their song was popular in the Linedance World they just couldn't believe it and were delighted to know that it was so popular with such creative people.
Aliens And UFOs Peter and Alison Vanessa Amorossi "Aliens And UFOs"	This fast paced, 2 walled, advanced dance has an unusual 68 counts to it. The script indicates that the song is 70 bpm, don't be misled as it's faster than that. In fairness to Peter and Alison they don't usually make many mistakes on their scripts but this one would have benefitted from a proof read. Because of its pace the dance is mainly single counts but remains a bit nippy. The class particularly like the first 8 counts which have hip bumps followed by a full turn (there is a non turning option) and the middle sections which are danced on the diagonals. The transition from the end of the dance to the start is quirky but fun. You need to remember that there are 3 'good' walls (all 68 counts) followed by three 'bad' walls (less than 68 counts) followed by the final 32 counts into that all important big finish. It's the 3 'bad' walls which will give the most trouble as it takes a little while before the restarts can be heard, but it's well worth the effort.
Mr Mysterious Rachael McEnaney Vanessa Amorossi "Mr Mysterious"	This 64 count, 2 wall, intermediate dance has a couple of short step sequences which, if you've been around as long as we have, you'll recognise from other dances. If not, you won't be any the wiser. Rachael seems to be on a bit of a roll at present, producing dances with high quality choreography and this is one of those dances. The 8th section is inspirational and hits the beat all the time. An easy 8 count tag appears at the end of wall 2 and 5, additionally there is the opportunity for that all important big finish. If you're not dancing this then you're missing out.
Place To Come Home Peter and Alison Bryan White "Place To Come Home"	This is a well choreographed 48 count, 2 walled dance at intermediate level. The class particularly like the 1/4 hinge turn into the 1/4 turn triple step in the first section and the 'ball crosses' in the 4th section. Counts 4-5 in the fifth section have options and the class chose either a non turning walk forward left, right or a full spiral turn on count 5. The restarts in walls 2, 4 and 5 are easily spotted and there is that all important big finish.
Beyond Your Eyes Peter And Alison Jessica Martinsson "Beyond Your Eyes"	A 32 count, improver dance from Peter Metelnick and Alison Biggs which has an easy 4 count tag danced after wall 2 and 4. Although the song is at 98 bpm, the 14 '&' counts tend to speed things up a little. The choreography fits the music extremely well and the class took to this dance immediately.
Whiskeys Gone Rob Fowler Zac Brown "Whiskey's Gone"	This dance is unusual in that it has 72 counts. At improver level, the dance steps are reasonably straight forward and are in the 'traditional' linedance style which appeals to a huge number of dancers, including those in the class. On the 3rd, 4th and 5th walls there is some adjustment to the step sequence to be done which takes a little practice but it's all well worth the effort. I will be amazed if ths dance isn't a huge success.
Soul Food Lorenzo 'goLo' Evans Fantasia "Collard Greens And Cornbread"	Don't be put off by the 2 page script. Print it off and go onto YouTube and watch the choreographer dancing his dance. We like this dance because the choreography is so different to anything else around at the moment. We're not terribly keen on extensive arm movements but we'll make an exception in this case as they do make sense. In addition, the music is a little challenging as it requires the dancer to listen properly to the beat. Don't forget to sing along to the final 'woo hoo hoooooo's on each wall.
Only Girl Niels Poulsen and Simon Ward Rihanna "Only Girl In The World"	This is the fourth dance that we picked up from the Linedancer Awards weekend. This is a well crafted 64 count, 2 wall, intermediate dance with one restart and one 4 count tag. The dance steps are quite straight forward and link into the song amazingly well. Our dancers remarked immediately after the teach how good they thought the dance was. The dance has a very stylish 'chasse hold, ball side, hold' combination 3/4 the way through giving the opportunity for individual styling.
Dirt Road Dancing Rob Fowler Matt Stillwell "Dirt Road Dancing"	This is the third dance that we picked up from the Linedancer Awards weekend. It has 48 counts, it's 4 walled and is at the improver level. It has one restart which is very easy to hear in the music. The dance doesn't phrase precisely with the music - to achieve that there would have been several more restarts, but as the song has a steady beat throughout Rob recognised that there is no need for more than the one restart. For dancers who like the modern country music this is a must.
Burlesque Norman Gifford Cher "Welcome To Burlesque"	This dance arrived from nowhere in early February and suddenly all the instructors in the area were teaching it - so we thought we'd better do so as well as it was bound to be played at all the local socials. Our thanks go to Kath from Fidlin' Feet for teaching this. It's stylish and a bit of fun but I suspect that once the novelty has worn off it will disappear as quickly as it arrived. Teach it now before it's too late. Make sure you check the video on YouTube with Norm actually teaching the dance to make sure you get the correct ending. For the video just click "here"
Let It Be Rachael McEnaney Katie Stevens "Let It Be"	This is the second dance that we picked up from the Linedancer Awards weekend. This is a 32 count, 2 wall, advanced dance with the Nightclub 2 Step format. For dancers that don't like too many turns the 3 full turns in the dance can be replaced with forward walks. This choreography is exceptionally good and the dance maps onto the song and the lyrics at the same time. Additionally, this cover of the song is amazing and so the entire dance has that 'feel good factor' which we don't see too often.
Fragile Not Broken Dee Musk Natalia "Fragile Not Broken"	This is the first dance that we picked up from the Linedancer Awards weekend. It's a 64 count, 2 wall dance at the intermediate level with one restart. Dee has also choreographed an ending so that dancers finish facing the front. There is minimal syncopation in the dance, the steps flow easily and map onto the song incredibly well, as can be expected from Dee and is a trademark of her exceptional choreography. The class liked this dance immediately and it will be on the request list for some time to come.
Disappearing Bubbles Gaye Teather Billy Currington "Love Done Gone"	This is a 64 count, 4-walled intermediate level dance, but with no tags or restarts (yippee!!). The steps fit the music really well and we particulary enjoy the first 32 counts. The last 16 counts of the dance may need a bit of practice, as there are some interesting weight changes, which make you have to concentrate until you've done them a couple of times. Once you've done a couple of walk-throughs, then it's no problem at all. This is definately a dance that is well worth doing. The music is a very infectious country song from Billy Currington and you can find yourself singing it when you least expect to (well we did!!). Bah, bah, dah, bah, bah, dah - oops there I go again.....
Sleeping Child Maggie Gallagher Michael Learns To Rock "Sleeping Child"	This is a lovely gentle 32 count 4-walled improver level dance from Maggie. It has no tags or restarts and flows really well. Keep an eye on the starting point as it is actually 24 counts, when you think it should be 32. It's another classic piece of choreography from Maggie and we think it should be around for a while. The song is by the same group who brought us the music for Kim Ray's excellent dance "Blue Night Cha". Have a look at it, if you've not done it yet and we think you'll find it goes down well.
No Gravity Dee Musk Shontelle "No Gravity"	We were looking for a fairly straight forward improver dance to begin the year with and this fitted the bill perfectly. It's 32 count, 4 walled and has one restart. The choreography is quite easy and flows well with the music. This is the dance for you if you're looking for a dance at this level to a quality pop song.
Wonderland Waltz Rob Fowler Plain White T's "Welcome To Mystery"	We originally did this one back in August 2010, but for some reason it wasn't played at socials or taught by anyone else that we were aware of. However, now this is not the case and it's being done all over the place, so we thought it was a good idea to revisit it. Our original review of the dance is posted here again. This is an excellent 2 walled, improver level waltz to a superb piece of music, although some of the class weren't too sure about the music initially. The first 36 counts are waltz basic steps and turns and shouldn't give much of a problem. The final 12 counts are a 'diamond shape fall away sequence with a 3/4 turn' and when I told the class precisely that they nearly gave up in despair. However, the sequence is not nearly as difficult as it first appears and for the less experienced dancers I recommend that the sequence is broken down into sets of just 3 steps. Ensure that the first set is fully understood before moving onto the second, and so on, until the entire 12 counts are fully understood. At that point the dancers will realise what a finely choreographed waltz this is. It's the standard 48 counts in length and the choreography is such that it will fit many waltz songs without the need for phrasing.