Step of the Week: Sailor Step

Level:
Improver

Step count:
2 ½ counts (1&2)

Directions:
Step/cross foot A behind foot B (weigh on foot A), step foot B to side B side (weight on foot B), step foot A to forward to A side
Example: cross right behind left, step left to left side, step right forward/right to original spot

Dances featuring this move:
Crispy Chicken, Metamorphasized, Last Night

Tips for this move:
You are intended to look like a “drunken sailor” as you do this move. On the first and second move (1&), your weight will be on the ball of Foot A raising you up as if the rising side of a ship, and then flat footed on count 3 (2)

 

 

Imitation is not considered a form of flattery to some

When we first started out teaching dance at Ned Devine’s in Sterling, a group of girls came in and did this awesome dance to “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy”. The girls were not part of our usual crowd, but they came a few times and did their dance and eventually our dancers picked it up and continued it even after the girls stopped coming. It was a huge hit and ultimately I was asked to teach it. This wasn’t an unusual request or situation, so I did.

However, on the second or third time I taught the dance, a girl whom I’d only seen occasionally came up to me just mad as a hornet. She yelled (yes, literally yelled) at me for teaching someone else’s dance without their permission or giving credit to the choreographer. Well, I was dumbfounded. I had no idea who the choreographer was and we never announced that sort of info (note, this is before linedance4you.com or the posting of step sheets). She went on to clarify that the dance was created and performed by the Ashburn Dance team (or something to that effect) and that the dance was not meant to be taught. Well, my answer to that was “why did you come and demo it in a dance hall with fellow dancers and allow them to follow along with you then?”. This was the natural progression of dance evolution in our early days and it still is all over the world.

However, out of respect (and quite honestly because I don’t like being yelled at by strangers), I have ceased teaching that dance. It’s a shame though as it’s a great dance and we still do it from time to time, but thanks to this one person, it will eventually die out when it could have thrived and continued on for years with us.

Nowadays I note on the step sheets if I don’t know the choreographer and even have the following disclosure on my site:

“While we try to give credit when due, we cannot always locate the original choreographer or choreography of a dance. Additionally, some dances have become modified by virtue of personal styles & repetition or to assist beginners and it is noted on the step sheets if they differ from the original choreography (if known). Please contact me if one of your dance is listed here incorrectly.”

As a choreographer myself, I am thrilled to find out someone taught my dance and certainly don’t expect to be contacted before someone does so. I think it is the greatest compliment that someone would teach my dance and when I stumble upon it, I’m delighted. I know I contributed to the world of dance outside of just my dance students and that’s a great feeling. If any dance instructors care to teach any of my dances, you have my enthusiastic permission to teach it and even alter it somewhat for the sake of instruction if need be. All of my original dances are available at linedance4you.com or on Copperknob (search Danielle K. Schill).  Enjoy!

So for any choreographers out there that want to keep your dances top secret or not have other people teach it, I would recommend just choreographing for your own private use and not putting out a step sheet or video or performing it in local dance halls because if you’re any good, it won’t stay private for long.

Trouble Tonight is travelling the Globe!

My latest dance, “Trouble Tonight” has made it’s way to Ontario and now to Malaysia!  Let’s see where it will go next!!  (PS – I love that they added their own “flair” with the hand movements!)

If you haven’t tried it yet, the step sheet is linked above and can be found at linedance4you.com and the dancers in this video do a great job demoing it!  Or if you’re in the Washington, DC area, come on out to my class to learn it!

Keep on dancing!

Step of the Week: Rocking Chair

Step count:
4 counts (1-2-3-4)

Directions:
With weight planted on one foot, use the other foot to step forward, rocking your weight onto the front foot (1), then rock weight back on the planted foot (“recover”) (2), step other foot backward (3), rocking weight onto back foot, then recover weight back onto planted foot (4).
Example: With weight on left, rock forward on right foot, recover weight on left, rock back on right foot, recover on left

Dances featuring this move (not all inclusive):
Country As Can Be, Double M (reverse rocking chair), Toes in the Water (see option for steps 5-8)

Tips for this move:
Keep weight on one foot (plant) while the other foot does all the work around it. IE: for a right rocking chair, your left foot shouldn’t leave the ground (except perhaps a heel or toe for styling). Many people will substitute two step turns for a rocking chair, by turning a half turn when you recover (in the direction of the planted foot). Reverse rocking chairs start by rocking backward.

 

Bring It!

I am constantly getting requests for new dances or links to new ones to teach.  I love that!  However, things have certainly changed from when we started out.

For those that haven’t been with us since the beginning, you may be surprised to know that the regulars, not me, my colleague, Kevin, or even DJ Jill, were the ring leaders of new dances back then.  Regulars, like Jeff Carpenter, Jamie Rhudy, Elyssa (Price) Chadab and others, were so excited about dancing that they would literally search places like YouTube, Copperknob and Kick It for new dances or dances they’d seen elsewhere.  They would teach themselves and then come in the next week to demo the dance to everyone else.  It was very cool to see all the new excitement from so many different sources.

They would usually do it on their own for a while and ultimately, if it gained enough interest, I would finally teach it to the masses that weren’t ready or able to learn on their own.  That’s how we got dances like Bombshel Stomp, Turbo Twang (which we’ve been doing again recently), Save A Horse, Cowgirl Shuffle, Country 2 Step linedance, Turn Me On (Sex Bomb) and Chill Factor.

Of course, things are quite different now in a good way.  Where we started with handful of dances that we did multiple times to different songs throughout the night, we now have so many dances that we can’t even get them all in in one night (one of the things Jill is good about reminding me).  That’s why I USUALLY only introduce a new dance about every 2-3 months (see LD4Y philosophy under About Us for more).  However, while we love keeping some older dances in rotation, the energy of a new dance is hard to beat.

So, if you’re up for the challenge… don’t wait for me!  Check out sites like those listed above or just google your favorite song with the word “line dance” after and you’ll likely find something cool!  If you want to demo it, just shoot me or Jill a message on Facebook and we’ll make sure you have the music to show off your stuff!  (I’m also always willing to learn a dance on the side to demo it with you if you ever need.)

Remember, it’s your night, so bring your own flavor to the fun!  Majority rules… if people like it and ask for it to be taught, it’ll get officially added to the rotation and you’ll be the one to thank!

Carry your own weight

As I sit here watching my wonderful, yet terribly uncoordinated, husband attempt dance steps, I am reminded of two things:

1) I am one lucky gal to have a husband who, despite not liking country music and not having the natural ability to hear tempo (pretty important in dancing), is willing to continue to try to learn to dance for my benefit.

And

2) the placement of your weight is highly underrated in line dancing.

90% of the time that a dancer is “off” on a dance, it is attributed to being on the wrong foot. During line dancing especially, the taps, brushes and scuffs are just as important as the actual steps. The key is that you need to be ready for the next step and each choreography is designed for that perfect balance, so not giving weight (or giving too much) can set the next step off “on the wrong foot”.

So remember, line dancing is not about throwing your weight around, but knowing where to apply it.

Step of the week: Grapevine (or “Vine”)

The Move
Step out, step other foot behind, step out again, tap other toe next to leading foot.
Example: Step right to right side, step left behind right, step right to right side, tap left next to right (keeping weight on right)

Dances featuring this move (not all inclusive):
Bartender Stomp, Good Time, ABieber,  Flying 8’s, Drunken Irish Jig, Better When I Dance, Country As Can Be

Tips for this move:
This is probably the most common dance step, so you’ll see it in most dances. The ones listed above are just a small sample. You will often see variations, such as a “rolling vine” where you do a full turn in the process, a quarter turn at the end of the vine, etc.