In 1998 my wife and I noticed a line dance video in a local shop and decided to buy it and have a go. A lot of effort goes into producing these videos, however starting from scratch and constantly turning away from the TV proved too difficult. But luck was in our favour when one evening in the pub we met someone singing on the Karaoke. This was Jane Matthews. Jaynie is part of the Country/Line Dance duo “Souls ‘n’ Stone”, but most importantly is a trained dancer who has been teaching line dance since 1991. As I said, luck was in our favour as Jaynie had just started a beginner class and from that day on Jaynie became one of our best friends. Today we still attend Jaynie’s class but now I stand in as instructor when Jaynie is touring the south of England or up in Scotland.
Well that’s how I started dancing but teaching didn’t start until 2002 when, having learned a dance (Na Mara) at a teaching social, I was asked if I would teach the dance at one of the classes I attended. From then on I was asked to start a beginner class which preceded the main class. This gave me the opportunity to practice my teaching technique. Having been involved in teaching for some years, albeit in the classroom, I was hooked on teaching dance.
I now have two classes a week: one of them includes recapping some of those great dances we have done over the last 10 years but sadly forgotten; the other starts with a beginner section, then improver section and finally intermediate/advanced. The latter is quite a challenge, teaching three or four dances and recapping five or six more in one evening, and ranging from the more difficult and persevering teach with the beginners through to the challenging intermediate/advanced.
In 2002 I heard a great track on TV and felt there should certainly be a dance to this. I checked out the various sites and found nothing so I decided to have a go and choreograph a dance.
How do I start? What do I do? Definitely the questions everyone asks themselves when thinking about choreography. I personally start with the music – sitting down and working through the track, marking down each group of 8 or 6 (waltz) beats; noting where the repetitions occur (32, 48, 64); and where the extra beats are for the tags and the changing of beats for the restarts. Sounds a bit complicated but it’s easier than you think. Then I decide what style of dance should be used, e.g. waltz, two-step, cha cha. Then comes the hard part working out the steps – this is when you can take over and express yourself. You have the count and the rhythm so let your dancing experience take over.
That’s the choreography bit done. However, still being an unknown choreographer, getting your dance onto the circuit in the hope that others may enjoy it is much harder. This involves publicising your dance – usually by the Internet dance magazines and dance sites, and being prepared to take your dance to the dancers. This can be great fun; I’ve travelled to Spain and Cyprus to teach.
Out of all the dances I’ve written Blessing In Disguise (published in BWDA) was always my favourite, but my latest dance ‘Live The Life’ takes the No.1 spot. This great Spanish track by Belle Perez gave me the chance to use some cool Latin moves generating good body-styling (love the Latin stuff).
I have been lucky having my second dance ‘Country Fair’ published in BWDA, Linedancer and Up Country. This gave me the boost to keep on writing and hoping the next one would fill the dance floors.
I can also give a big thank you to John (Grrowler) and Maureen Rowell for all the help they have given me in getting my dances to the public. They do a fantastic job of letting the unknown choreographers teach their dances (alongside top choreographers) to other instructors and dancers. If you’ve written a dance, then this is a great opportunity, as many of the unknowns have now been published. I’ve also had the opportunity to teach alongside these great choreographers: June (Lady in Black) Deakin, Kate Sala, Mark Furnell, Yvonne Anderson and Adrian Churm.
Dancing and teaching on Monday, teaching Tuesday and Wednesday, dancing on Thursday, and dancing and teaching on Sunday, leaves Friday and Saturday for social dancing (gone are the days when I had a night off). I enjoy the weekend travelling around to various dance socials: meeting all the avid dancers and of course meeting the choreographers; having a good chinwag and tapping into the knowledge of how to write 'the big one'. (With all the yapping I do I should have been there, done that, and got the T shirt many times).
But the weekend also involves teaching. Working through an agent I travel up and down the country teaching mainly non-dancers how to line dance. Sounds easy? Try it. A room full of three left feet and no co-ordination, 30 minutes and two dances. Try it? The best fun you’ll have in line dance. Of course, when you get there, not knowing what facilities are available (How big is the dance floor? How many people? What age group? Is there a DJ? Is there a band? What am I doing here?) all adds to the excitement, the adrenalin and the chaos. But it is fun – ranging from birthdays and anniversaries to large corporate functions and Christmas with the army and the guards at Buckingham Palace. Told you it was fun. There is also the question, "does any one take to line dancing?" Absolutely! Many people at these functions have approached me asking for details about line dancing in their area, and being the good instructor I’ve checked this out. I hope there are a few classes out there that benefit.
Choreography is something I do when the right music comes along, but dancing comes first and instructing second. Don’t get me wrong, I love instructing but I love to dance and if I can pass this passion on to other dancers I’ve achieved something.
But instructors who run classes on their own also do the DJing. It’s not so bad, I enjoy being in control of the music, deciding which dances and what order to do them; working on the spur of the moment, anticipating what to play to keep the dancers on the floor.
However I have worked as a DJ at dance events and that is a different kettle of fish. I’m no DJ, and have no desire to be, but pleasing a group of dancers who have travelled from various locations is difficult. Keeping the floor full and playing the requests is like juggling broken glass.
Lastly, what do I do outside of line dancing? Well, I’m a self-employed IT analyst and database programmer. Keeps me going through the day and allows me to break off and learn the odd dance or two when the computer screen gets blurry.