Lynne's First Viewpoint Letter
Posted mid-September 1999

Why is it that I so often hear the remark that certain dances won't be called at functions/classes  simply because there will only be a handful of dancers on the floor - in other words "the dance hasn't taken off". 

Now I can to a certain extent understand that at many one-off functions the dance floor has to be `filled' for the majority of the time; - surely not all the time - however at the regular weekly classes this should not apply at all.

Usually there are fewer dancers on the floor when it is a difficult dance that not many can be bothered to persevere with, or they dislike the music.

As an Instructor I know instinctively what will be popular and what will not.  However, with the diversity of taste and ability, I need to cater for all and therefore it is a question of balance.   I know I will never please everyone all the time so very seldom talk in general terms such as "my class hate that dance" simply because I know there will always be a few who love it.

As an Instructor who chooses to teach a specific dance, it is my duty to `call' that dance even if there is only one person on the floor.   That one person took the trouble to learn and practise that dance and therefore I owe it to that person to keep that dance `alive' whether it be at a function or class.  The only time I will never `call' a dance again is if there is NO-ONE on the floor and that has never happened!

Lynne

All of the following replies are entered in the date order they were received i.e the most recent at the top.

(19 Oct)
Lorraine, what is so wrong with dancers being on the floor all the time dancing to the dances old and new?  If somebody wants to dance all the time then that is their right.  If a dancer remembers every dance taught then good luck to them.  Why does this bother you so much and why does this make them posers?  What gives you the right to decide that a dance should be `dead and buried?’   I’m sure many a choreographer would not thank you for that remark.  A lot of these old dances still continue to be highly motivating to a lot of dancers today.
As for me, yes, perhaps you would consider me a `poser’ as I do like to dance all the time.  Line dancing has filled a niche in my life and I have discovered that I am able to express myself in a way I never knew.  I also get a lot of pleasure watching other dancers who are far more talented than myself.  But I don’t consider them posers, just people who have a talent.  I accept that there are dancers better than me.
Maybe you can’t – and that’s what is irritating.

I couldn not have said it better myself Karen.   Those are exactly my thoughts.
Lynne

I am unsure what your problem is with `posers’.  Are you mistaking the word `poser’ for a good dancer?  In fact if you talk in terms of `posers’ then maybe you could equate that to dancers who want to show off the latest dances and more difficult dances.  Or is the problem that you can’t remember the old dances yourself?
Either way, thanks for replying Lorraine.  Debating a topic is what this page is all about.
Lynne

I agree totally Karen.  Thanks for writing and making your point.
Lynne

Dear Anon,
You have completely misunderstood the purpose of this Viewpoint page.
By its definition, `Viewpoint' is an expression of one's personal feelings or beliefs and not, as you suggest, an Agony Aunt dictating to people what they should or shouldn't be doing.  The whole purpose of putting the Viewpoint page on this site was to exchange ideas and opinions about line dancing topics with others.  This has clearly been achieved, judging by the response we've had so far.
Yes I am proud that I have carved a very successful career as a line dance professional.   But that does not make me arrogant or a self-appointed authority on my subject as you suggest; in fact, such a vehement accusation about someone you do not know is totally unfounded.
Once again, the jealousy and back-biting that exists in certain areas of the line dance world has reared its ugly head; perhaps I should make that the next talking point on my Viewpoint page..........
Lynne

(7th Oct)
I would like to respond to your Viewpoint on keeping dances `alive’ for the sake of those who have bothered to learn them. Personally I just feel there are far too many dances around at the moment and now we are being confronted with about 5 different versions of a dance to one piece of music – Mambo #5 and La Vida Loca to name but two. Goodness knows how many dances are flying around to those two songs and it is all so confusing for us poor dancers, as everywhere we go they seem to be dancing a different version to the one we have learnt.  How in heaven’s name are we supposed to remember the steps to all these new dances as well as all the old ones?  I think it’s about time someone shouted `STOP’ and we had a break from new dances for a while.  I know it’s not going to happen but I can dream can’t I.

Caroline, you sure have a point.  It also gets confusing trying to decide which one to teach.   One can never stop the desire of any choreographer to choreograph a dance and, of course, when certain pieces of music hit the pop charts it makes it a dead certainty for many to choreograph in the hope their dance will be spread and be the one to do.  You might as well stop dreaming.  My personal advice is to learn one and dance that one at the side if you visit other venues and they are doing a different dance, as long as the Instructor/deejay doesn't mind.
Lynne  

What a brilliant idea.  I might try that too.  Thrilled to hear you don't treat dances as `here today and gone tomorrow'.
Lynne  

Rory, I would love to watch you too!!
Lynne

4th Oct
I only started line dancing 6 months ago and would welcome the opportunity to learn some of the older dances instead of loads and loads of new ones.  I spend a good deal of the evening sitting out watching the others and wishing I could join in.  Unfortunately I'm not the type who can learn a dance cold from a piece of paper nor am I confident or good enough to just get up and have a go.  I did once mention to my instructor that I would love to learn T Bone Shuffle and she laughed and said that they had all learnt it years ago and were getting bored with it now so it wasn't really worth bothering.  When I was leaving she handed me a sheet of paper covered in type and told me that I could always learn it at home - some hopes! 

Heather, I can understand your frustration, but can also understand how awkward it is from an instructor's point of view as well as she is obviously catering to people who have been coming to her for a long time.  She also seems to put a lot of emphasis on new dances which is different to being asked to teach a dance she has already taught a long time ago.   Maybe you should look around for another instructor who suits your needs more?
Lynne

(4th Oct)
Lynne, I read your viewpoint with interest.  Has it never occurred to you that you could just be playing into the hands of the poseurs – I’m sure we all know them!  The people who just love being the centre of attention, and who would just relish the opportunity to take `centre stage’.  I don’t know about you but I get really irritated with people who spend their evenings requesting the most obscure dances they can think of just to show that they can do them or have the mental power to remember one they learnt a million years ago.  In our class we all enjoy learning the latest dances – we don’t want to hang around in the past, dragging up all the `old favourites’.

Lorraine Pereira
Birmingham

Lorraine, There is nothing posy about any dancer wishing to dance a dance they have learnt at my class, irrespective of when it was taught or how many people there are on the floor.   I also think the word `obscure' is irrelevant in this instance and I am unsure what you meant by that.  If you mean just any dance, irrespective of it having been taught in my class or not, well that to me is a different subject.  I also don't think anyone who requests a dance they haven't danced for ages is requesting it just for the simple reason of showing off one's memory (or trying to test mine).  I would hope it is because they genuinely want to dance that particular dance, even if it is 3 years old.
We also don't spend the whole evening dancing `old favourites' as you imply.   A mixture of `old' and `new' is what works best, in my opinion.  I really see no point in teaching, learning and dancing a dance, and then for it to be dropped 6 weeks later.
Lynne  

Sheilagh, I understand what you are saying but if you really like a dance, why should you care how many people are on the floor? Surely all that would matter in this case is the opportunity to dance the dance.   There is very seldom literally one person on the floor (I just mentioned a figure to illustrate my point) and anyway, if that was the case, I would always dance that dance with the dancer.
Thanks
Lynne

(28th Sept)
Dear Lynne,
In answer to your `viewpoint’ on appealing to the masses, I would like to say this. I have been line dancing now for almost 8 years and have lost count of the number of dances that I have learnt over this period. I have seen everything from waltzes to cha-cha’s and mambo’s to rumbas. I’ve shimmied, shuffled, shivered and shook and even twisted, crawled, jumped, jived and wailed. In fact, you name it and I’ve learnt it. Some I’ve loved and some I’ve positively hated and if I think really hard there are dozens of dances that haven’t seen the light of day for years. Occasionally, they have started off being fairly popular and once the first flush of interest fades and the floor becomes less and less full, then they have faded into obscurity to be consigned to the archives.

Actually Timothy, I do take your point , but practically it can and does work.  Is there not one single dance you learnt ages ago that your instructor/club is now not doing, yet you would still love to do?  If so, why not request it and see what happens.
As for carrying all the CD's, yes you certainly have a point there.  If a dance   I taught three years ago is requested and I don't have that particular CD with me, all I do is say I will bring it the next week - problem solved!
Regards,
Lynne

(28th Sept)
Don't you think that if you spend the whole evening dancing unpopular dances, the other dancers would get bored?

Katrina Whatling
Sutton

Katrina, I'm not suggesting `unpopular' dances should be danced all evening.  The point I am making is that if a dancer is going to learn a dance, he/she should feel confident that if it turns out to be `an unpopular' dance for whatever reason, in other words the majority don't like it, it should not stop the minority dancing it.
Lynne

(28th Sept)
I do get fed up learning all these dances and then after a few weeks they are not danced again.  I would rather go through the old ones than learn hundreds of new ones.  A bit fed up I am.

Allan Kiernan
Dorset

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Last modified: 15 February 2001