Line Dance Today

A friend and neighbor got me interested in Line Dancing about 15 years ago and it has become my favorite past time and exercise routine.  So much so that I took over being the volunteer dance instructor at our community Club House in our old neighborhood in Florida.  I thought moving to Middle Tennessee and being so close to Nashville, that it would be an easy process of getting a line dance class established.  That has proven to be more difficult than I anticipated.

I am currently the resident Instructor at a great family place, Murph’s Country Music Barn in Cedar Hill, TN. This is a great location and right about midway between Nashville and Clarksville.  The Barn has a Saturday Night Dance with live band and Dance class from 6:30 to 7:30 pm then review of the class during the first band break.

I am happy to announce that starting in September; Austin Peay University will include a beginner class in their Adult Education program open to the community and students. I am fortunate to be a part of this start up program as the Instructor and the plan is to move it through the initial six week program so we can expand to having a beginner and Intermediate program.

You mention Line Dancing and the first thing people say is they don't like Country Western Music or they just don't get into line dancing.  Well, once they see that we dance to everything from Country to Gospel, they tend to think a little differently.

A Line Dance is a choreographed dance with a repeated sequence of steps in which a group of people dance in one or more lines or rows without regard for the gender of the individuals, all facing the same direction, and executing the steps at the same time. Line dancers are not in physical contact with each other.  The earliest folk dances in many cultures were line dances, originating before social proprieties allowed men and women to dance together in couple dances. In early forms men and women often danced in separate lines, but the same dances are often done today in mixed lines.

The Balkan countries, among others, have a rich tradition of line dance surviving to the present. These folk line dances are also performed in the International Folk Dance movement. Folk line dances have many forms: pairs of lines in which the dancers face each other, or a line formed into a circle, or the line follows a leader around the dance floor. The dancers may hold hands with their neighbors, or use an arm-on-shoulder hold, or hold their neighbor's belts.

Although line dancing is associated with country-western music and dance, it has similarities to folk dancing. Many folk dances are danced in unison in a single, nonlinear "line", and often with a connection between dancers. The absence of a physical connection between dancers is, however, a distinguishing feature of country western line dance.

Line dances have accompanied many popular music styles since the early 1970s including pop, swing, rock and roll, disco, Latin, gospel, waltz, polka and Jazz just to name a few styles.

Thanks to choreographers, like Bill Bader, Max Perry, Jo Thompson, Scott Blevins and others, that began to use ballroom rhythms and technique to take line dancing to the next level. Today, you can find line dancing groups all over the world and line dance competition and workshops as well.  This is partly due the great Choreographers/Instructors such as Jamie Marshall, John Robinson, Guyton Mundy, Rachael McEnaney, Rob Fowler, Rona Kaye, Stella Cabeca, Jo Kisner and Ira Weisburd just to name a few of the great people that promote and spread the joy of dancing to the local and world-wide masses.

There are now groups forming that promote line dancing as a way to help decrease cholesterol, high blood pressure as well as weight control.  So you see Line Dancing is not the good ole country steppin you thought it was, there are moves to keep your heart rate up and it’s a great way to meet new friends. Get out there and get those feet and hips moving to the groove.

Keep Dancin’ Larry B

 

Line Dance Class Established

I have been in Clarksville, TN for little over a year and marketing myself as a Line Dance Instructor. I have put myself in front of everyone I could to establish a line dance class.  I thought moving to an area 45 minutes from Nashville; I would find lots of classes to take for myself and instructors in the area that would be able to give me advice on how to establish oneself in the area.

This was not the case; I could not find one class being taught in the Clarksville area. Now if you want to take a Zumba class they are everywhere but no dance classes.  I was fortunate to connect with some ladies through my sister’s softball team that assisted in introducing me to the folks at the Clarksville Athletic club. I was able to provide class there for four months with all proceeds going to the Cancer Society.  As they say when one door closes another opens.

I had been to the Parks and Recreational Department numerous times with my flyer, business card and copy of my liability insurance. I was either there at the wrong time of year, wrong time due to a city function or vacation issues.  Finally, I received a call from Melissa at the P & R department. After our first meeting, I was in the door and picking out the room to hold my class.

If not for the encouragement of my mentor, Stella Cabeca, I might have just given up on pursuing my goal of establishing my own class. Stella was instrumental in providing me with how to set up a class, how to approach the Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department and how to get a beginner’s class off the ground.

Now I have a new flyer with a location and start date for my new International Line Dance class in Clarksville, TN.  I am moving ahead with developing the first few weeks of classes.  I am busy printing the step sheets and downloading the music.  For the next couple of weeks, I will be hitting the road again to local store owners to request posting my new flyer. I have one store owner that has not only agreed to post in her window but requested flyers to use as stuffers in her customers purchase bags.  That particular shop owner has even got her whole staff interested in taking my class. Now that is what I call local support.

Here is to a great 2013 and a big bear hug/thank you to all those who has supported me.

Keep Dancin’  LB

Dancing into 2013

It has been a great two months here in Clarksville, TN. We have moved into our new home and have everything completed as far as the house itself is concern.  We have also had our first visitors from Florida and we hope they had an enjoyable time at the Orchard Hills B & B.

I have been busy not only with work and setting up the house but have had a great gig at the Clarksville Athletic Club teaching Line Dancing. The last group that attended my classes has requested private classes which I will start holding on Tuesday evening at the house. We are going to utilize Paul’s half of the Man Cave for these private classes.  This should be a great experience and gives me the chance to learn new dances along with this group.

The newest group of students at the Athletic Club promise to be a lot of fun as well. I have a group of young ladies that are really into dancing.  My favorite is going to be a young lady about 10 years old that wears red high top tennis shoes with hot pink laces.  She was so much fun this week and of course, after class demonstrated her tumbling abilities as well doing back flips across the floor. Now I wonder if I can get that choreographed into a dance...

I am currently working with the Oak Grove, KY Community Center regarding establishing a class or classes with their program director. She wants to introduce more variety of classes to the local community there in Oak Grove.  I have also been in communication with the manager of the Electric Cowboy, the local night club.  I will continue to market the local clubs to establish a permanent location for my classes. 

It has been difficult to get established in a permanent location to conduct my dance class but I know that 2013 is going to be a promising year. I have students now that will spread the word and along with my continue persistence in promoting myself, LB’s Line Dance Class will become a reality.

Here is to a great 2013.

Keep Dancin’ LB

Yahoo!

New Beginnings

Yahoo!

Nearly 11 months ago, Paul and I made the decision that it was best for us and family to relocate to Clarksville, TN. After much discussion and mental anguish, I approached my boss to request a transfer and was rewarded with the knowledge that she was not about to lose me to another State or office. So with the security of being employed remotely, we put the house on the market, thinking we might have to leave and deal with a long distance sale. Fortunately, that was not the case and the Florida house sold in two days.

So with a month to pack, deciding what went with us in our two vehicles and what would be placed in storage, our path was clear to make the final move to Tennessee. We had purchased the Little Condo on the Bluff a couple of years prior as our getaway location and now it would be our new home.

The Condo is a great little house, quiet and peaceful but the goal of moving to Tennessee was to eventually convince Dad it was time to retire and that we wanted him to live with us. Dad is the only surviving parent that my sister, Paul and I have and it is our goal to ensure he takes care of himself. So even though we loved living in the condo, it was not going to be our ultimate location.

After spending months roaming Montgomery County, we looked at multiple re-sells but no matter what we liked it was going to take thousands to make it suitable for ourselves. Our wonderful realtor passed on a link regarding a new subdivision approximately 3 miles from the condo. After touring the spec. homes in the community we found the perfect model. It had a Dad Suite and a bonus room that we could convert into 2 man caves. Plus starting from the ground up we could make all the modifications that we wanted from the start.

So after 5 months, we are now in the Orchard Hills house. We have spent the week moving, unpacking and purchasing to our bodies and credit card are totally exhausted. We are now awaiting the delivery of the Florida Storage and few items that we had to order to arrive. The Dad Suite is nearly complete and now the real work of convincing the Old Missouri Mule to think about retiring will begin in earnest.

Clarksville has become our new home town and we could not be happier. A new home, new neighborhood and starting Monday September 10^th; Larry B resurfaces with an International Line Dance class at the Clarksville Athletic Club. It is always stressful starting out on a new beginning but having family and support from friends it has been a great adventure. Granted it is one we do not plan to do again, Clarksville is the final stomping ground.

Till next time, LB.

Working the City of Clarksville, Tennessee

I am lucky to have a great Boss, who allowed me to take a PTO day, today. Thanks Elaine...

I spent the majority of the day traversing the City of Clarksville, Tennessee.  International Line Dance Flyer and business cards in hand, I worked my way from Ajax Senior Center to the YMCA.  I have a tendency to be a stubborn Missouri mule with a single mindset to accomplish an objective. Currently, that objective is to establish at least one line dance class of my own in Clarksville.

Although I did not finalize a host for a class today, I did get my name is out there and my goal is known. The Senior Center has a Tuesday night class taught by a physical therapist from Ft. Campbell, I will meet with her in March and see if we can work together at the center.  The proceeds for this class go to help the center with operating cost. So this would be a great way to give back to the community.

Melissa at the Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department was encouraging.  They currently do not have a program but she thought it was a great opportunity for the 2012 calendar. She was in budget discussions this week and would discuss with her department. She stated she would have one of the staff contact me in within the next two weeks to discuss the possible opportunity.

The YMCA was more receptive today, especially since I informed them at present, I am not interested in being compensated but looking to establish myself here in Clarksville.  This time I got a business card and a promise that my information would be given to Amanda, the Executive Program Director.  So I will see if I get a call back from Amanda or this Missouri Mule will be making a call next week.

The Rainbo Roller Rink is still a possibility but not until summer. They have a Rhumba class and do special projects for Special Olympics and feel they just don’t have the space to start a Line Dance Class at this time. They would be interested after school is out and advised that if they could get a feel for the type of response they would get from hosting a Dance Class, then it could be a summer program. I will put this information on LineDanceNews.com in the next week to get the word out.

Over all I feel good about the day’s activities. I will continue to work on researching other locations to investigate for possible host locations for a dance class.  The one accomplishment for the day is I am not a registered voter in the Great State of Tennessee.  Till Next time... LB