Reviews – December 2007/January 2008
Big Dave – Leicestershire
Awesome Linedancing
My Dance of the Month
Those Applebottom Jeans (Joey Warren)
Important Note : The scores below are my own assessment – They take into account class feedback/reaction – But ultimately they are my own view – To see the class scores check out my Dances Taught pages & see a rating out of 5 from the dancers themselves – We agree most times – But not always !!
Electric Dreams (Chrissie Hodgson)
Phil Oakey (Together In Electric Dreams)
Intermediate
Dance 9 Music 10
64/4
A great mainstream dance to a classic track that just makes you wanna dance – It flows really well – Was really taken by this one when Chrissie taught it at the British Masters – The Tuesday Mainline class love it as much as I do & I know it was a hit too when Arline taught it at Worlds – Really like the opening sequence of sailor steps & turns & the heel/hold switches …….... Mainline – It’s Electric … Dreams !!! J
Touch Me Like That (Maggie Gallagher)
Dannii Minogue (Touch Me Like That)
Intermediate
Dance 9 Music 9
64/4
This was the hit dance of the day at our Bristol New Years Bash with Maggie – A CT Girl sort of dance – A big hit on the day & really well received by the Tuesday class afterwards – More so by the more Pop/Mainline element of the class – Really cool Wizzard Steps into the very different & equally cool Side/Hold/Sailor sequence – Best of all the Cross/Hold/Hinge-Turns towards the end – Neat & different – One of my Mainline favourites this month & sure to be a class Top 10 dance.
Sexy Love (Shaz Walton)
Ne-Yo (Sexy Love)
Intermediate
Dance 9 Music 9
32/4
A West Coast beat written with a cha cha feel makes this dance cool & different – Popular teach for Shaz at our Sunday-Out – A hit teach for me at Worlds (& Phoenix) – And the Wednesday Newline class enjoyed it too when M.T.Groove taught it for me whilst I was away – Shaz also did it with the Tuesday late-birds who also enjoyed it – Love the Cat Walk Turn into the quick mambos & the back cross shuffle section – Really nice dance ………. Shaz will be at Worlds herself in January 2009 – Have a think about joining in next years event at the new Orlando Disney Hotel venue – Double awesome !!
Rock & A Smooth Place (Rob Fowler)
Gary Moore (The Hurt Inside)
Intermediate
Dance 8 Music 8
32/4
This was another of my World teaches which I was pleased was well received – As it was at the British Masters where Rob taught it – Cool stuff with a neat Back/Drag start & Anchor/Ball-Cross sequence – It was also at the British Maters that Paul taught his West Coast I’m Movin’ On which was also well received at Worlds – Smooth West Coasts are especially popular in the States – The Wednesday class liked both these dances.
Break The Ice (Teresa & Vera)
Britney Spears (Brake The Ice)
Intermediate
Dance 9 Music 9
64/4
A cool funky dance – One of these on the Mainline/Newline boarder being enjoyed by all who like a bit of funky pop – This was a popular teach for me at a workshop I did on my vacation in Tucson & one I wanted to do at Worlds but did not get enough spots !! L …….. M.T.Groove taught it to the Newliners whilst I was away & they enjoyed it – Flows well & fits the track well – It was written for me & Pauline which was something special from our good friends T&V – Thanks xx
Candlelight (M.T.Groove)
DJ Sammy (Heaven)
Intermediate
Dance 10 Music 9
40/4
We had a great time at our first Newline Sunday-Out of the year, where M.T.Groove released another awesome Nightclub to add to the ever increasing list of popular Nightclubs these days – A really beautiful/smooth track/dance & this one has truly been a huge hit with the Newline crowd in January – Lovely spiral, spin & coaster/collapse sequences but I especially like the very different turn/kick/run move in the middle – Class steps for sure – Also a hit teach by MT at Bossyboots Newline weekend in January – I taught MT’s X-It Out at Worlds, an awesome funky dance – MT don’t write many dances, but the ones they do are great – More important than that though they are lovely ladies & amongst our very best friends.
My Baby You (Paul McAdam)
Marc Anthony (My Baby You)
Intermediate
Dance 10 Music 9
32/2
Another Nightclub – This one back from Sue’s Xmas Party day where Paul was the guest choreographer – The Wednesday gang were impressed with this one at Sue’s, so it was an easy choice for my first Newline teach of the year – Another class dance from Paul in the same league as the likes of Stay Forever & Careless Whisper – Classics – Another lovely track & some neat different moves – Looking forward to Paul starring alongside Scott & Guyton at our Leeds Newline weekend in September.
Slow Down (Paul McAdam)
Bobby Valentino (Slow Down)
Intermediate/Advanced
Dance 9 Music 9
32/4
A funky one from Paul – Another from his day at Sue’s – And Niels taught it at Sues funky weekend in January too – The Wednesday class liked this one – Very tricky timing but very different steps too – Well worth the effort for sure – Cool Hip/Bump ½ Turn & a neat Swivet/Double-Swivet sequence – Especially cool (& tricky !!) is the 12&34 count in each section, which each time count 3 is a hold.
Lovers Prayer (Mark & Jan Caley)
Robin Gibb (Alister Griffin)
Intermediate
Dance 9 Music 10
78/4
An awesome dance/track – First saw this one danced at our Skegness weekend at the beginning of December, where after some danced it the rest wanted to learn it & Andrew squeezed it into the teach schedule …… Then Shaz taught it to the Tuesday Mainliners when I was away & it’s a current favourite now for sure with them – Just lately some of the Newline crowd saw it at a social & asked for it too – I taught it at the Wednesday Newline class this month & they enjoyed it – Love the Hestitation/Rock sequence & the slow turns – Great stuff from Mark & Jan.
Only U (Andrew, Simon & Sheila)
Keith Urban (Only You)
Easy Intermediate
Dance 8 Music 8
32/2
A lovely classic country cha cha – Different Cross/Touch & Heel/Pop finish – This was another hit teach for Andrew at our Skegness weekend & for me too at a workshop I did in Phoenix over the holidays & the Beginner/Improver class enjoyed it here too this month – A perfect easy intermediate cha cha dance for the country fans – Looking forward to working with Andrew & Sheila this weekend in Scarborough where they are releasing another great new mainstream dance.
Prison Break (Rachael McEnaney)
The Blues Brothers (Jailhouse Rock)
Easy Intermediate
Dance 9 Music 9
64/4
Great version of this Elvis track but faster – Once you’ve got the dance & mastered the speed, the dance hits the beat really well & you can give it some cool styling – It’s more Intermediate than Easy-Intermediate – Well cool – Especially Strut/Rock start, the Hestitation/Drag & the Lindy Rock/Kicks – Great stuff – The class love it & really well received at Worlds where both Rachael & Robbie taught it at different times during the week – Rachael has a couple of great new Newline style dances out that I’ll be looking at for sure, a West Coast & a Cha Cha – Looking forward to Rachael being our guest star at our July Sunday-Out – Always a treat to work & dance with Rachael.
Boom Boom Boom (Ross Brown)
Carlitos (El Bum-Bum)
Intermediate
Dance 8 Music 8
48/4
A lot teaching this one around & about during December & a lot of the class had picked this one up elsewhere – A few asked for a recap – And a few for a teach – So we did a quick teach of this one late one night – A fun dance that makes good use of the music – Brings out the smiles & everyone had fun with it.
Amor De Hielo (Debbie Ellis)
David Civera (Amor De Hielo)
Intermediate
Dance 9 Music 9
64/4
It’s a while since we did one of these beaty latin sort of things & this one fits the bill spot one – Great dance track – Classic David Civera – And the cha cha dance flows really well – Phrased with easy tags & a restart – Big hit with the Tuesday class – Really cool Modified Monterey sequence – The rest classic stuff but well connected moves – Should be a big hit this one for sure – I’m going to teach it at our Alamo event this weekend !! J
Sea Salt Sally (Kate Sala)
Rick Guard (Sea Salt Sally)
Easy Intermediate
Dance 8 Music 8
96/4
This was a hit when Kate taught it back at our Morecambe weekend in November & lot’s dancing it at Worlds – I’d just not got round to teaching it before the holidays even though a few had requested it – Even more requested it when I got back because it was big out & about on the local social scene, so I caught up with this one in January – It’s a cool two-step to a catchy track & the class enjoyed this one too – Neat Rock/Touch/Heel sequence in the middle – The rest classic enjoyable & easy two step moves.
Cruising On A Summer Night (Teresa & Vera)
Rick Guard (Cruising On A Summer Night)
Improver/Easy Intermediate
Dance 9 Music 9
32/4
Picked the Easy Intermediate version of this dance but did it with the Beginner/Improvers – Took a while longer than normal with the Mambos & the Curtsy-Turn/Rock/Turn/Cross but it was worth it – Neat moves – Cool track – And the Improvers a great feeling of achievement as well as enjoying the dance – A big hit teach & my favourite Beginner/Improver dance of the month.
White Rose (Gaye Teather)
Toby Keith (White Rose)
Improver
Dance 9 Music 8
36/4
Neat country two step – Another big hit with the Beginner/Improvers this month – Cool 2 x ½ Pivots into a Scissor/Cross in the middle & neat Rumba Box/Sailor Turn to finish – A perfect country dance for Improvers.
She’s A Firecracker (Sylvia Schell)
Josh Turner (Firecracker)
Beginner/Improver
Dance 8 Music 9
32/2
Another great Improver country two step – This one a stronger dance beat & faster – The class loved this one too – Picked up on this one when Joanne Brady taught it in the Linedance Lobby at Worlds – Cool Kick/Coaster sequence & slow Pivot/Turn sequence in the middle – Great country & good floor split for Peter & Alison’s Snap, Crackle & Pop.
Beauty & The Beat (Peter & Alison)
Mark Medlock (You Are So Beautiful)
Improver/Easy Intermediate
Dance 8 Music 9
64/4
A cool 64/4 beaty pop cha cha to a great track – Been equally popular with my Improvers & mainline intermediates – Traditional steps that flow really well – I especially like the Moneterey sequence – A teach by Alison at Worlds & a big hit – This was one of Peter & Alison’s new dances, but they also had hit teaches with the likes of You’re My Destiney, Here & Now, Snap Crackle & Pop, Could It Be Forever, Temptation, Cara Mia, After You & Across The Universe.
Dreamin’ (Barry Amato)
Restless Heart (Tell Me What You Dream)
Easy Intermediate
Dance 8 Music 9
32/2
A superb Easy-Intermediate country cha cha that I first saw in Tampa back in November – Barry taught it at Worlds but it was already a huge floor-filler & was so all week – A favourite for sure & top of the list for me for my mainline class which they really enjoyed – Not difficult but some really cool & smooth moves complement the awesome country track – Love the Shuffle-Turn/Sweep-Turn/Weave sequence into a cool step/touch move – Barry also had a big hit at Worlds with a lovely new country nightclub called Where I Belong, one of many nice nightclubs taught including Kate’s Kings & Vagabonds, Rachael’s Big Moments, T&V’s Follow Me Home, Junior’s Too Little Too Late & Michele Perron’s How To Fly.
Reese’s Pieces (Maurice Rowe)
Britney Spears (Piece Of Me)
Intermediate
Dance 7 Music 7
32/4
Christine & I loved this one – The track & some neat steps – But the class were not as keen as us on the track in particular & it was a bit too fast too – I must admit that I struggled with the speed & styling of the Rock/Recover/Crumble sequence & I think it was this bit that put the older generation off maybe – It is a neat dance but maybe it is just for the younger ones (Christine looked cool & insisted that it was a neat dance !! J) – A few around like that & you just have to recognise that as you get older, slower & fatter like me !! L
Bam-A-Lam (Guyton Mundy & Joey Warren)
Ying Yang Twins (Dangerous)
Intermediate
Dance 9 Music 10
64/2
A new release from Guyton & Joey & one of the hits from Worlds weekend for sure – Another cha cha, but this one a fast funky one – Hits the beat really well with some cool moves – I especially like the slow turns – and the ‘slow motion’ step – Cool – A big hit back home with my Newline class – Other popular Newline teaches at Worlds which we’d already done included Paul’s No Diggity, Dan’s Let’s Get Saved, Scott’s Pucker Up, Shaz’s Freaky Skillz & Rachael’s Give It Back ……… And Gyrate & Fuego taught by Rachael as only she could !! J
So Glamorous (Francien Sittrop)