Reviews – February 2016
Big Dave – North East UK
Awesome Linedancing
My Dance of the Month
Newline : Go To Work
Mainstream : Stand By You
Easy : Making History
Beginner/Improver : Hey Hey Hallelujah
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 !!
Slamming Doors (Rob Fowler)
Ben Haenow (Slamming Doors)
48/4Intermediate
Music 10 Dance 10
A lovely classy & classic waltz to an awesomesmooth track - One of the buzz dances of the moment for sure & in the Top 10 of all my recent events, along with Save The Day & Ain't Misbehavin' - It was a buzz at the Awards just as Shades Of Passion was the year before - Rob did a great job as guest choreographer at the Maggie G Experience & we are looking forward to having him with us at Just Dance Newcastle in July 2017 - And he's another making a welcome return to Eurodance in 2018, as is Rachael :-)
Making History (Dee, Simon & Craig)
One Direction (History)
32/2Easy Intermediate
Music 10 Dance 9
Really cool syncopation that hits the neat rolling beat- Love this track so I was sold immediately - And loads doing it too - A floor filler at our recent Scarborough & Southport weekends - It 'rolls' easy with no (a) steps so is slow too - Just let the feet do the easy/cool work & get singing along with One Direction - If it is Craig's last dance it is a little bit of history for him !!! :-)
We Wanna Dance (Maggie Gallagher)
Alexandra Stan (We Wanna Dance)
48/4Intermediate
Music 8 Dance 9
Catchy upbeat Samba beat & a class Maggie G pop dance - Lot's dancing it at Maggie's Southport weekend as you would expect - And check out her new one released there called I'll Be Alright - Looking forward to working with Maggie next in Folkestone in September, a little Maggie & Dave south coast do at the Southcliff :-)
Whip It (Rachael McEnaney-White & Shane McKeever)
Lunchmoney Lewis (Whip It)
64/2 Advanced
Music 10 Dance 10
A wow racy funky East Coast dance with loads of attitude - An immediate new late-bird favourite - Great Newline fun "whip it whip it" - And yes the 'whip it' sequence is the hook to this dance for sure :-) Love the easy cool funky V step style opening too, the funky lock step back, the hip dips & not least the roll/taps into the full turn ending - Newline awesome :-) Great to see Shane making good with his choreography too, another rising star Newliner :-)
Remedy (Niels Poulsen & Maria Maag)
Adele (Remedy)
PhrasedAdvanced
Music 10 Dance 10
A classy/cool/smooth rolling-8 phrased dance that works the beat a dancing treat - Tricky timing on the slow beats, because it is 54bpm slow, then of course speeded up frequently with a cool mix of 1a2 and 1&a2 timing - One for the Newline epic league - It flows & turns lovely - I especially like syncopated rocks ending Part A - And in Part B the opening into the pose/slide 'Witness' style slide & the rolling 4a5, 6a7,8a1 ending - The tags too off course are a star of the show that make the whole dance like one long cool rolling routine :-) Look forward to seeing you both at Eurodance & then Newline too :-)
Love Life (Alison & Peter)
Take That (Lovelife)
32/4Improver
Music 8 Dance 8
A catchy cool pop Cha for the Take That fans - Well received at the Awards in Peter's workshop - Ideal to bring on your Improvers in style :-)
Overloading (Gary O'Reilly)
Life Of Dillon (Overload)
64/2Intermediate
Music 9 Dance 9
A cool pop Cha dance to the debut release from this new London band - A hit teach for Gary at the Awards - Great to see Gary on the up - He willbe at Eurodance in June & Maggie's guest choreographer in Port Talbot next February - They have just released another fun beginner together called Boogaloo which we enjoyed at Southport - A classic 70's disco beat one :-)
Strip It Down (Rachael-McEnaney-White)
Luke Bryan (Strip It Down)
32/4Intermediate
Music 10 Dance 9
Awesome country & another lovely Nightclub from Rachael with some cool/different sequences - The hook is the awesome country track :-)
Cake By The Ocean (Scott Blevins)
DNCE (Cake By The Ocean)
Phrased Advanced
Music 10 Dance 10
A really funky cool phrased West Coast - Cool & different steps & great phrasing that works the beat well &easy enough to crack & another immediate late-bird hit - Nev gave me a 'private' teach of this at the Awards - Now there's a memory to keep - Two styling masters together lol !!! :-) Part A is packed with cool steps & Part B is funky attitude fun - And I just love the way we get a breather with an easy but still cool vine tag, the 2nd one with the bonus of a cool jazz jump - Awesome dance :-) This will be a floorfiller in the Newline room at Eurodance with Scott, as will be his Nightclub Lover Come Back :-)
Hey Hey Hallelujah (Rob Fowler & Co)
Rachel Patten (Hey Hey Hallelujah)
32/4Improver
Music 8 Dance 8
Catch West Coast gospel fun - Can you resist the "Hallelujah" arms !! :-)Cool tap/press in the opening & twist/twist sequence - Everyone enjoyed this at Southport, as they did his Tangled Up (Advanced West Coast Country) & Jumpin' In The Morning (A 'House Of Blue Lights' style Jive from Jools & Ruby) - Check those out next :-)
Slip Away (Karl & Daniel)
Bill Crawford (Never Let Her Slip Away)
64/2 Easy Intermediate
Music 9 Dance 9
I really like this one - A cool easy smooth Cha dance to a classic song - Have a singalong "never let it slip away"- Cool opening vine with cross touches & a neat smooth figure of 8 style turn with a sway in the middle & I especially like the diagonal ending sequence - Great collaberation from Karl & Daniel who are both on a roll these days :-)
About Feelings (Ria Vos)
Eric Church (Mixed Drink About Feelings)
32/2Intermediate
Music 10 Dance 10
Another lovely smooth country Nightclub from Ria - Awesome track & great to see this one on the up & heading for the hit Ria Nightclub league like so many before it -Really like the diagonal mambo/touch in the opening sequence & the cool sweep ball step into the end sequence - A Top 10 hit for sure :-)
Pop That Lock (Karl-Harry Winson)
Adam Lambert (Pop That Lock)
64/4Intermediate
Music 10 Dance 10
Catchy funky popCha - A Rock This Factor/Hit The Base style of dance - Loads dancing this one in Southport, so I'm thinking another Top 10 contender for sure - Looking forward to working with Karl down in Torquay & our Bournemouth New Years Eve weekend too :-) Great syncopated opening rocks with a 1/2 turn, fun camel walks & an action packed diagonal funky ending with a pop/push, heel turn & kick/dip/touches :-)
Love Me Down (Fred Whitehouse)
Jason Derulo (Love Me Down)
Phrased HigherIntermediate
Music 9 Dance 9
Funky West Coast beat- Phased but easy enough & a hit teach for Fred at the Awards - Although phrased it's easy enough - It's all in the styling !! lol :-) Fun C-Bumps in Part A & something different with the hip/dips into triple turn in Part B - And a nice easy attitude tag too :-)
Ignite The Light (Alison & Peter)
Belle Lawrence (Firework)
64/4Intermediate
Music 9 Dance 9
A great dance mix cover of Firework & another cool beaty pop Cha from A&P - Classic mainstream intermediate - I like the attitude holds scattered through the dance & the heel/ball/side opening - The trade mark 'Toaster' is in there too :-)Great to have A&P back with us at Eurodance 2018 - I know, a lifetime away but it takes a long lead time to get 30+ great choreographers together :-)
Stand By You (Maggie Gallagher)
Rachel Patten (Stand By You)
60/2Advanced
Music 10 Dance 10
An awesome track &smooth dance in the Superhero league - Better in my view & a huge hit with class - Don't let Advanced put you off it's more solid intermediatePlus - One of my current favourites for sure & another hit teach for Maggie at Southport, although many already knew it - Hope it's a stayer for 2016 as Superheroes was in 2015 - Love the diagonal sequence, the rise/kick into the run, the 'Wom Bom Bom' walk/run around - It's a class dance & surely a contender already for Advanced Dance Of The Year - Awesome dance :-)
Go To Work (Joey Warren)
Tim Omaji (Go To Work)
PhrasedIntermediate
Music 10 Dance 10
A classic Joey funky dance - Works an awesome track spot on -Closer toAdvanced I'd say - I just love the bouncy funk 'pony steps' - A busy funky Newline workout - More of this for Eurodance Joey please - Looking forward to hooking up with Joey again at the Xperience in Orlando & Portland in April - Bring it on :-)
Plastic Pretty (Ria Vos)
Cam (Country Ain't Never Been Pretty)
64/2Intermediate
Music 8 Dance 9
A funky/rockin' country West Coast - A must for the modern intermediate country fans surely - The music definitely grows on you - I was not sure at first for me & my gang but I love the track & the reliable Ria choreography shines through - Love the heel drag sequence into the wizard/bounces which are quite cool & different, the 'caught In The Act' style kick ball crosses into the 'Maggie G' style touch & heel attitude ending - Great country dancing !! :-) ..... Just wish they would not sing "horse shit", we hear much worse of course but for some reason this sounds a touch razor sharp !!
Them Girls (Ria Vos & Simon Ward)
Ayryn (Them Girls)
32/4Intermediate
Music 9 Dance 9
A catchy upbeat funky/pop Two-Step beat & an easy but really cool dance that hits the beat spot on- Cool funky syncopated opening into a neat jump/sweep/turn (Knees permitting lol !!) - Neat sailor/cross dip but I especially like the diagonal ball/step/cross ending that especially hits the beat - Excited to be having Ria at Newcastle in July :-)
Wearing Your Jeans (Neville & Julie)
Grace (Boyfriend Jeans)
32/2Intermediate/Advanced
Music 10 Dance 10
Another lovely smooth Nightclub from N&J - And an awesome track - Love it - Every bit as good as Slam Goes The Door - Lovely circular weave, some quick rocks like in Strip It Down & I especially like sailor 1/2 into the ball/coaster & pencil - And the back mambo/run-turn ending - A little tricky but cool - A plug to come & start the new year with us & N&J in Newcastle mid-January - Then again in April in Carlisle ...... And the Maggie G fans will have a great time with them too at the Experience in Southport in March :-)
Let's Get Weird (Alison & Peter)
Little Mix (Weird People)
64/2Intermediate
Music 9 Dance 10
A really cool & differentmainstream funky/pop Cha in the Black Magic league- Please check this one out - Not read much about it & I fear it's a cracking dance that is being missed - Love the funky knee lifts - Great Little Mix track - Talking about Little Mix check out Maggie G's Secret Love, a big hit in Southport & already nudging up the charts :-)
Listen (Guyton Mundy & Fred Whitehouse)
David Guetta (Listen)
Phrased Advanced
Music 10 Dance 10
Epic & hard work but so worth it - Another mix of a lovely smoothNightclub Part A & upbeat fast & funky Part B - It's another Newline classic - If you can do it you'll love it - Say no more !!! :-)