Last Saturday, 4th March, I found myself making my now fairly regularly pilgrimage to Woodstock where this time we were joined by the fantastic Gary O'Reilly as the guest choreographer for the evening. We had a great time and learnt some of Gary's latest dances as well as dancing some of his recent hits and the classic ones too.
As always here is the full line up of dances taught with the video footage I took on the day and a link to the script for your easy viewing pleasure.
Paddy's Choir
Gary's first teach was his dance Paddy's Choir. It's a 32 count, 4 wall beginner dance which he choreographed with Maggie Gallagher to a very irish tune (perfect for St Patrick's day) called Place in the choir by Patrick Feeney. The dance is fairly quick paced and reminds me of an Irish jig and the music itself is in the very typical Irish folk music style that us line dancers know and love. At 32 counts the dance is quite short and is quite easy to pick up, there are a few tags consisting of runs but you can hear them in the music - during the chorus when the lyrics state 'All gods creatures have a place in the choir....' you know a tag is coming and its a very straightforward one too. All in all a fun little dance which at todays date is currently 58th in the beginners chart and very likely to be in the top 10 of that chart soon I think.
To view the script on Linedancer Magazine's website please click here
I've uploaded the video now to youtube and you can view it below.
Light it up
Before I tell you anything about this dance I just wanted to let you know that this was my favourite of the five we did and I absolutely loved it. Out of all the dances we did this is the one that I'm really hoping to do again, I loved dancing it - it's a great song (one you can sing to) and a fun one you can dance and put your own stamp on. It's a 64 count, 4 wall intermediate line dance choreographed to "Light it up" by Marcus & Martinus featuring Samantha J. The music is a latino style eurobeat track perfect for the summer with steps that go really well, I particularly like the syncopated steps throughout and the flick which you can see below. I think this will be one of the dances of the summer. Unfortunately I can't find the script yet anywhere but as soon as it's available I will add the link below :-)
In the meantime here is the video for your viewing pleasure:
Nancy Mulligan
It seems you can't go anywhere now without hearing an Ed Sheeran record whether that be on the television, on the radio or on the internet, so I wasn't surprised to hear that Gary had choreographed a dance to one of the tracks on the new album. Nancy Mulligan was choreographed with Maggie Gallagher, it is a 32 count, 4 wall improver dance to Ed's song of the same name. It's a fantastic dance, I particularly love the stomp, toe heel together sequence and also the scuff hitch cross - all of which kind of remind me of Riverdance. There is one restart in the dance but it's on the first wall so you get it out of the way nice and early and you can hear it in the music too. This dance is already doing very well as the most viewed dance on Copperknob and with a current position of 26 in the Linedancer Magazine improver chart, I have a strong feeling that this dance will soon be up in the top ten.
Gary also taught 'Love Remains' which I understand he first taught at this year's Crystal Boot Awards but it was my first experience of seeing this dance. It's very different from the first three dances that Gary taught, it's a much slower track for one and a completely different syle of dance too. It's a 48 count, 2 wall intermediate dance to 'Love Remains' by Hillary Scott and The Scott Family. The track is a very beautiful country track which you can enjoy listening and watching as you will see below. It is one you have to think about though when you're dancing and there are a couple of tags. It is very popular at the moment though and is currently number 3 in the Linedancer Magazine intermediate charts and at joint 6th in the Linedancer top 50 charts.
To watch the video I've uploaded to Youtube please see below
Love on the weekend
Our last teach was 'Love on the weekend', a 64 count, 4 wall, improver line dance to a nice country track (exact details to come soon). The dance was choreographed to a track of the same name by John Mayer. It's a lovely dance with a really nice flow to it, the dance goes really well to the music and again it was a bit different to the other dances we did that day so we really did do a mix of everything. I could also imagine seeing this dance being danced to a live band or act.
In the meantime please take a look at the video below:
A belated post that I've been meaning to write for a while. What follows is Richard Palmer's playlist from Friday 30th December 2016 when he performed at Shootin' Stars Line Dance Social at Quedgeley Community Centre.
As always I cannot guarantee that this is a complete list. I write all the dances down but if I've been up dancing continuously through a few songs and I sometimes miss a few when I come back to write them down.
Set 1
Gypsy Queen
This is me
Lay low
Ticket to the blues
Big blue tree
Your loving arms
Jai du boogie
Closer
A little love trip
Take a breather
Mr Mom (all day long)
Some girls
Memphis Love
Set 2
Real deal
Corn don't grow
About feelings
Ribbon of highway
Locklin's bar
So just dance dance dance
Boat to Liverpool
Lamtarra Rhumba
Barn Dance
Tempted
The Bomp
Black Coffee
Thanks for reading! To view all photo's taken on the night please take a look at my facebook page (link on the sidebar to the right)
Just over a month ago I went to a Maggie G Workshop in Oxford but with a very busy couple of weeks (I got engaged!) I have neglected this blog a bit and have only now got round to doing my full write up. So apologies for that.
I'm also going to Legends in Line in Blackpool tonight and I am so excited to see Maggie and all the other legends at the weekend, especially as my ankle's much better now so I can pretty much dance normally again now. So with a great weekend ahead I thought now would be a very good time to write up the last workshop.
This time, Maggie taught 3 dances which were as follows:
Falling for you:
The first dance Maggie taught was 'Falling for you' a 64 count, 2 wall advanced dance choreographed to 'Still falling for you' by Ellie Goulding (and from the Bridget Jones's Baby soundtrack). This was a great dance and I really enjoyed doing this, it flows lovely to the music and when the beat kicks in you really get going on it. The dance has quite a few 'running steps' in, we also see the diamond steps which have been really popular this year and which we also saw in Maggie's Corazon Diamante but they work so well in this dance that I can't imagine doing anything else. The dance does have 2 tags but I found these relatively easy as you can hear them in the music. All in all a great dance which I expect will shortly be climbing the Line Dancer Magazine Charts.
You can view the script on Linedancer Magazine's website by clicking here
You can also view Maggie's video from her Facebook page below.
Boomerang
Maggie's second teach was a 32 count, 4 wall improver dance to 'Boomerang' by Ward Thomas. This is a fun dance to a country track which upon first dancing to I immediately started singing to the very catchy tune (and I guarantee you will too.) The dance is improver level so there is nothing too challenging in it, it also goes fantastically well to the music and I love the way the dance starts with the Stomp and Rock step. There is just the one tag but it is basically just 2 rocking chairs so it is really nothing to worry about.
If you want to view the script on Linedancer Magazine you can click here.
You can also view a video of the dance below.
Where my love goes
Our last teach was 'Where my love goes' to a track of the same name by Lawson (who also were the artists behind another of Maggie's hits 'Roads'). It's a 32 count, 2 wall intermediate line dance and it was my personal favourite out of all the dances taught that day. The track is beautiful, the dance has this lovely flow to it and I particularly enjoy the turns in the dance (they look great too). As with all of Maggie's dances this one also goes fantastically well to the music and the track is a great one to dance too. There are 2 easy restarts and a tag but it's just a sway step so nothing to worry about. As I said this was my favourite dance of the three and the one I'm really hoping I get to do again.
Want to view the script on Linedancer Magazine? Click here.
Or you can view the dance below.
The Sunday workshop was absolutely fantastic and in addition to the above dances we also danced Second Hand Heart which was released here at Woodstock last year. Also with Legends around the corner, we also took the opportunity to dance two of Maggie's classic dances - 'Mony Mony' and 'Na Mara'. I'm really hoping we can do them again this weekend at Legends. It was also really surprising just how many people got up and did them at Woodstock
That's all for today - I hope you enjoyed reading. This blog will be fairly busy over the next few days with updates from Legends in Blackpool and I will let you know what we're learning, what we're dancing and who is there in my next few posts so please stay turned and (wifi permitting) I will let you know what we're getting up to for those who aren't able to join us.
See you on the floor!
Last night, I went to Shootin' Stars social evening in Quedgeley, Gloucester where we were very fortunate to be joined by the lovely Mark Charlton as our live music act for the night. Unfortunately, I'm still not dancing as my sprained ankle is proving to be very slow to heal but I still enjoyed the evening and singing along with Mark (Regular readers might have noted I do that a lot!).
This was the first time I've seen Mark perform and he has a lovely singing voice which you can hear for yourself in my video further down this page. He also has an absolutely beautiful guitar as you can see in the photo above, it's one of the nicest ones and most unique ones I've seen in a live music act.
Back to the music, Mark did two sets during the night with the majority of his songs being from the country genre which his voice also really seems to suit. His sets included both more recent line dance tracks such as heavenly cha and gypsy queen and also some slightly older ones such as half past nothin' and people are crazy which certainly kept the dancers on their toes as they tried to remember them.
Here are all the tracks from Mark's sets:
Set 1:
All week long (Seven nights to rock)
The real deal
Lay low
I wanna dance with you
I see you
Tempted
Half past nothin'
People are crazy
Strip it down
Is it friday yet?
Set 2:
Talk is cheap
Lamtarra rhumba (to Here comes my baby)
Sinatra & Chardonnay
Corn don't grow
Heavenly Cha
Closer
Disappearing Tailights
Messed up in memphis
Vertical expression
Gypsy queen
Triple mix
Boat to liverpool
This is me
High class lady
Big blue tree
Borderline
Before the devil
Places
Honkytonk life
Somebody like you
Memphis love
If you'd like to see Mark singing, here is a video I took of him performing 'Places I've never been'.
I had a really lovely time last night, there was a really nice atmosphere, lots of dancing and I enjoyed listening to Mark sing. I just hope that next time I will get the chance to dance to his performance so I can enjoy it even more. Thank you Mark and also thank you to John & Jackie of Shootin' Stars for a great evening as always.
A little later than planned - today's post details all the line dances taught in the day workshops at our Live laugh line dance weekend in Bracklesham Bay last weekend. The workshops featured some of the biggest names in line dancing - Rob Fowler, Dee Musk, Vikki Morris, Peter Metelnick and & Alison Biggs.
Below you will find details of each dance taught in the order we were taught them (the choreographers all took it in turn to teach their dances). I have attached scripts and videos for each one (where available) along with a write up on my own personal thoughts on each dance.
Day 1
Drift Away
The first dance which we did was 'Drift Away'. It's a lovely little dance to a country track by Nathan Carter but with a fairly quick tempo. None of the dance steps are particularly difficult and I particularly like the stomp stomp swivet steps in it as well. This dance goes really well to the music and its very catchy too so you will find yourself humming to it long after you've learnt it.
Dance Details 32 Count, 4 Wall Improver to 'Drift Away' by Nathan Carter choreographed by Rob Fowler
Our next dance was Dee's new dance Black and White, This dance is so beautiful to watch, I really can't wait to learn it once I'm up dancing properly again. I love the 1/4 twist right and back again in the first step it looks so graceful, especially when Dee dances it, the sway steps also work really well and the turns go so beautifully with the music. The track is so lovely too - I've already downloaded it however the version in the video below is actually sung by Nikki Napier of Calico (wish I could have her version as well) and I think she sings it better than the track I downloaded. Dance Details
48 Count, 2 wall Advanced dance, 'Black and White' by The Shires choreographed by Dee Musk. Script:Black and White My video:
Moon Trance
Rob's second teach was 'Moon Trance' and I have to say there were elements of this that realy reminded me of 'Coastin' and 'Pot of gold' so if you like those dances like I do, you will probably like this. I wasn't sure about the music on this one but the more I hear it the more I like it. The dance itself is good too and if it wasn't for the turns I think an improver dancer would be able to manage it. I like the switch steps with the rock backs in the dance however I don't remember ever doing switch steps with a back rock so it takes some getting used. There is one restart on wall 3 at the end of section 4 but it feels like it fits well and the end of section 4 does feel like the end of a section making it easier to go onto the next section.
64 count, 4 wall Intermediate dance, 'Moon
Trance' by Lindsey Stirling Choreographed by Rob Fowler.
Some Girls Will
Vikki's first teach was a fun little dance called
'Some Girls Will', its not been released yet so I can't post the video or
script, but I can guarantee you will all recognise the music and will be
singing along in no time. It's a fairly quick dance and I can't remember what
level (either Improver or Intermediate) and I will confirm these details once I
have them. I do know that this one had no restarts or tags and as dances like
that are very rare nowadays I suspect we will see a lot more of this dance. I for
one would love to have another opportunity to dance it.
Dance Details:
64 Count, 4 wall Improver dance to 'Some girls
won't by Mike Denver choreographed by Vikki Morris.
Alison & Peter's first teach of the weekend was
'You don't know love', it's a 2 wall intermediate dance to a track that is
widely being played on commercial radio at the moment so I'm sure most people
will be familliar with it. I particularly like the start with the dorothy step
(called a wizard step in the script) as it fits the rhythm of the dance and I
think the whole of this dance fits very well to the music. My only concern with
this one is that I will get carried away singing it and will go wrong when I'm
dancing.
64 Count, 2 wall Intermediate dance, 'You don't
know love' by Olly Murs and choreographed by Peter Metelnick & Alison
Biggs.
My Video of Alison and Peter demo (audio now fully muted due to copyright)
Lose yourself in the rhythm
Alison and Peter's second teach was 'Lose yourself in
the rhythm', it's not been released yet so there is no script and no video yet
but as soon as these are available I will add them here. I really liked this
dance, it has a latino rhythm to it and when I was talking to Peter about it
later in the weekend he told me that the music reminded him of the theme tune
to the Sex and the City tv show (which I'm a big fan of) which made me enjoy it
all the more. I really loved the sexy feel of the dance with its slow mambo
step style rocks. Hopefully you can see it for yourself soon, but I for one am
looking forward to when it is fully released.
Dance Details
Script - Not yet released
2 wall intermediate line dance to 'I wanna dance with you' by Stephanie Jones and choreographed by Alison Biggs and Peter Metelnick.
UPDATE 8/9/2016: VIDEO NOW AVAILABLE:
Day
2
The Compass Dance
The first dance taught in our second workshop on
day 2 was 'The Compass Dance', again this one has not yet been released so I
can't publish the video or script and I will also add them here once they are
available. This dance was choreographed to a version of 'Killing me softly', I
grew up with the Fugees version but I really like this one as well and I found
myself singing all the way through this one as well. The dance is called the
compass dance due to the tags in it. There are 4 tags one on each wall and they
are very straight forward and easy to hear in the music. They also follow on
from each other, the first I think was on the front wall, the second at 3pm,
the third at 6pm and the fourth at 9pm. (I may be a wall out as to where the
first tag started and if this is the case I will correct this once the scripts
are released). I did manage to have a go at this one and quite liked it, I look
forward to seeing this one when it is released.
Dance Details
4 Wall, High improver line dance to 'Killing me softly'(Burlesque House edit) by Mo'Jive choreographed by Alison Biggs and Peter Metelnick.
I can't unlove you
My favourite (and the only) waltz of the weekend was this one by Vikki Morris, it is an absolutely beautiful dance with some lovely twinkles, sways and sweeping steps in it. The step kick and half turn waltz steps remind me of 'Midnight Waltz' and the song is such a beautiful one to listen to which I have already downloaded (I love my country ballads). The dance has 2 restarts in but they both seem to fit really well and are quite clear in the music. I don't get to do that many waltzes so I was disappointed not to be able to do this one but I'm really hoping to get an opportunity to do this as it really is beautiful.
Dance Details
Script: I can't unlove you (Copperknob as not yet on linedancer magazine) 96 count, 3 wall intermediate dance to 'Unlove
you' by Jennifer Nettles choreographed by Vikki Morris My Video:
Na Na Na
It's not often that you get to have a go at an AB dance so I jumped hopped at the chance to try this one, Rob Fowler's third teach of the weekend. Its a beginner dance so wasn't difficult at all and is a dance you can have a lot of fun with it and really put your own stamp on it (like you'll see in the video below). Some of the steps in section A are a bit tricky and take some getting used to particularly the syncopated steps after the full walking turn but once you get used to them they do flow more naturally. The music is also really good fun and the band behind the song also did the music for 'Ain't misbehavin'' so you know it's going to be a good track to dance to.
64 Count, AB Dance (Beginner Level) to 'Na Na
Na' by Pentatonix and choreographed by Rob Fowler, Daan Geelan, Ivonne
Verhagen, Giuseppe Scaccianoce & Kate Sala
Video from Youtube:
She wants a cowboy
Dee's final dance taught at the weekend was 'She
wants a cowboy' which as I'm sure you've probably guessed from the title is to
a country track. It's a slightly slower pace than some of the other dances we
did over the weekend and the dance reminds me of 'Blue night cha'. I
particularly like the press and sweep dance step in this one which you don't
very often see in a country style line dance and it really stood out for me. I
didn't find this dance particularly tricky and it is an improver so it is fairly
easy to pick up. There is one restart but you can hear it in the music and you
are facing the front wall anyway so you can just follow your instructor (or in
our case Dee). I definitely think we'll be seeing more of this one.
32 Count, 4 Wall, Improver dance to 'She wants a
cowboy' by Dustin Lynch choreographed by Dee Musk.
Video from Youtube:
Kick a little dirt around
Our last teach of the weekend from Rob was 'Kick a little dirt around' which was co-choreographed with Heather Barton. This is a tricky little dance but I really liked it, it looks great and has some fantastic steps in it. It is fairly quick and it has a 'chorus' & a 'verse' with different steps for each so you do have to concentrate hard on this one. I particularly love the shuffles in each direction on this one and the music is so upbeat and great to dance to. I did try this one in the walk through but I just wasn't upto it at the time, really want to try this one again.
84 count, 4 wall, Advanced dance to 'Kick a
little dirt around' by David Shelby and choreographed by Rob Fowler and Heather
Barton
Video from Youtube:
I hope you enjoyed reading my post.
If you'd like to see the full DJ set lists for
each of the three evenings you can view them by clicking the relevant links
below: Friday Night Saturday Night - CLICK TO WATCH ROB FOWLER DO 'THE BEAST' Sunday Night -
I can't believe I've been home from this fabulous weekend for over a day now and I'm already back at work :-( Like some of the other dancers who have been posting on facebook I also feel exhausted and my voice still has not recovered from all that singing. (My work colleagues keep asking me to repeat myself lol).
Anyway moving on, I'm going to post the playlist from Sunday night which also featured the amazing Richard Palmer (who as you will see from the dance diary tab will be performing at our local club in December). I have some videos of him singing with Glenn Rogers and Nikki Napier which I will upload later in the week, but here is the full setlist from Sunday night.
Max's Set
Skinny Genes
Scotia Samba
Swamp thing
What was I thinking
Messed up in Memphis/Lemon tree
A little bit gypsy
Skip the line
Dear friend
Bossa Nova
We only live once
I see me You don't know love
Richard Palmer Set 1
The real deal
Gypsy Queen
Ticket to the blues
Lamtarra rhumba (to make you sweat)
Your loving arms
Locklin's bar
About feelings
Up
Lay Low
Big blue tree
Ain't misbehavin'
Better when I'm dancin'
Well do ya?
Glen's set
Buy me a rose/vertical expression
Islands in the stream
Drift of a dream
Richard Palmer Set 2
Written in scars
So just dance dance dance
Amazing faith
Heavenly cha
Jai du boogie
Save the day
Tennessee Waltz
Barn dance
Tempted
Just a memory
Dream lover
little red book
Vertical expression
Black coffee
UPDATED - RICHARD PALMER PERFORMS BABY I'M RIGHT (THE REAL DEAL)
EXCLUSIVE DUETS - RICHARD PALMER & NIKKY NAPIER PERFORM
MIXED DRINK ABOUT FEELINGS (ABOUT FEELINGS)
&
UP
Max/Cathy DJ set
The bomp Drift away Black and white The Compass Dance She wants a cowboy I can't unlove you Kick a little dirt around
The flute
Remember when
Titanic
Walk back to me
I may have missed a few or got the name wrong - apologies if this is the case. I will review all posts in daylight later in the week (Probably Thursday) and add my reviews/videos/scripts from the workshops on Saturday and Sunday then as well.
Keep a look out or why not like my FB page (link in sidebar) to receive a notification of when it's available. You can also follow me on Twitter.
Firstly I want to start with an apology.
The internet is slow here and trying to upload a video is very slow going so I will post my videos separately later in the week. This also means that I will also post the workshop videos and reviews later in the week.
Yesterday was a fantastic day topped up by an even better evening. Our live band for the evening was Calico and as you can see from the photo's below, we also had a green and white theme in honor of the chosen charity Macmillian for whom we were fundraising throughout the weekend.
Rob Fowler danced THE BEAST for charity donations to Macmillian which as anyone knows who has seen him before is absolutely brilliant. Take a look at the video and please don't forget to donate if you can.
Our second evening featured the amazing Calico and we had
a green and white theme for Macmillian. Rob Fowler was also good enough to do
the Beast but only for a Macmillian donation – so that’s what we did. I have a
video of him doing it so once I have a better internet connection I will
upload so you can all see it.
Of course we also danced some of the dances we learnt in
the workshops and I have highlighted the relevant dances below – more details
on these will appear later this week.
Here are the DJ set lists for the evening, I managed to do a
few dances despite my ankle injury and so a few dances might be missing a few dances
if I forgot to update my piece of paper when I got back. I think I might be
missing the last few dances of the night too (apologies for that) as we retired
about 5 minutes before the end at 1am. I appreciate some of the dance names might not be quite right - I will also correct these in the week.
Any of my fellow dancers who wish to add any further
dances I missed please add these to the comments below.
Cathy’s Set 1
This & That
Caught in the act
Driven
Come as you are
Solo Amor
All day long (Mr Mom)
Wow Tokyo
Mony Mony
Saltry
Brand new chick
Intrigue
Calico Set 1
Ticket to the blues
Ribbon of highway
Blue night cha
Jai du boogie
Fireball
Telepathy
Heavenly Cha
This is me
Ain’t misbehavin’
Closer
Strip it down
What if I never love again
Just for grins
Islands in the stream
Cathy’s Set 2
Wagon wheel rock
Woman up
Nimby/Cheek to cheek
Run back to me
Rob Fowler Demo – The Beast (for Macmillian)
Shakatak
Its up to you
Throwaway the key
Blue ain’t your colour
NOW ADDED - CALICO PERFORM - BLUE NIGHT (Blue night cha)
Calico set 2
Black and white (Dee’s new dance)
Sinatra & Chardonnay
Save the day
Making history
Lamtarra rhumba
Better when I’m dancing
Uptown funk
So just dance dance dance
Lay low
Gypsy Queen
Locklin's bar
Max’s Set
Doctor Doctor
Some girls will (Vicki’s new dance)
You don’t know love (Alison & Peter’s new dance)
Dance with me tonight
Heartbreak Express
Lightning Polka
Hold your horses
Losing my rhythm (Alison & Peter’s new dance)
Love her for a while
Bossa Nova
Deeply completely
Sexy
Slammin’ Doors
Young Blood
Stop it
Have fun go mad
Black horse
Walkin after midnight
Eternal Secret
We're here! We finally made it.... but I can't dance. I've severely sprained my ankle and been banned from dancing :-(. But I still came and over the next few posts I'm going to tell you all about what I've been getting upto.
I'm going to start by providing our playlist upto midnight on the Friday night which also featured the Outrageous Glenn Rogers performing. Take a look and see how many you know. I've divided the playlist based on who was DJing at the time. We had 2 DJ's Max Beck & Cathy Hodgson in addition to Glenn's set.
Here is what was played:
Max Beck's Set
Save the day
Dear friend
Doctor Doctor
Big blue tree
Something in the water
Somebody like you
So just dance dance dance
Better when I'm dancin'
Pot of gold
About feelings
Thinkin' Country
Hot tamales
Uptown funk
Pop that lock
Bittersweet memory
Shania's moment
Forever & a day
The real deal
2 lane highway
Second hand heart
The Bomp
Feet don't fail me now
Memphis
Raggle Taggle Gypsy Oh
Glenn Rogers Set
Just a memory
Places
Gypsy Queen
Love Trip
Southbound Train
Amazing faith
Sinatra & chardonnay
Lay low
Jai du boogie
Barn dance
Ribbon of highway
Strip it down
Cathy Hodgson's Set
Corazon diamante
Patient Heart
The Queen
Islands in the stream/Cake by the Ocean
Skip the line
Until the dawn/And get it on
Mony Mony
Manjara
Galway girl
Bring on the good times
Into the arena
Ain't misbehavin'
Derailed
Blue ain't your colour
Lamtarra Rhumba
Heavenly Cha
Girl Crush
Harden up princess
Chill factor
Razor Sharp
You don't know love.
That's all for now. I also have some videos of Glenn performing and I will upload those later (our internet is slow here) - My next post will feature the workshops on day 2 so watch this space!
Here's Glen performing 'Gypsy Queen'
and my favourite 'Amazed'
Want to see the DJ set list for our second evening featuring the amazing Calico? Click here
In this week's 'Dance Spotlight' I'm reviewing 'Woman up' a new dance by Rachael McEnaney-White & Amy Christian. I've chosen this dance as I learnt it just this week at the Boogie Shoes class and it's quickly become my new favourite dance.
Woman Up
Dance 'Vitals'
48 count
Intermediate
2 Walls
Woman Up by Meghan Trainor
Choreographed by Rachael McEnaney-White & Amy Christian View the Scripts Copperknob Linedancer
Review
This is a very new dance to me -I have to confess I'd not heard anything about this dance before I did it as I've not been keeping a close eye on the charts like I normally do and I've also not had the opportunity to listen to Lorraine's lovely show for a few weeks (which I intend to rectify asap).
As soon as we started to learn this I loved the steps because they reminded me of Zumba which I had to give up a few years ago unfortunately. I met Rachael for the first time last year at a workshop she did in Oxford and we did talk very briefly about zumba and I realised then that she is a zumba instructor which really makes sense when you dance some of the steps in her dances.
I love the steps in this, from the side close with hip action styling, pivot with hip roll, turn and point, the samba steps and that last step where you shuffle around in a circle (and can't help but raise your arms). I really enjoy doing this one.
The music is great, it's Meghan Trainor its a proper sing a long track with plenty of attitude and very easy to dance to. A great beat and not too fast to dance to, I've already listened to it half a dozen times on youtube. It's a real girl power anthem.
This is an intermediate dance and it really feels like one, I did find it a bit challenging in parts to get my head around and some of the steps -in particular the last 4 count - felt a bit 'unnatural' in that my body wanted to go the opposite direction to what the scripts said so obviously that's going to take some time and some practice to get used to. But you can see what they are doing with the dance and it makes sense.
We also have the popular 'Diamond step' making an appearance in this dance. It's really popular at the moment with quite a few dances having this in and it works really well in this dance and leads you easily into the next section.
There is a tag towards the end (5th wall) where you repeat the last 16 counts so that takes some getting used to in the music. It caught me by surprise and I think I'm going to need to do this one a few more times in order to work out where it is but as you are not doing any new steps the tag in itself is not hard. It's just a case of working out where it is and where in the dance to restart from and I guess it is very much a case of 'Practice makes perfect'.
I'm certainly looking forward to dancing this again.
Watch the Video
This week's choice of dance for 'Dance Spotlight' was inspired by Jamie Barnfield's Boogie Shoes Bootcamp class I attended this week in which he is going over some of the golden oldies. 'Feet Don't fail me now' was one of these dances and one that has long been on my own personal list of 'dances-I've-been-meaning-to-learn-but-not-got-round-to' (I think we all have one of those lists), anyway I jumped at the chance to learn it and thought it would be perfect as the first of the classic or retro dances I will be reviewing.
This dance has been around for a while and has been regularly featured on Live Laugh Linedance so I was quite keen to have a go at it as it always looks like quite good fun and I can tell you that it was.
The dance has applejacks in - something that very few dances have making this dance quite a unique one. Applejacks are a fairly tricky step and something I've not yet mastered myself. I think they go really well to the music on this one though and so I'm determined to get these right.
The steps go really well to the music on this one to the point where you can hear the steps in the music which is great if you happen to go wrong as it allows you to pick the dance back up and carry on.
This dance has a really great country vibe to it - this feels (and looks) more like traditional line dancing with the scuff hitch step but with this dance this is a great thing and I think it showcases some of the best of line dancing.
Personally, I really enjoy the vaudeville steps, they seem to work really well in the dance and to the music and I look forward to that part of the dance and unlike the applejacks I can do them too.
The dance has some dramatic moments which can catch you out including an unusual 12 count tag and a hold towards the end, you can hear the tag and the hold isn't too difficult to catch in the music so with a bit of practice I hope to have them both down to a fine art in no time at all.
The dance is an intermediate but I think with moderation a high improver dancer might be able to pull most of this off. I think this is one of those that once you've got it that's it - it's just a case of perfecting it.
Watch the Dance
My Verdict
I really enjoyed doing this dance and also think it would be particularly good for dancing to at a social (especially with live music). I particularly enjoyed the vaudeville steps, montereys and applejacks as you rarely get a combination of all of these in one dance. I'm really looking forward to when I next get another opportunity to dance to this one. The music was fun to dance (and sing along to) and I feel like there is an element of going back to the country roots with both the dance and the music which is nice as so many of the dances we do now are to more upbeat modern and funky tracks.
I'm not sure how old this dance is as there was no date on either the Copperknob or Linedancer script but I know its been going at least a good 8 years and it really has stood the test of time. I also think this one is going to stick around a lot longer and chances are it will still be around in another 8 years. Its currently 28th in the old favourites chart on Linedancer and when you consider the other dances it is up against that is really impressive.
What are your thoughts on this one? Have you done it? Would you like to? Please comment below if you wish.
Welcome to the first in a new series of posts where I will be shining the 'spotlight' on a different dance each week. This new feature will include a weekly review of dances from the line dance catalogue of both the older 'Classic' dances alongside the newer line dances. The dances chosen will be based on a number of factors: dances I have been taught in class, dances I see on the circuit, at workshops, weekends and 'blasts from the pasts'.
I'm going to kick this off with 'Girls Like' by Neville Fitzgerald and Julie Harris as I've just learnt this one in the last week.
GIRLS LIKE
Dance information:
64 Count
Advanced Dance
Music: Tinie Tempah feat Zara Larsson
Choreographed by Neville Fitzgerald & Julie Harris
I learnt this for the first time in this weeks class. I had seen it danced at a recent social and I've heard the song on the radio and tv music channels but I've never had a chance to have a go at this one... until now...
It's funky, there are a few tricky turns in particular the first one where you have to remember to transfer your weight so that you can then rock out to the side otherwise you end up a bit stuck and on the wrong foot.
There are a lot of syncopated steps so you really have to watch out for the timing on this one, I got caught out a few times either being too quick or not holding a step long enough but once you've got that timing it feels really good and goes great to the music.
You can really put your own stamp on this one, from the 'sit' in the first half of the dance, the heel splits and the sweep steps. All you need is a bit of attitude and some inspiration and you can really make it your own.
It's tricky - I would say high intermediate to advanced so not for lower level of dancers due to the turns and syncopated steps, but what I did find was that when I did go wrong it was easy to get back into so you aren't 'out' for long and I did find that I didn't tend to get lost when I was dancing so that was another positive.
There are restarts, but only two of them and they are both in the same place in the music. In addition you can hear them very clearly in the music as the female singer starts singing the chorus both times.
Watch the Dance:
My verdict
I liked this one, it was good fun to dance to and I like the heel twist/splits and the paddle turns, the timing is tricky and takes some practice to get and I like the bouncy beat of the song which the dance fit really well into. Some of the dance steps are fairly unique or we don't see very often which is also good as you do go through phases of seeing similar steps popping up in multiple dances. This gives the dance a feel of being a bit different to some of the other dances out there so it is a bit refreshing in that sense to dance something so different.
Speaking for myself, I think this one is going to take me a few weeks to completely get to grips with as I still am not perfect on where the tags are - I hear them coming and know they are due and that's usually when it all goes a bit wrong. I'm also looking to see more of the professional dancers dance this one (perhaps at the CBA's) as I think this is a dance you can really get going on and put your own unique stamp on.
I think this has a pretty good shot for CBA Advanced dance of the year (remember you heard that hear first lol!). Let's wait and see shall we.
Shootin' Stars LDC had a very special guest last week. We were joined by the fabulous Derek Darby of 'Magill' fame for one night only and what a night it was. I've been really looking forward to seeing Derek since I found out that Jackie & John of Shootin' Stars had booked him. I've seen him a few times performing with Magill - in fact I think they were one of the first live music acts I came across in the line dance community (if not the first) so I guess it's fair to say they hold a special place in my heart.
It was the first time I'd seen Derek performing as a solo act and I wasn't disappointed. He was brilliant very engaging and had us all singing along with him. I particularly enjoyed his first set and was pretty much up dancing constantly as was everyone else. I was also very fortunate to be on one of the front tables closest to the stage so even when I wasn't dancing (which wasn't very much) I still got to really enjoy the music and the atmosphere.
Derek sang a wide selection of songs both old and new including old classics like Just a Memory & Closer to more recent dances like The Real Deal & Until the Dawn/And Get it on. We also did quite a few floor splits so the beginners in the room could also join in alongside the more 'seasoned' dances and there were quite a few options for the beginners such as the popular dance Cowboy Charleston.
One of things I particularly enjoyed that night was dancing to some of the amazing classics which we really don't do very often at all. We danced My New Life, Hot Tamales, Save the Day, Sinatra and Chardonnay, Big Blue Tree, Galway Girls, Patient Heart & Walk the line (to name just a few) - I haven't danced this much in ages!
What also made a nice change was that we did two partner dances - Tempted and Barn Dance (thank you Jackie Clouting for dancing with me). I really don't get many opportunities to do these types of dances as they are not routinely played in our local socials so it is such a treat to be able to dance these - particularly to live music from someone so talented. I have to admit I didn't do the best job with either dance as I've only ever picked them up from following others at previous socials but fortunately no video evidence exists showing my terrible attempts so that's one good thing.
I couldn't believe it when we got to the end of the night, the whole evening had gone so quickly and I would have been quite happy to carry on dancing for at least another hour - all this despite the heat as well. We ended on a couple of party dances including Black Coffee for which the floor was completely filled and Derek did an encore for us as well so I think we may have slightly run over but it was well worth it.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to get any video of him performing as it was just too dark in the room and my video camera just didn't have enough light to catch any video. But I can tell you he was fantastic. I'd also just like to thank Jackie and John of Shootin' Stars for organising the evening - with a great atmosphere, fun crowd and even better entertainment from Derek Darby we couldn't have had a better night.
Hi I'm Gemma. A self confessed cheese-and-choco-holic mum of one living with my Husband(Cotswold Dad aka CD), son (Cotswold Kid aka CK), cat and dog deep in the depths of the North Cotswolds. I love anything creative - knitting, crochet, adult colouring etc and am usually found working on some project or another. Why not join me on my adventures as a first time mum as I experience the ups, downs and everything in between that comes from being a working part time mum.
