Sunday, September 09, 2007

Line dancing



I have a big problem with line dancers. This is something that has been going on a while but I was reminded of it last night while out with my grandparents (who are definitely NOT line dancers)
There is a core of women at the British Legion club who like to line dance. There are certain obvious line dancing tunes that are played but some of them do try to start up a line dance to other songs too. Last night, however, saw the arrival of a new couple who made their feelings towards the dance movement very clear. Both were dressed in bright yellow with tassled jackets and animal print cowboy hats. The man sported quite a grand beard and had what looked like a fox's tail hanging from the back of his hat. They were both wearing cowboy boots.
This couple had come for one thing and one thing only and it certainly wasn't the bingo!
They line danced to everything, including a quickstep and even a waltz which was far too slow. They were hardcore and obviously thought of themselves as good dancers. They did give up eventually and what I witnessed next proved what I have always suspected - line dancers can not actually dance. The line dancers decided to do a bit of "free movement" to something, I forget what it was, and it became apparent that these people had no natural rhythm. They were all over the place. Their arms were swinging and their feet were stomping but not in time with the music. Without the ridgid structure of their line dancing routines they fell apart and revealed that they could no more dance than they could lasso cattle.
Like a military parade these people line up and follow the instructions shouted by their leader giving no thought to what their own interpretation of the music might be. They always look miserable too while they are doing it which I have never worked out if it is because they are really not enjoying it or are concentrating so hard not to fall out of line they forget they are putting on a show.
Dancing should be spontaneous - an expression of how the music is making you feel. Dancing should be fluid, not rigid like a bread stick. It's just wrong!

Labels: