Reviews – November/December 2008
Big Dave – Leicestershire
Awesome Linedancing
My Dance of the Month
Insomnia (Shaz Walton)
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 !!
Think About It (Joey Warren)
Ida Corr (Let Me Think About It)
64/2 Advanced
Music 10 Dance 10
A awesome funky track & really cool & different steps – Seems fast at first but feels good when you master it – Neat mega-tag in the middle – Hits the music spot on – Great dance from Joey out of the Chicago event this year – If it is his US swan song he really could not have done better – See you in January at Bossyboots Stoke weekend.
You Can’t Hurry Love (Jose M. Belloque-Vane)
Phil Collins (You Can’t Hurry Love)
32/2 Beginner/Intermediate
Music 10 Dance 9
A great/classic track for a Beginner/Improver hit – Cool steps with a tricky ending – Need to work on that but the class enjoyed it – And enjoyed mastering it ………. We also had fun with the 8 count tag – Easy steps but also scope to have fun & freestyle it !! J ……. Great dance introduced to us by Roy Verdonk in a fun teach at our recent Just Dance weekend in Newcastle on the Friday evening ………………. And what an awesome track to dance too – If the end proves too much of a challenge, just modify it to simple Touch & Touchs on the spot(5&6&7&8)
Spotlight (Dee Musk)
Jennifer Hudson (Spotlight)
32/4 Intermediate
Music 9 Dance 9
A lovely smooth & not too difficult west coast from Dee to a really cool track – Hit teach at Mundesley, Newcastle & Sunday-Out where Dee taught it – And for me too at a class in Tucson – And at arecent visit to Sweden it was a big floor-filler there too - Flows really well – Classic anchor step & neat reverse pivot turns in this one – Also like the cool hip bump turns – Just wish I had hips !! J Great to see Dee’s Footprints In The Sand in the Advanced nominees by the way, especially since it was written especially for the workshops at the 2008 Awards weekend back in February – Feed The Fetish & Turn Me Loose/Loosen Up are great dances too – But go Dee go !! J
What’s The Deal (Shaz, Dee & Craig)
Ne-Yo (Nobody)
64/2 Higher Intermediate
Music 9 Dance 9
Sometimes collaborations don’t work – But this is a great dance by Shaz, Dee & Craig – No joins in it at all between the three – Although some classic Dee Ball-Step trade-mark steps !!! J The dance flows really well – A cool smooth funky dance with some neat moves – One that could cross the Mainline/Newline divide – A hit teach at our Sunday-Out – And the Tucson gang enjoyed it too on my US vacation – Love the tricky box/sailor-turn sequence, the Pendulum Kicks & the sexy roll at the end – Just wish I could do sexy !!! J ………… Check this one out at one of Craig’s workshops at Worlds.
Viva La Vida (Rachael McEnaney)
Belle Perez (Que Viva La Vida)
48/4 Intermediate
Music 9 Dance 9
The dance expresses the catchy music really well & the steps are cool & leave loads of scope to add some fun styling – Especially on the extended diagonal shuffles – Great dance that flows along ever so well – Could be a huge hit this one – I hope so.
Contigo (Debbie Ellis)
David Civera (Para Vivir Contigo)
64/4 Intermediate
Music 9 Dance 10
Another strong latin cha dance from Debbie along the lines of Solo Humano & Amor De Hielo – Been teaching this one on my travels & it has been really well received – Another great dance track choice by Debbie – And an easy but really well constructed dance – It’s in 3 parts with mirror image sections in the first two but with a little twist at the end of each mirror, which is really cool – Like the rocking chair turn – Attitude !! J
Spotlight (Robbie M. Hickie)
Jennifer Hudson (Spotlight)
64/4 Intermediate
Music 9 Dance 9
I’m a big Robbie fan – He writes great dances – Gets my vote for more Crystal Boots again this year !! J He’s got a few hits on the go just now – Amame at No.1 of course but I’m thinking most recently of Get Trashed & Cuckoo – But this one is my favourite of them all just now – It’s a great dance beat & a classic Robbie pop/intermediate dance – Another that flows well & in particular I like the end sequence from the kick-ball-cross into the cross shuffles – Great stuff.
Womaniser (Maggie Gallagher)
Britney Spears (Womanizer)
64/4 Intermediate
Music 10 Dance 9
A hit dance along the lines of Headphones which is my own vote for Intermediate Dance Of The Year (For me a close call with Fire On Ice, Electric Dreams & Like A Hero too – Decisions Decisions !! J but where was Catch The Rain, I just loved that one this year in particular !!) - And I really like this one too - Great track – Love the Touch/Hip/Turn sequence in the middle & the flowing turn start into the touch/holds – Great stuff from Maggie – Looking forward to Maggie’s Southport Springtime Spectacular with guest star John Robinson from the States in the UK for the first time for years, as well as out very own T&V, Dee & Craig – It’s going to be a great party weekend at Pontins Southport !! J
Shamrock Soup (Maggie Gallagher)
Sham Rock (Medley)
32/4 Improver
Music 7 Dance 7
Another from Maggie - The Irish dances not my scene but I’m in the minority there I know – Maggie released this one at our recent Blackpool weekend & it was a big it – The track is a medley of many tracks that you’ll remember dancing too – And to some this may even be a problem – It’s a classic Maggie Irish dance with a trick first have & easy second half – I did it with my Improvers who struggled with the beginning but mastered it well over a few weeks & love dancing it – MaggieG fans & Irish fans will love it in particular – It’s easy & feel good – Just chill & dance !! J The beginning is cool with a rolling turny start into the Irish style Toe/Heel/Crosses & I’ve really enjoyed doing this one with my beginners.
Galway Girls (Chrissie Hodgson)
Sharon Shannon & Steve Earle)
48/4 Intermediate
Music 8 Dance 8
A more traditional Irish Jig sounding track – But still not my scene really so I was playing catch up with this one in November, with the dance becoming a smash hit for Chrissie over the last few months – And great to see that for Chrissie – Electric Dreams still rules for me too though !! ………. Anyway I must admit that I do enjoy dancing this one – It did grow on me !! J – Can’t help but enjoy the heel ball cross sequence.
Little Womanizer (Malene Jakobsen)
Britney Spears (Womanizer)
32/4 Beginner
Music 10 Dance 9
Well I love the track & wanted something for my beginners & this one was just the job – Great little dance, more Improver than Beginner – A few testing & steps, but my Improvers loved it big time – Me too – I especially like the Rocking Chair sequence turning into the syncopated side rock cross shuffle ending – Great stuff.
Cabo San Lucas (Rep Ghazali)
Toby Keith (Cabo San Lucas)
32/4 Beginner/Improver
Music 10 Dance 8
Awesome country cha cha track – And being time to do some country with my Beginner/Improvers this was a no brainer choice – Really nice dance – But still a tester for the Improvers – Traditional steps but you need to keep you wits about whether you are rocking or pivoting – It’s a really nice country dance.
Peaches & Cream (Peter & Alison)
Ringo Starr (You’re Sixteen)
32/4 Beginner/Improver
Music 10 Dance 10
A classic track & one of my favourite dances just now which is also a big hit with the beginners too – Just easy & cool – A was abit slow off the mark teaching this one – Looking forward to working with Peter & Alison for the first time at our Just Dance weekend in Mundesley, Norfolk in April. There have been some great Beginner dances this year & this is one of them – It took me a while to decide my Beginner vote this year – Duck Soup was great fun earlier this year – And Peaches & Cream red hot right now, but I went for Little Red Book in the end because it has been a favourite with the Beginners for so long this year – Wish they could all win – The closest call for me !!! J
Love the 3 different endings approach – We rotate them all during the dance – Great fun.
Brazil (Frank Trace)
Bellini (Brazil)
32/2 Beginner
Music 10 Dance 9
Catchy, easy, fun, different – A great follow-up to Duck Soup for Frank – Same style – Duck Soup to great country – Brazil to an equally cool latin one – A huge hit with the Beginers/Improvers who love the box turn at the beginning & having fun with the Strut/Hip Bumps – Awesome little dance.
Wanna Be Elvis (Robbie M. Hickie)
Jason Allen (Elvis Tonight)
32/4 Improver
Music 10 Dance 9
You can’t get this catchy track out of your head – And it’s a lovely dance by Robbie that everyone has really enjoyed that I’ve taught it too recently at class & on my travels – Love the hips tag – Just wish they were after every wall not just two of them !! J Full of traditional steps that just feel real good when dancing.
Beggin’ (Joey Warren)
MadCon (Beggin’)
32/4 Intermediate
Music 8 Dance 8
After Applebottom Jeans, Joey’s latest Think About It is currently a huge Newline hit – This one is a cool dance too – Fast & different – Really well received by the class – Cool nighclub style tag makes awesome use of the break in the music – I just love the way it flows & turns at racing speed but still feels smooth – Looking forward to seeing Joey as one of our guest stars at Leeds Newline in September 2009.
Work It (M.T.Groove)
Kelly Rowlands (Work It)
48/4 Intermediate
Music 10 Dance 10
Quality not quantity from M.T. as usual !! J Looking forward to teaching this one at Worlds – A cool funky dance – Some really subtle moves & easy arms – Not hard – Just neat – And a great track to dance too – Really like the Triple ¾ - Hitch – Sailor ¾ sequence at the end – Come to my workshop at Worlds !!!!! J (Shaz will be there to help me with the styling !! J) ………. MT have already started work on another funky new one for our North Devon weekend in March with MT, Shaz & Dee – Really looking forward to that one.
Insomnia (Shaz Walton)
Craig David (Insomnia)
64/2 Intermediate
Music 10 Dance 10
This dance is right on the borderline – Intermediate & mainstream but lots of cool moves & a funky track that gives it the potential to be a hit on the Mainline & Newline scene – I’ve taught it Sweden at a mainstream event & it was really well received & back in our Hinckley Newline class it is a big hit too – Lots of opportunity for funky styling if you want too – Equally quite traditional if you like it that way instead – Love the tap/tap & shuffle turn sequence & the way the sailor steps hit the change in the beat half way through – Cool turn/swivel section & really like the kick-ball cross move into the shuffle turn ending – Great beaty feel good dance – At first I hesitated teaching this dance because I was not sure who to teach it too – Turns out the answer was everyone !! J If you are at Worlds don’t miss Shaz’s worlshop for this one (I’ll be there to help Shaz with the styling !! J ….. Have you seen me dancing it with Pedro at Sweden on YouTube – Oh dear !!!!! ….. Everyone wants to know how I managed to keep the Santa hat so upright ! J ) – It’s this sort of dance we’ll be featuring at our Great Yarmouth Mainline/Newline weekend in March with Shaz & special guest star Francien Sittrop.
Miss California (Rachael McEnaney)
Dante Thomas (Miss California)
32/4 Intermediate/Advanced
Music 9 Dance 10
As ever hats off to Rachael – She writes awesome dances of all types – From Beginner to Advances – Smooth to Funky – And everything in between – Personally just lately Viva La Vida, Purple Rain & JR Drop float my own boat – And now this one is another lovely cool West Coast – Just think Give It Back/What Love Is – It’s that sort of dance & the class loved it – Rachael will be teaching this one at Worlds.
Everything About U (Paul McAdam)
Danny K (Everything About U)
32/4 Intermediate
Music 10 Dance 10
Same applies to Paul – Writes to everybody – I’ve just voted for Crazy Foot Mambo for the Awards (Although in the Improver section I was tempted by Dance Like You’re the Only One, Doctors Orders, She Believes & Higher & Higher which I’ve enjoyed so much too this year) – Whilst at the other end of the scale we loved Bring It – And from Leeds dances including Knock Me Out have been a hit ……….. Following on from his hit Wonderful, this one is another awesome funky & faster than normal night club two step – Really cool Lock/Hitch & Chase Turn sequence but the whole thing just hits the beat though-out – Awesome dance from Paul, which I’ll be teaching at Worlds – Really looking forward to our Newcastle ‘Likely Lads’ weekend with Paul, Dee & Rep in June.
What Hurts The Most (Craig Bennett & Shaz Walton)
Rascal Flatts (What Hurts The Most)
32/4 Intermediate
Music 10 Dance 10
My last teach in Hinckley !! L – But no better way than with a lovely new country night club from Craig & Shaz – Craig has a string of great night clubs behind him, not least Faith In Love (With Junior) & Dreams (With Guyton) – Great to see him have a go at one with Shaz, perhaps better known for funky hits, but a great smooth choreographer too herself – Not least Searchin’ & So Deep which I enjoyed writing with her !! J and not forgetting No Promises, a big Shaz favourite of my own – Anyway this one is a great dance – Love the Unwind/Sweep start & the twinkle back sequence – A really nice dance & awesome country – Lots liking it to the Leona Lewis alternative ‘Run’, but I prefer the country. If you’ve enjoyed Craig’s night clubs in the past give it a go – You won’t be disappointed …… And if you are at Worlds check this one out at one of Craig’s workshops – Most likely one for Craig at our Alamo Scarborough weekend in January, where Craig is the guest choreographer with hosts Andrew & Sheila.