| Think of the Wild West and the
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| | Step, Waltz, Swing and about three or
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| imagination runs away with itself. Myth,
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| | four line dances. If you had taken the
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| mystery and a healthy supply of romantic
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| | floor back then, most likely you would
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| fiction conjure up a satisfying picture
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| | have found yourself learning the Tush
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| of gun toting Clint Eastwoods, head
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| | Push, Four Corners, the Stomp, and
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| hunting Apaches, and stressed out
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| | something very like Elvira or Texas
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| sheriffs trying to enforce the rule of
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| | Freeze.
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| law. The very fact that the genre of
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| | Originally line dances were choreographed
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| spaghetti westerns was inspired by an
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| | to all kinds of music. The Tush Push,
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| Italian should set alarm bells ringing.
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| | written by Jim Ferrazzano in 1980, was
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| It's understandable that line dancers
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| | first intended for big band music at a
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| would like to see their own history
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| | speed of 140 bpm! A lot of dances were
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| within the same frontier fairy tale but
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| | done as folk dances or party mixers that
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| the reality, if a little boring, is
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| | were adapted to country music and given
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| somewhat different. As Cathy Hellier,
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| | "cutesy" country titles by ex-ballroom
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| dance historian at the Williamsberg
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| | teachers. The Cowboy Charleston was by no
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| Research Foundation in Virginia points
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| | means a country dance, and neither was
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| out, rather puzzled by our phone call,
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| | the Alley Cat. The Barn Dance Mixer
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| "line dance is a modern form of dancing,
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| | (Wild, Wild, West) was a Merengue or Paso
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| isn't it?"
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| | Doble party mixer
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| Conditions on the western frontier in the
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| | Line dance climbed into bed with country
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| 18th and 19th centuries were severe.
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| | music when Billy Ray Cyrus wrote Achy
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| True, the early settlers were
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| | Breaky Heart in 1992. A clever marketing
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| predominantly men but line dance didn't
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| | trick, Melanie Greenwood's dance was
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| evolve just because they weren't too keen
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| | written to promote the song. Five years
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| on dancing cheek to cheek. Survival was
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| | later and Achy Breaky Heart has
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| the main priority, and any "free" time
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| | snowballed into the biggest dance craze
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| would most likely have been spent lying
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| | ever, line dancing choreographed to
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| very still with their eyes closed. It's
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| | country music. Not the legacy of bold
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| not possible to plot line dance on a
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| | frontier settlers with the American Dream
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| continuous graph. But what the settlers
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| | in their hearts, but an ingenious ploy to
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| did bring with them were their own
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| | sell records.
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| national traditions of dancing that form
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| | Bang goes the fairy tale. Enjoyable,
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| the basis of what we all enjoy today.
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| | straightforward to learn and not
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| The original Schottische arrived from
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| | requiring a partner, line dance was bound
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| Poland. German settlers introduced
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| | to spread.
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| "clogging", while Cajun influences not
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| | In many countries, particularly across
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| surprisingly can be laid squarely at the
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| | continental Europe, the US military laid
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| doorstep of the French. None of these
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| | the first foundations, sharing line and
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| guys did the Tush Push, Cajun Mambo Walk
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| | country dance with the locals.
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| or Roll Back The Rug. In the first place,
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| | A long standing affection for country
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| they wouldn't have known what a "tush"
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| | music in the UK was a powerful
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| was. You have to take a leap into this
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| | springboard, and line dance rapidly
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| century to discover the first sightings
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| | became a part of the holiday camp country
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| of line dance, which in its recognisable
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| | music scene.
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| form swung in on the coat tails of rock
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| | And so we've gone an international full
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| and roll. There emerged what can be
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| | circle, with different nations of dancers
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| described as "fad" dances like the Stroll
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| | now adding their own ideas and
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| and later the Madison, and as disco music
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| | interpretations, just like they've always
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| took hold in the 70s the Hustle craze
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| | done.
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| started followed by a distinct line dance
| |
| | That's the best way to see line dance and
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| called the Bus Stop, which closely
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| | its history, as a family of dance styles,
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| resembled the Electric Slide.
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| | pieced together from a jigsaw puzzle of
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| The film industry was an important boost,
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| | nations. The spaghetti western theory may
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| classically Grease (remember the Hand
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| | make a better story line but that's
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| Jive?) and the movie Urban Cowboy in the
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| | Hollywood for you. You don't have to
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| early 80s, which sparked a trend in
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| | believe us if you don't want to.
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| country clubs doing Cotton Eyed Joe, Two
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|
