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