Dancers with Aslan at Desperate Diva night!

Is there such a thing as too much line dancing? I opened my email recently to a couple of similar messages from friends. One woman said her husband jokingly commented that he thought she was dancing too much. The other said her husband wasn't joking when he said he never saw her anymore as she was always out at a class, workshop or dance.

I know my own life is consumed with dancing and I have a husband and two teens who have seen what used to be a once a week hobby grow into a business that is my life.  I now teach up to 15 classes a week as well as run weekend dance workshops and dance evenings. I'm very lucky in that my family knows that my line dance business is what keeps me sane!  It isn't so much the classes that keep me busy as all the prep work that goes into them.  If I'm not teaching a class, I'm teaching myself a new dance, emailing classes about events, workshops, dance evenings, etc.  It does take up a lot of time but it's what I love and thankfully my family understands my chaotic schedule and adjusts accordingly. I cannot imagine a life without dancing and there are times that my enthusiasm for dance makes me want to have my friends' lives taken over with dancing as well!  After all, if I love it so much, shouldn't I want my friends to have as much pleasure as I do?

I have to admit though, those emails did make me stop and wonder if there can be such a thing as too much dancing.  If something consumes one's life so much, can that be a bad thing?  I'm not sure I have figured out the answer to that, but I ended up having a conversation with my husband about it and asked if he thought I was doing too much. His answer?  "Yeah, you're out a lot, but as long as you still love what you do and you're happy, that's ok.  It's when you start to feel that you don't want to be where you are, that you need to re-think things".  I took that to heart and realized that there were a couple of classes that I just did not enjoy teaching anymore and have cancelled them for fall. 

Still pondering the question of too much dancing, I opened another email which was from a lady in one of my intermediate classes.  She was emailing me to tell me she was "resigning" from class as she was finding it too difficult.  She had come from a different line dance background and was having a hard time adjusting to a more progressive type of line dance as well as a tougher level.  I was crushed.  Like all instructors, I want to ensure that people are having fun and when I see that someone is struggling and wanting to give up, it bothers me.  I phoned her to offer some encouragement and support and asked her not to give up just yet. She decided to give it another week and one of the other ladies in the class met with her during the week and they spent several hours practicing.  At class the following week, she was a different person. She had obviously spent a lot of time practicing and I was so pleased to see her feeling a little more confident.  A few weeks later, she's having the time of her life and has surprised herself with how far she's come and I've seen her self confidence grow as well.  Persistence for her was the key and seeing that she was capable of doing these dances was a confidence booster for her.  I'm just so glad she hung in there.

Thinking about these various emails was good for me as it made me think about both how much I decide I want to take on in the way of classes and other dance activities as well as the why.  The why is evident in people like the woman above.  The satisfaction in seeing the pleasure one gets from learning and mastering a new dance is something I love, whether that person is a brand new beginner or an advanced dancer. Instilling a love of line dancing is the ultimate satisfaction and watching the camaraderie develop through line dancing is so special.  You go through the highs and lows of many of their lives and they truly become family.  I've laughed with them, cried with them, gone to funerals for some of them, visited them in hospitals, attended weddings of a couple, celebrated the births of babies of some, gone through divorces of others, helped one through a near suicide and more. Someone said that friends are the sisters that you choose.  I guess that's how I'd describe these special people in my life and why I spend so much time making sure that my dance business is more than just a business.  They're my sisters.

Why do others get involved in line dancing?  I asked people in my classes what they enjoyed most.  What got them started and why did they continue?  I thought it would be nice to compile some of their responses below so that others could be encouraged.  One thing that continues to come through these messages is the special level of friendship that is developed.  I've been involved in a lot of activities but truly the friendships that come out of line dancing are beyond what I've experienced anywhere else.

From Marlene R:
"I'm a klutz, line dancing makes me feel reasonably graceful! Well, graceful enough that I can get onto a dance floor with a lot more confidence. There is nothing more frustrating than sitting on the sidelines watching others dance. I don't do that anymore."

From Don:
"I started Western dancing in 1990 as a couples dancer on a demo team that progressed to competition dancing. In 1992 I was asked to teach line dancing and I have been at it since that time both as a teacher and a student. I love both types of dancing and what keeps me coming back is the friendships, the fun, the thrill of watching a new dancer realize it's not that hard, and the exercise. I used to dance 4 or 5 times a week but now that I am retired I only dance 2 or 3 times a week except at Stampede time when it averages out to 2 or 3 times a day. I love all the new line dances that have come on the scene and learning them and in turn teaching them at business conventions in Banff and Lake Louise.
Have Fun"

From Penny:
"I started line dancing, for exercise and soon discovered the many friendships I made along the way. Most importantly the friendship that I have made with you. Thank you Sue, for being you. I hope to continue dancing for a very long time."

From Arlene:
"I have always loved dancing so when I started line-dancing it was a perfect fix. I like the challenge of intermediate and advanced dances. The music along with the exercise and cardio are added bonuses. I have made really good and long-lasting friendships over the years."

From Susan:
"I've been bitten by the bug! No, not the mosquito, or the millenium bug but the very infectious line dancing bug. I first became aware of the symptoms ten years ago in Scotland when I went along to a class with a friend to see what all the fuss was about. Within a couple of months I was attending two or three classes a week with a dance night on most weekends. On arriving in Calgary just over two years ago I signed up for classes here. Being new to the city it was a great way to get to meet people - worldwide I have found that the line dance community is very welcoming and friendly. Apart from the friendships I enjoy line dancing because of the feel good factor. I may go to a class feeling blue but always come out smiling:-) There is also the fitness aspect - it's an exercise class without realising that you are getting a workout, even our faces get a workout as we laugh with each other. A friend, who I have introduced to line dancing, said to my partner that I sure was hooked on dancing, his reply was 'no, obsessed'. So it looks like there's no hope of curing my symptoms - not that I want to anyway! Getting itchy feet, must go and practice some dances:-)"

From Gail:
"Sue, I line dance because it's fun and I have met a lot of nice people. It keeps me moving and you are such a good teacher, you have a lot of respect for everyone and very helpful if we have problems with the dances. You make it so much fun that I look forward to going every week."

From Lauren:
"What keeps me coming back to line dancing? It's a host of several factors: first, I like to chat to all of my good line dancer friends every week; second, I love the low impact form of exercise that line dancing provides since it isn't hard on my joints; third, I love dancing to the blend of country and modern music; fourth, the instructor's are patient, give clear directions, and make dancing fun; fifth, the worshops provide a forum to learn new dances; sixth, the line dance evenings provide additional opportunities to practise what we have learned as well as eat yummy goodies; seventh, line dancing classes run all year long to enable me to stay fit; eighth, remembering line dance steps is an excellent activity to keep my brain stimulated and my memory sharp; ninth, classes are affordable and offered at convenient times; last, line dancing makes me feel happy, puts a smile on my face,allows me to express myself and my life-long love of dance."

From Maureen, a brand new beginner!
"I have only been dancing in the Beginners' Class for five lessons now, and absolutely love taking your Line Dance course. I am having so much fun because for one whole hour, I can focus on learning wonderful dances, and taking time for ME! From start to finish, I have a permanent smile on my face. I took dance lessons for many years (ballet, tap, jazz, Irish) and stopped about 15 years ago; I am thrilled to be dancing again and learning a new style. The music is great, the people are so friendly and, above all, you are an amazing instructor, very patient and fun to be with! So thanks again and I will be signing up for the Fall by next Monday, and am interested in trying the next level."

From Margaret:
"I started line dancing for the exercise, as I love music and dancing, but hate gym equipment. It has paid off as my cholestrol has lowered to normal much to my Dr.s surprise and I feel better. I look forward to the classes to meet the other people, but mostly it is the music and learning to do the steps well that keeps me coming back for more."

From Carolyn:
"I love line dancing because it puts a smile on my face and keeps it there for a full hour class, two-hour workshop, or special event, whatever the occasion. It's wonderful to have found an activity that makes me feel so happy, and it's nice to meet new friends that feel the same way."

From Dora:
"I love line dancing. It is my main form of exercise and not everyone can say that they love exercising. I don't believe the adage of "no pain, no gain". Ann and Sue keep us "on our toes" so to speak by throwing out challenges at every dance class. The dancers are a wonderful group of mainly women, many of whom have become good friends. Some of us have lunch now and again and some of us golf together and some of us have attended out of town workshops. The music and dancing are great for putting us in a good mood. We leave any stresses of daily life behind as we tackle each new dance.

Stampede preparation takes place in the spring as we practise various dances that we will be dancing at the numerous pancake breakfasts. Sue has organized a "demo" group which has performed at rope square for the past few years. It is a fun event which the crowds enjoy.

Line dancing is addictive and before you know it, you want to learn more challenging dances. It's amazing because wherever you go and hear music, you find yourself thinking "what dance would go to that song"???"

From Bill and Candy:
"We saw the ad. in the local paper: New Attitude Line Dancing, and wondered how new it could be. Line dancing? Come on! Heh wow! Samba? Mambo? Greek? Rock n Roll? Waltz? Cha Cha Cha? And even a little Country (well just a bit is OK).

Bill had said he would never be able to learn to line dance. But from the first beginner class with Sue, with the great music, he was making those steps that add up to simple dances and doing well. He is now at the Intermediate Line Dancer level and loves it! Candy is on the Demo Team for the second year during Stampede which is her joy. They both say: We think it should be called Great Attitude Line Dancing because it improved our attitude to line dancing and to Life in general. Bravo, Sue!"

From Judith:
"Line dancing has become a way of life for me. I started in England because I needed exercise; and had tried the usual aerobics etc, but found that boredom soon set in. With line dancing I found that I needed to use my brain as well as my body. When I moved to Canada it was a natural progression to find a line dance group and I found Sue Hall. It was a perfect fit, as I had already been use to dancing to various types of music and needed that variety to keep the interest going. Sue's enthusiasm means that there is a good mix of brand new dances, whilst still reviewing older dances, so we don't forget them. Now I can dance with new found friends in Canada and join friends at a local group when I go back to England. What other form of exercise could cover so many different aspects!"

From Noreen:
Being brand new at Line Dancing, I was not doing well the first month. My feet just would not cooperate. Practising at home made me feel more comfortable because I felt my feet would now cooperate in class. After two years in your class, it does not bother me to learn a new dance because it is fun to learn and because my confidence level has increased 100%. I feel so good after class because I think I have accomplished a great feat. (Well, it may not be a GREAT GREAT FEAT, but to me, it is.) Great teacher and wonderful people we dance with!!! I look forward to our classes each week.

From Lynda:
I LOVE coming to Line Dancing. I saw it advertised in the CBE Retired Employees Association Newsletter and knew it was something I would like. I've been coming to classes now for two years. I enjoy the challenge of learning new dances and have found this year, I am able to learn quicker and even remember the old ones!! I love practising them at home. I consider it a workout and much more fun than going to the gym. I've met some very nice people in the classes and love the instructor!

From Lynn:
What do I get out of line dancing?  Why do I keep going back? Let's see.... the ten best things about line dancing...
  1. It is fun exercise - I'm moving, the heart rate increases.
  2. The people are great - I love seeing the same women every week.
  3. I love to dance, I've never been a good dancer but at lessons I can actually master 
      a few dances and feel kind of good.
  4. It is good for my brain as well as my body.  This is an exercise that actually works my brain as well as my body.
  5. There is a feeling of satisfaction in doing increasingly more difficult dances.
  6. I like activities that have a "team" feel to them rather than activities that one does alone.
  7. I like that we dance to a variety of music.
  8. In line dance one can dance at one's own level rather than having to be as competent as the next person
  9. Because we are in a group I can see others who are better dancers and try to be as good as they are.
10. We have a really great teacher who inspires, encourages and stretches me.

Line Dancing at Girls Night Out
What do you get when you combine 500 women, an Elvis impersonator, silent and live auctions, male strippers and more? That's right..it was the 10th anniversary of Girls Night Out, Desperate Diva Night at the Westin Hotel May 6th. Sponsored by the Canadian Progress Club, this fundraiser raises money for various charities. The $100 a ticket included dinner, all the liquor you could drink, entertainment and dancing. What a night it was! After work on Friday evening, women streamed into the Westin to enjoy the evening. Carrie and Jackie who are in the advanced line dance class were also organizers for the event and thought that a line dance demo and easy lesson would go over well. They were right! Seven of us (Sue, Carrie, Jackie, Ann, Susan, Marlene and Carolyn) decided to demo a variety of dances that would show that line dancing isn't all country and the audience was pleasantly surprised. We did Mr. Pinstripe, Rio, Bosa Nova, It's Up To You, Midnight Rendezvous (contra) and Badda Boom Badda Bang. Then it was their turn to get up and try an easy dance. They learned Mambo Shuffle, aka Sex on The Beach and had a ball dancing it to Mambo #5 and Sex On the Beach. I've not seen a group of women cut loose like they did! Once they were on the floor, they were up dancing the rest of the night. It was a fun event and we even got our picture taken with a 4 month old lion cub! What made the evening even more worthwhile was that it raised approximately $31,000 for women and children in need!

Stampede Demo Team!
Rope Square performance and caravan breakfast dates are being marked on the calendar. 45 enthusiastic dancers are on this year's demo team! We'll be performing seven dances at Rope Square on Wednesday, July 11th and Saturday, July 14th as well as dancing at various breakfasts throughout the city. So far, Rio, Tailgate, My Greek Number One, One Thin Dime, Muchacha, Southern Delight and either Say Hey or Part-Time Lover are on the demo list. It's nice to show Calgary that line dancing is definitely not just country! Remaining practices are May 26, June 23, and June 30 at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. Other tentative breakfasts are as follows and more dates and events will be added on as we get closer to Stampede.

Saturday, July 7th - Chinook Shopping Centre
Monday, July 9th - North Hill Shopping Centre, 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Tuesday, July 10th - Market Mall, 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Wednesday, July 11th - Rope Square, 10:00-10:20 a.m.
Thursday, July 12th - Southland Leisure Centre, 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Friday, July 13th - not sure yet
Saturday, July 13th - Rope Square, 10:00-10:20 a.m.

We also have visitors coming from California over Stampede and we've been corresponding back and forth. They plan to join us at several of the breakfasts and are looking forward to their first ever Stampede!

Harvest Moon Line Dance Festival
So far, around 40 people from Alberta have registered for the Harvest Moon Line Dance Festival in Westbank, British Columbia, September 14-16th. This is a fun event with Deb & Tom Selzer as wonderful hosts. Michele Perron and John Robinson are this year's guest instructors. For $80.00, the three day pass includes all workshops, two lunches, coffee, muffins and a pancake breakfast. A potluck dinner and dance on the Sunday evening finishes off a fun weekend. To register for the event, go to http://www.debandtomdance.com/harvest.htm. Scroll to the bottom of the page for a printable registration form.

A block of rooms that I set aside for the Alberta group at the Holiday Inn was filled up within a week and the hotel has advised me that they are now totally sold out of rooms for the event. The Comfort Inn in Westbank has set aside 20 rooms but they will go very quickly so if you still plan to attend, get your room booked. Rooms at the Comfort Inn are $85 a night which includes a continental breakfast. This location is about a 10 minute drive from the community centre where the event takes place.

Tentative Line Dance Cruise
Yep, you read right! After saying I need to think about what I should cut back on, I started thinking about a line dance cruise. I've thought about it several times and put it on the back burner, but with the dismal winter and spring we've had, I just want to go somewhere warm! I'm getting a couple of quotes for a Mexican Riviera cruise leaving out of L.A. with a tentative April, 2008 date. I'll keep everyone updated on that as I get more information and see if it's something that people would be interested in. Any thoughts on this? It would be nice to arrange a cruise where husbands/wives/partners, etc. could come along as well.

Las Vegas Dance Explosion
Some of us are still deciding whether or not to attend the Vegas Dance Explosion in November. The travel agent many of us used last year got us such a good deal on air and hotel last year. Unfortunately this year, that rate has gone up around an extra $350 per person. The travel agent has suggested that since it's early, people hold off on booking airfares or packages too early in case a special is offered in the fall. I'll continue to check with her between now and the fall to see if rates drop. For those of you who want to go ahead and book, I have received flyers from the event organizers which I'll start bringing into classes. You can also go to http://www.djdancing.com/vegasexplosion.html for information.

SATURDAY LINE DANCE WORKSHOPS & LINE DANCE EVENINGS UNTIL JUNE
June 2nd is the last workshop before Stampede. Pre-registration is necessary as spots fill quickly. Please contact Sue to register or for more information. The workshop takes place 9:30-11:30 at St. Andrew's Presbyterian on Heritage Drive and is $10.00. If you are looking for the challenge of learning three new dances on a Saturday morning, this is where you want to be!

We have two more potluck appetizer/dessert dance evenings. Mark May 27th and June 24th on your calendars. June 24th will be our pre-Stampede dance. If you've not yet come out to one of our dancers, think about joining us. We're a fun bunch, very friendly and welcoming and I try to ensure that there is a good mix of dances for all levels of dancers.

During the month of August, workshops rather than classes will be offered at both Varsity and Acadia locations. The workshops will be identical at both locations so if a class is missed at one location, it can be made up at another.

Workshops will be geared to intermediate and advanced level dancers and will focus on dances that have been taught at previous workshops but not yet taught at classes. These will be solid review/teaches of three dances per workshop. Each workshop will be 90 minutes in length.

Workshops must be pre-registered and will be cancelled if there is not a minimum of 10 people in the class. Please email me for the summer registration form.

Location: Varsity Community Centre
Dates: August 13, 20, 27
Time: 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Cost: $38.00

Location: Acadia Rec Complex
Dates: August 8, 15, 22
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Cost: $38.00

Classes have already been scheduled through to December, 2007. When I met with my accountant this March to do my income tax, she leaned back, folded her hands and said "congratulations, you are now "officially" a business!" We worked on a business plan and I made the decision to totally work for myself and stop all my contracted classes. This means that I am no longer doing City of Calgary classes or Mt. Royal classes. It gives me a little more freedom to pursue the direction I want my classes to go. A list of classes for fall is below. If you already received a fall schedule, please note that I've re-adjusted some of the dates. Classes at Varsity, Acadia and Deerfoot Meadows must be pre-registered. Please email me for a registration form if you do not already have one. Also, take note of registration deadlines as well as changes to class levels and times.

MONDAYS
Location:   Varsity Community Centre, 4303 Varsity Drive N.W.
Dates:      September 10 - November 19th (9 weeks) No class September 17 and October 8th
Times:      5:30 - 6:30 p.m. High intermediate/advanced - Level 3 
                6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Beginner - Level 1 
                   7:30 - 8:30 p.m. High beginner/improver - Level 2
Cost:         $79.00

TUESDAYS 
Location:  St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, 703 Heritage Drive S.W. (age 55+)
Dates:     September 18 - November 27 (11 weeks)
Time:      10:15 - 11:15 a.m. Beginner - Level 1 
                 11:30 - 12:30 p.m. High beginner/improver - Level 2 
                 12:40 - 1:40 p.m. High intermediate/advanced - Level 3
Cost:         $35.00 
                 A Heritage Seniors membership is also required at a tentative cost of $10.00.

WEDNESDAYS
Location:  Acadia Recreation Centre, 240 - 90th Avenue S.E. 
Dates:     September 19 - November 14th (9 weeks)
Time:      6:15 - 7:15 p,m. Beginner - Level 1
                  7:20 - 8:20 p.m. High intermediate/advanced - Level 3
Cost:        $79.00

THURSDAYS
Location: Confederation Park Seniors, 2213 - 13th Street N.W. (55+) 
Dates:    September 20 - November 29 (11 weeks)
Time:     10:30 - 11:30 a.m. High intermediate/advanced - Level 3
Cost:      $45.00 (tentative fee - call Confederation Park seniors for pricing
              To register, call Confederation Park Seniors at 289-4780
                A membership to the Confederation Park Centre must also be purchased.

FRIDAYS 
Location: Superstore Community Room, Deerfoot Meadows S.E. (by IKEA)
Dates:    September 21 - November 9th (8 weeks)
Time:     9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Beginner - Level 1
Cost:      $70.00

FRIDAYS Ranchmans on Macleod Trail every Friday evening from 7:00-8:00 p.m

LINE DANCE QUESTIONNAIRE

I used to send out a questionnaire to people in classes to get an idea of what they wanted. It's been a long time since I've done this. Conversations with other instructors as to how they assess their classes told me it's time to resurrect this and since we wind up for summer, it's good for me to get some feedback and see what you want for fall.

For those of you in my classes, please take the time to either cut and paste this into an email or send as an attachment back to me. Other instructors, feel free to use any of this format for your own classes.

Name:

Class Location:

Class Level:

What are your favorite dances?

What are your least favorite dances?

Do you enjoy the variety of music played in class?

Is there enough variety of dances?

Is enough time spent on teaching a new dance?

How often do you want to be learning a new dance?

Do you prefer to come to class and just dance familiar dances or would you like to be learning new dances more often?

Are the dances you're learning too easy, too difficult or appropriate for the level of class you are taking? How challenging do you want the class to be?

What do you get out of the class? Do I make it a fun time for you or are there times you are bored, frustrated or feel overwhelmed with the dances?

Extra comments: Please feel free to add on extra comments or suggestions.