A place to worship and dance

Tue, May 13 2008

— All Saints Parish is a popular place of worship, but on Wednesday nights, the church is also a place for dance.
Once a week, a line dancing class is held at the church and a small group of residents regularly take part.
Line dancing is a social experience. Participants don't dance in pairs, they assemble in lines and do the same steps in unison. Originally, line dancing was done primarily to country music, but nowadays line dancing is incorporated into other genres, like pop, rock, big band and folk.
But line dancing isn't just found in dance halls and church recreation centers. If you've been on the dance floor at a wedding, you've probably taken part in the most famous of all line dances -- the electric slide.
Broken down, a line dance is a combination of vines, hitches and walks considered basic moves.
But for some, line dancing is more than just a social, fun and physical activity. The best line dancers can compete in top competitions around the world. There are even global organizations that run competitions, including United Country Western Dance Council, Masters in Line and World Country Dance Federation.

Some basic line dancing steps
r Vine -- A three-count move side to side with the second step being behind.
r Hook -- Foot of one leg is raised and crossed over the other leg just below the knee. Toes are pointing down. Legs will look like a "4" or a backward "4" depending on whether it is a right or left hook.
r Hitch -- Knee is raised straight up so leg forms an upside-down "L" shape. The bottom part of leg hangs straight down from the knee, and top part of leg is parallel to the ground.
r Shuffle -- Three steps to two counts of music. It can move forward, backward or to either side. It can also be done in place. It is actually a step-ball-step.
r Touch -- One foot touches the ground, usually next to the other foot. Weight is on the other foot. The foot in the touch will be used next.
r Pivot - A pivot is a two-count move. Touch one toe forward on the first count. Pivoting on the ball of the other foot, turn on the second count. Weight will end on the stationary foot, which is forward after the pivot. Left toe forward turns to the right; right toe forward turns to the left. Pivots are usually a quarter or half turn.
Source: The World Line Dancing Newsletter