THE LINE & COUNTRY & WESTERN DANCE & MUSIC FAQ

8.0 CHOREOGRAPHING & PUBLISHING YOUR DANCES

8.1 How Do I Correctly Annotate Dance Steps?

The following is intended as a guide so that a printed hardcopy of an emailed Line/C&W dance itself provides a very reasonable handout for use by students and instructors. It should be very easily read at a glance, and taught directly from.


Sample Dance Example

From: salderson@esl1.admin.bhtafe.edu.au        (poster's email name)
To: line-dance@world.std.com
Subject: Addicted Line Dance  (matches exactly the below TITLE and NAME:)
(blank line)                  (beginning body of the message)
   ADDICTED Line Dance   (centered title - name in Uppercase)
(blank line)
(blank line)
NAME: Addicted            (Order here is not critical except for NAME, 
TYPE: 4 Wall Line Dance    TYPE, and COUNTS which should be first)
                          (e.g. Line, Couples, number of walls, etc)
COUNTS: 64                (e.g. beats, total number of steps can also be
                           included)   
MUSIC: Addicted to the dollar by Doug Stone
       (e.g. Title, Artist, Album & BPM Speed If Known)
       (Sometimes the track is described as Learning, Practice
        or Performance)
CHOREOGRAPHER:  Clive McKenzie  (name & address, telephone, etc)
DIFFICULTY: Medium               (or LEVEL: )
                           (e.g Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, etc)
SUBMITTER:        (if prepared by other than choreographer w/phone etc)
(blank line)
(blank line)
COUNTS / STEP DESCRIPTIONS  
(blank line)
RIGHT AND LEFT SCUFF AND STEP TO SIDE:(a summary of the following steps,
                                      Sometimes refered to as a CUE LINE)
 1-2  Scuff Right out to right, step side Right  (use of standard phrases)
 3-4  Scuff Left out to Left, step side Left  (numbers are strictly sequential
(blank line)                             thru to the end of the dance)
TOUCH RIGHT BEHIND LEFT AND VINE RIGHT:
 5-8  Touch Right behind Left, step side Right, 
      Cross Left behind, step side Right
(blank line)
                     REPEAT (some variations occur)
(blank line)
--------------------------------(optional separator for trailing notes)
                                (notes go here as appropriate)
End Of Sample Dance Example

N.B. Please do note that dance steps should be consecutive from start to finish.


The finished product should look like this:


                         ADDICTED Line Dance

NAME: Addicted
TYPE: 4 Wall Line Dance
MUSIC: Addicted to the dollar by Doug Stone
CHOREOGRAPHER:  Clive McKenzie, Central Coast, Australia.
DIFFICULTY: Intermediate
COUNTS: 64

COUNTS / STEP DESCRIPTIONS


RIGHT AND LEFT SCUFF AND STEP TO SIDE:
 1-2    Scuff Right out to right, step side right
 3-4    Scuff Left out to Left, step side Left

TOUCH RIGHT BEHIND LEFT AND VINE RIGHT:
 5-8    Touch Right behind Left, step side Right, 
        Cross Left behind, step side Right

LEFT AND RIGHT SCUFF AND STEP TO SIDE:
 9-10   Scuff Left out to the left, step side Left
 11-12  Scuff Right out to the right, step side Right

TOUCH LEFT BEHIND RIGHT AND VINE LEFT:
 13-16  Touch Left behind Right, step side Left, 
        Cross Right behind, step side Left

RIGHT HEEL TOUCH, HITCH, AND 1/4 TURN LEFT TWICE:
 17-20  Touch Right heel forward, touch Right together, 
        hitch Right turning 90 deg. to left
 21-24  Touch Right heel forward, touch Right together, 
        hitch Right turning 90 deg. to left

FORWARD RIGHT AT 45, THEN LEFT AT 45:
 25-28  Step Right forward at 45 deg., Left together, 
        step Right forward at 45 deg., scuff Left
 29-32  Step Left forward at 45 deg., Right together, 
        step Left forward at 45 deg., stomp Right

RIGHT HEEL TOUCH, HITCH, AND 1/4 TURN LEFT TWICE:
 33-36  Touch Right heel forward, touch Right together, 
        hitch Right turning 90 deg. to left
 37-40  Touch Right heel forward, touch Right together, 
        hitch Right turning 90 deg. to left

FORWARD RIGHT AT 45, THEN LEFT AT 45:
 41-44  Step Right forward at 45 deg., Left together, 
        step Right forward at 45 deg., scuff Left
 45-48  Step Left forward at 45 deg., Right together, 
        step Left forward at 45 deg., stomp Right

JUMPING JACK AND CLAP:
 49-52  Jump feet apart, jump feet together, 
        Jump feet apart, clap

LEAN BACK AND LIFT RIGHT AND LEFT HEEL:
 53-54  Lean back on left foot & lift right heel off floor, 
        drop Right heel to floor
 55-56  Lean back on right foot & lift left heel off floor, 
        drop Left heel to floor

1/4 TURN LEFT, FORWARD LEFT AND RIGHT, AND ROCK STEP:
 57-60  Step Right behind Left, turning 90 deg. left, step Left forward, 
        Step Right forward, rock on left

VINE, TURNING 540 DEGREES (1-1/2 TURN) TO THE RIGHT:
 61-64  step Right to right side, step Left behind right,
        step Right to right side, stomp Left beside right.

REPEAT

8.2 Word Processing Shortcuts & Macros

This Section Reproduced By Kind Permission Of Phil Rockwell

* prockwell@facso.navfac.navy.mil

DIRECTIONS TO CREATE AUTO-CORRECT ENTRIES UNDER MS-WORD 
                
  1. Make the line of type in CAPITAL letters  bold
  2. Use your Mouse to Hi-Light the bold line (in CAPITALS)
     thru the blank line following each group.
     (Be sure to include the Blank Line)
  3. Click Tools
  4. Click Auto Correct
  5. Type the 3 or 4 lowercase letters (the first line of each group)
     in the   Replace box
  6. Click the Add button
  7. Click the OK  Button
  8. Continue until all groups are entered

DIRECTIONS TO USE AUTO-CORRECT ENTRIES UNDER MS-WORD

  (In a new document)

  Type the Dance name, choreographer, music, # walls, # beats, and 
  date.After a blank line, type the Beat Count and one of the three 
  or four character words that is the name of a group of steps.        
  For example type, 01-04 rlsh to automatically get the steps for 
  RIGHT SHUFFLE, LEFT SHUFFLE which should be the first four steps of 
  the dance.  Continue typing Beat Counts and Step abbreviations.
        
  If you come across a set of steps that are not in AUTO CORRECT, type 
  them as part of the Dance you are working on, as you want them to 
  appear and follow Steps 1-8 above.

SOME SUGGESTED AUTO CORRECT STEP MACROS

  as2                                 bfy 
  RIGHT TOUCH, TOGETHER               HEELS OUT & IN 
     1- Right Side Touch                1-Heels Apart 
     2- Right Step Together             2-Heels Together
  
  bxs                                 c2 
  BOX STEP                            CLAP, CLAP 
     1-Step To Left                     1- Clap 
     2-Step Across With Right           2- Clap  
     3-Step Back Left   
     4-Step Together Right

  rh3t   
  RIGHT HEEL, HOOK, HEEL TOGETHER  
     1- Right Heel touch Forward  
     2- Right Heel Hook Across Left Leg  
     3- Right Heel touch Forward  
     4- Right Step Together

  rht2                                rhthh 
  RIGHT HEEL, HEEL, TOE, TOE          RIGHT HEEL, TOGETHER, HEEL, HEEL
     1- Right Heel touch forward        1- Right Heel touch Forward
     2- Right Heel touch forward        2- Right Toe  Touch Together
     3- Right Toe  touch back           3- Right Heel touch Forward
     4- Right Toe  touch back           4- Right Heel touch Forward
 
  lbs                                 lfs  
  LEFT BACK AND SLIDE                 LEFT FORWARD AND SLIDE 
     1- Left  Step Back                  1- Left  Step Forward 
     2- Right Slide Together             2- Right Slide Together
  
  lvk   
  LEFT VINE AND KICK
     1- Left Foot Step To Left Side  
     2- Right Foot Step To Left Side Behind Left  
     3- Left Foot Step To Left Side  
     4- Right Kick

  lvqt  
  LEFT VINE 1/4 TURN LEFT & KICK
     1- Left Foot Step To Left Side  
     2- Right Foot Step To Left Side Behind Left  
     3- Left Foot Step To Left Side With 1/4 turn Left  
     4- Right Kick

  lvs   
  LEFT VINE & SCUFF   
     1- Left Foot Step To Left Side  
     2- Right Foot Step To Left Side Behind Left  
     3- Left Foot Step To Left Side  
     4- Right Foot Scuff Beside Left (no weight)
 
  lhh   
  LEFT HEEL, HOOK, HEEL, TOGETHER
     1- Left  Heel touch Forward  
     2- Left  Hook across Right 
     3- Left  Heel touch Forward 
     4- Left  Together

  lhop  
  HOP LEFT
     1- Left  heel/Toe Forward & Right foot Back
         
  ljj   
  LEFT JUMP & TOGETHER  (WITH ATTITUDE)
     1- Left  Jump Back & Right Heel    
     2-Jump Together Right & L
       
  lkbc                                 lrs
  LEFT KICK-BALL-CHANGE                LEFT STEP, TOUCH, STEP, TOUCH
     1- Left  Kick                        1- Left Step
     &- Left  Ball & Right Lift           2- Right Touch To Left Heel
     2- Right Step In Place               3- Right Step Back 
                                          4- Left  Touch To Right Toe

  lrsh                                 lshm  
  LEFT SHUFFLE, RIGHT SHUFFLE          SHIMMY LEFT 
     1- Left  Step Forward                1- Left  Sidestep  
     &- Right Toe To Left  Heel           2-Shimmy 
     2- Left  Step Forward                3-Shimmy
     3- Right Step Forward                4- Right Step Together Clap
     &- Left  Toe To Right Heel   
     4- Right Step Forward

  lsp                                lss 
  LEFT STEP & PIVOT 1/2 RIGHT        LEFT SIDE & SLIDE
     1- Left Step Forward               1- Left Foot Step To Left Side 
     2- Pivot 1/2 Right                 2- Right Slide Together 
      
  lst   
  LEFT SIDE & TOUCH
     1- Left Foot Step To Left Side       
     2- Right Touch Together
      
  rbs                                rck
  RIGHT BACK & SLIDE                 RIGHT CHARLESTON
     1- Right Step Back                 1- Right Kick 
     2- Left  Slide Together            2- Right Step Back 
                                        3- Left Toe Touch Back
                                        4- Left Step Forward 
  
  rfs   
  RIGHT STEP & SLIDE
     1- Right Step Forward      
     2- Left Slide Together
      
  rvk   
  RIGHT VINE & KICK
     1- Right Foot Step To Right Side    
     2- Left Step To Right Side Behind Right     
     3- Right Foot Step To Right Side     
     4- Left Kick

  rvqt  
  RIGHT VINE WITH 1/4 TURN RIGHT & KICK
     1- Right Foot Step To Right Side  
     2- Left Step Step To Right Side Behind Right  
     3- Right Point Toe To Right turning 1/4   
     4- Left Kick

  rvs   
  VINE RIGHT & SCUFF
     1- Right Foot Step To Right Side     
     2- Left Foot Step To Right Behind Right     
     3- Right Foot Step To Right Side     
     4- Left Foot Scuff Beside Right (no weight)

  rhh   
  RIGHT HEEL, HOOK, HEEL, TOGETHER
     1- Right Heel touch forward   
     2- Right Hook across Left leg  
     3- Right Heel touch forward   
     4- Right Together

  rhop  
  RIGHT HOP
     1- Right Toe Forward & Left foot Back
         
  rjj   
  RIGHT JUMP, TOGETHER
     1- Right Jump Back & Left  Heel    
     2-Jump Together Right & L
       
  rkb   
  RIGHT KICK-BALL-CHANGE
     1- Right Kick     
     &- Right Ball To Left  Toe & Left  Lift 
     2- Left Step In Place

  rrs                                     rsh  
  RIGHT STEP, TOUCH, STEP, TOUCH          RIGHT SHUFFLE 
     1- Right Step forward                   1- Right Step Forward 
     2- Left  Touch To Right Heel            &- Left Toe To Right Heel
     3- Left  Step Back                      2- Right Step Forward 
     4- Right Touch To Left  Toe
  
  rlsh                              rshm  
  RIGHT SHUFFLE, LEFT SHUFFLE       SHIMMY RIGHT 
     1- Right Step Forward            1- Right Foot Step To Right Side 
     &- Left  Toe To Right Heel       2-Shimmy
     2- Right Step Forward            3-Shimmy 
     3- Left  Step Forward            4- Left Step Together Clap
     &- Right Toe To Left  Heel 
     4- Left  Step Forward
  
  rsp                               rss 
  RIGHT STEP & PIVOT 1/2            RIGHT SIDE & SLIDE 
     1- Right Step Forward            1- Right Foot Step To Right Side
     2- Pivot 1/2 Left                2- Left Slide Together  
    
  rst   
  RIGHT SIDE & TOUCH
     1- Right Foot Step To Right Side       
     2- Left Touch Together
      
  rstrt 
  RIGHT STRUT, LEFT STRUT
     1- Right Toe Forward   
     2- Right Heel Down   
     3- Left  Toe Forward   
     4- Left  Heel Down

  rss4   
  RIGHT SIDE TOUCH, TOGETHER, TOUCH, TOGETHER
     1- Right Side Touch       
     2- Right Touch Together       
     3- Right Side Touch       
     4- Right Step Together

  lss4   
  Left SIDE TOUCH, TOGETHER, TOUCH, TOGETHER
     1- Left Side Touch       
     2- Left Touch Together       
     3- Left Side Touch       
     4- Left Step Together

  sw4  
  SWIVEL RIGHT, CENTER, LEFT, CENTER
     1- Heels Twist Right  
     2- Heels Twist To Center  
     3- Heels Twist Left   
     4- Heels Twist Center

  ajr  
  APPLE-JACK RIGHT, CENTER, RIGHT, CENTER  
     1-Swivel Right (Left Toe, Right Heel)   
     2-Swivel Center   
     3-Swivel Right   
     4-Swivel Center
     
  ajl  
  APPLE-JACK LEFT, CENTER, LEFT, CENTER  
     1-Swivel Left (Right Toe, Left Heel)   
     2-Swivel Center   
     3-Swivel Left   
     4-Swivel Center
 
  Ooii                               Rsip 
  OUT, OUT, IN, IN                   RIGHT SHUFFLE IN PLACE
     1- Right Out And Left  Out         1- Right Step In Place 
     2- Right In  And Left  In          &  Left Toe To Right Heel
                                        2- Right Step In Place
  lsip
  LEFT SHUFFLE IN PLACE  
     1- Left Step In Place 
     &  Right  Toe  To Left Heel  
     2- Left Step In Place    

8.3 So You Want To Write A Line Dance:

Why I'd Like To Be Miss America

Actually this article has nothing to do with Miss America, but I figure that if it worked for Howard Stern, it can work for anyone. The title of this article should really be:

So You Want To Write A Line Dance

You will notice that I didn't title this article, "So You Want To Choreograph A Line Dance". You see, the easy part is actually dreaming up the dance. Most of the good choreographers will tell you that most of the time the really difficult part of the process is putting the dance down on paper in a clear, concise manner, so that everyone who reads it can dance it just the way you do. Before we talk about what to say and how to say it, let's talk about music selection.

I was associated with the music industry long before I became a dancer, much less a choreographer and instructor. When I started dancing, one of the complaints that I heard from choreographers and instructors was that the record companies didn't "respect them". When I questioned my friends in the industry as to if there was any truth to these allegations, I was surprised to find that there was. I was in the office of an executive in Nashville (who shall remain nameless), and in response to my question, he brought out a copy of a dance magazine. He said, "Look at the suggested music selections for most of these dances. Some of them have been off the charts for two years or more! Here is one that isn t even in print any longer! If the dance community wants to be taken seriously by the music industry, than they need to work with us." That really bugged me, and from that moment on I was determined to try to see that country western choreographers and instructors got the respect that they deserved.

It is our intent to work hand in hand with the music industry, while providing our readers with music suggestions that we know they will be able to easily find. There is nothing more irritating then having to go to every store in town, unsuccessfully looking for some obscure song that you need to teach some dance that you really liked. Our ultimate desire is to be able to provide a link between the choreographer and the labels.. Some pop songs work well as line dances, but I will usually substitute a country song for a suggested "rock" or "pop" song. You won't see any dances in Step By Step that suggest music by Snoop Doggy Doodoo! We occasionally receive dances that have been choreographed to recordings from local bands, some of which are not available for sale except through the band itself. In other cases, we will receive dances where the suggested music is music that is closely associated with an already established dance. Here is an example:

Bill Bader submitted a really cute dance entitled Cowgirls Twist, and he suggested Vince Gill's, What The Cowgirls Do as the music of choice. There is a dance here in the States called Cowgirls Do, that was choreographed by Christy Schmedt in 1994. It had been published in our inaugural issue and subsequently by nearly every dance magazine in the country. It was taught and danced by Katie Haas and Barry Amato on TNN's Wildhorse Saloon Show, and included in their hardcover book, "Hittin' The Hardwood Volume 1". It came in 9th on the national balloting for the top line dances of 1994. When Bill sent me his dance suggesting a song that is so closely associated with another dance, I felt that his dance would have a better chance of catching on if it could be danced to a more current song that wasn't already associated with a popular dance.

Here is another example: There is a great little dance called Redneck Girl, that is danced, strangely enough, to The Bellamy Brothers' Redneck Girl. That dance never caught on like it should have, because every time a DJ plays Redneck Girl in 90% of the clubs in the country, the dancers rush to the floor and dance the Tush Push. Anyone trying to dance Redneck Girl is tush pushed off the floor. So you see, it isn't that I felt that my choice was "better than" Bill Bader's, I just wanted to give his dance a fair shake by linking it with what I felt was going to be a hit song. The song that I picked was Ty Herndon's, I Want my Goodbye Back, which had the same phrasing as the Vince Gill song. Ty Herndon and the people at Sony Music were thrilled with Bill's dance, and Bill got some exposure in Nashville.

One of the questions that I am most often asked (besides, "Are you putting on weight?") is, "How can I choreograph a dance for a record label?" Here are two helpful tips:

1. Don't pick a country superstar's song and expect to hear from his or her label. A brand new artist is in much more need of the attention that a line dance might bring a new release.

2. Try to find a cut on the album that has not yet been released. If you pick a song that is already on it's way up the charts, by the time you choreograph and write up the dance, send it to Step By Step (the dances for this issue were chosen during second week of November), and we print it, the song is now a "golden oldie".

3. Keep your dance as simple as possible. A long difficult dance usually won't be taught in enough places for it to catch on nationally. A good "hook" (an unusual or signature step) is more important than anything. Donna Wasnick, from Tulare, CA, is a whiz at including a hook in every one of her dances. They are almost always short (32 to 48 count), but they are always different.

Here are two hints that will help your dance have some longevity:

1. Try to make sure that you phrase your dance so that it can be danced to more than one song. Ideally that would be in counts of eight (16, 24, 32, 40, 48 etc.), or at very least in counts of four. A waltz would obviously be in counts of six (or three).

2. The folks at the record labels would like you to give your dance the exact name of the record. I would advise you not to do that. The reason is, once the song's popularity is gone, so is your dance. But even worse than that is this. . Step By Step came into being because I called Dorothy to complain about the fact that the magazine that she was working for at the time had published no less than 5 dances called "Chattahoochie"! If Step By Step receives a cute dance that has the same name as a popular dance, or one that we have previously published, I will call the Choreographer and ask she or he if they would consider changing the name of the dance. If they are willing, we print the dance. If they are not, we don't. The best advice is not to name your dance after the song that inspired you to choreograph your dance. If it's a great song, the chances are pretty good that you will have a lot of competition.

For example: we received 13 dances called "I Like It, I Love It", 7 called "I Like It" and 3 called"I Love It".

I would dearly love to see standardized step descriptions and terminology, but until the different organizations stop fighting and agree to common ground, that is just not going to happen. The bottom line is, 99% of the people who step out on the dance floor are doing so because they "just wanna have fun". Therefore we will try to do our part by attempting to standardize our dances by writing them up in a uniform format. Please don't expect someone in Dublin (Ohio or Ireland) to know what a "sleazy slide to the left" means. Descriptions like that necessitate changing some terminology, so that it will be easily understood by all of our readers. We will never knowingly change one single step in the choreography, only the description of that step. If you really want to avoid possible mistakes, try to follow our format when submitting dances. It will greatly reduce the amount of rewriting that we have to do, and therefore reduce the chances for errors in transposition. In fact, you can send your dances directly to my computer by attaching the file to an E-Mail letter to me. Then I just download your dance from the attached file.

My E-mail address is: dhengen@aol.com
As my partner, and friend, always says, "Have fun, and keep on dancin'".
Denny Hengen

Reprinted by kind permission of Denny Hengen and Step By Step Magazine. This article was originally printed in Volume 1, Number 10, January 1996 of Step By Step.


8.4 How To Get Your Dances Published

Many magazines invite their readers to submit their original choreography and favorite dance step descriptions to share with dancers across the country and around the world. In order to share your favorites in the most accurate manner possible, you should follow a few simple guidelines and include the following information with each step description:


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LD FAQ Section 8: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jgothard/sect8.htm
The Line/C&W Dance & Music FAQ is Copyright © Julian L. Gothard 1995-1998
The FAQ was converted to html/htm format by Robert Fielder and Julian L. Gothard.