If you read, and more amazingly recall, my May article, I mentioned that line dancing in the western PA and eastern OH areas has been experiencing a resurgence. During the last couple of months, I decided to attend three of these classes/events: my experiences ranged from exclusion to both remembrance and avoidance then finally a congregation with open arms.
First, there is a renowned line dance icon who has been teaching almost twice as long as I have, but I haven’t taken class from her in the past 15 years. I read that she was teaching at a local facility and the footnote stated if interested in participating, to reach out to her on social media. I sent her a message and was not prepared for her response; she declared that her class was “invitation only” and she feels our “social styles don’t quite align” so she “was not comfortable moving forward with an invitation.” I don’t know what I did or said to provoke her reaction; suffice it to say that I didn’t reply. You might think that maybe she had me confused with someone else; alas, that’s not the case because I recently saw her at a line dance event and she completely avoided me. I realize that I’m not everyone’s cup of tea.
For my second event, I went to a local bar after the lesson was over and it was open line dance with a DJ. I did not recognize any of the “regulars” which didn’t surprise me because I have been out of this scene for over three years. I joined in to do the dances I knew, and picked up a few others. At one point the gentleman who was one of the instructors came up to me and asked, “Dori, do you remember me? You taught me at Bootleggers.” I remembered him, and we reminisced about the very first dance he learned from me. He is now part of a crew under the guidance of a teacher who was at another event but came to the bar later that night. Even though he and I danced and chatted, the lead instructor didn’t seem interested to meet me, and I didn’t want to disturb the vibe she had going on with her regulars.
If you’re keeping score, I’m 0 for 2; which brings me to the third event, which was a country line dance party at a local senior center. I took my friend, who I previously taught, and we knew a few people there. I was pleasantly surprised to see three ladies who took my classes about 15-20 years ago. I was so happy to see that they’re all still line dancing and we did some of our favorite dances from back then. I also knew the instructor, Donna, but I have never taken her class. She welcomed me with open arms and was so thankful for my support. Donna has only been teaching line dance for a couple years, but you would never know it. She “read the room” and kept the dance floor full, working with the DJ to play a variety of music. I could tell that Donna’s regular students absolutely adore her, and I can understand why; she has the knack of making everyone feel welcome.
Here’s one of the classic local line dances that someone requested; ironically, the “teach” video is done by Jenny, who I mentioned in last month’s article!
