The Electric Slide

[Spitfire]

Just wondered if the Electic Slide is still popular in some areas. I haven't seen it done here in quite a long time. Saw it in the Seattle area in the two times I was up there at the dances I attended.

[DanceMentor]

The main places I see the Electric Slide are singles dances and weddings.

The question is...are you an Electric Slide pro? Can you add extra turns, syncopations and body action? I'm halfway kidding, but thereare people who are actually pretty good! :o

[Spitfire]

The main places I see the Electric Slide are singles dances and weddings.

The question is...are you an Electric Slide pro? Can you add extra turns, syncopations and body action? I'm halfway kidding, but thereare people who are actually pretty good! :o

No, don't do line dancing, but was just curious. :)

[Wes]

The Electric Slide is old! ...you should go line dancing now and see the new stuff!

Wes!
xxx

ps. Are there any other line dancers on this board??? - Just curious! :D

[youngsta]

I don't see it done anywhere anymore either, but when it was out I would have been considered a pro (if there was such a category for the electric slide :lol: )

[d nice]

It still gets pulled otu at certain clubs and yes there are some people really good at it. You should see my mirror version. Find a cute girl and reverse it. 8)

[pygmalion]

ps. Are there any other line dancers on this board??? - Just curious! :D

Hey Wes.

I can do the cotten-eye-Joe, the Romeo, the bailamos, the swamp thing, the wild, wild west, and a bunch more, thanks to Lyndsay, my country/linedance teacher. Does that count?


I don't much do line dancing in clubs, though. It feels a heck of a lot different when you're drunk.

[youngsta]

No you didn't steal one of my variations of it d nice! :? :lol:

[MissAlyssa]

the electric slide ends up getting played at least once in just about every place I go to go dancing in the greater phoenix metropolitan area. I love it, it's fun and easy. It's fun to put new twists on it by doing turns, kicks, etc. 8)

[d nice]

Y'all mean the country version of it don't you? Personally I prefer the funk version... it's just, more funky. ;)

[pygmalion]

Hey, the electric slide may be old, but at least it gets otherwise uncoordinated people and/or non-dancers up on the floor. (Sadly) I've been to weddings and other functions where that was the only dance done. Nine hundred women, one man, and a big dancefloor. What are you going do? Electric slide, or cha cha slide, or "funk" electric slide. At least you get to dance.

Plus, at least once every five to ten years, there's gotta be one of those dances for the "masses" -- the non-dancers. Remember the rock, or planet rock, or whatever it was called where you live? (I'm dating myself now :) ) The world's simplest dance. Just plant your feet on the floor and sway your hips from side to side on the beats. (Think Earth, Wind and Fire Boogie Wonderland video) Got countless thousands of folks up and dancing. Heck, I still know people who won't do any other dance. :)

These dances may be pretty dumb, but I think they have their uses.

[MissAlyssa]

the cha-cha slide is one of my faves. I like to go all out and make up my own moves. so so so fun!

[linggg]

What's the electric slide?

[pygmalion]

Linggg.

Funny you should ask. The electric slide is a four wall line dance that used to be very popular all over the United States. The first time I ever saw it was sometime in the mid-eighties, and it's been a staple at weddings and other large social functions ever since. It's a pretty non-challenging dance, and virtually anybody can do it. I think that's why it was so popular (less so now).

Actually, there are a few variations out there. Hence the references to cha cha slide (a country version with stomps) and funk electric slide (with more intricate footwork and some spins).

[dancergal]

I do a lot of line dancing and our club always calls the Electric Slide at least once a night to get the people on the floor. I stopped doing it because it gets a little boring, but everyone once in awhile I'll get up and do it just to get warmed up. Hey does anyone do the Mambo #5? That used to be all the rage. They don't play it as much anymore and I almost forgot it. That's a fun line dance.

[MissAlyssa]

I didn't know there was a dance that went along with the song. Mambo #5 by Lou Vega right?

[Vince A]

Mambo #5 - line dance??? G-d, I used to teach that! That's a tough line dance!!!!!!!!!! Great dance though!

There is no way an "electric-slide-only" line dancer could do this. You have to be a dancer to do it.

Hey dancergal, when you did it . . . the part where the dance changes to fast-paced moving part during the instrumental . . . did you all circle each other? It made the dance even more difficult!

[dancergal]

Hey dancergal, when you did it . . . the part where the dance changes to fast-paced moving part during the instrumental . . . did you all circle each other? It made the dance even more difficult!

Vince, actually we never learned to circle each other. Some people try to do it, but then it confuses the other people around them. When Rob "I" used to come to the old Saddle Rack, he used to circle everyone so I know what it looks like. It looked cool.

I've learned how to line dance first, then learned CW2-step and now WCS. I do all three when we got out dancing at the Rack or the Rodeo. I love line dancing!

[Vince A]

[quote=Vince A]Hey dancergal, when you did it . . . the part where the dance changes to fast-paced moving part during the instrumental . . . did you all circle each other? It made the dance even more difficult!
Vince, actually we never learned to circle each other. Some people try to do it, but then it confuses the other people around them. When Rob "I" used to come to the old Saddle Rack, he used to circle everyone so I know what it looks like. It looked cool.
You got it, dancergal . . . Rob I is the one I learned it from.

I've learned how to line dance first, then learned CW2-step and now WCS. I do all three when we got out dancing at the Rack or the Rodeo. I love line dancing!
I started out as a line dancer too . . . went to 2-Step, then to a competition dance team where I learned ECS, Polka, WCS. Our team competed in UCWDC.

Back on topic . . . we even did a skit that was about half "Electric Slide."

[dancergal]

Vince, do you still line dance at all?

[Vince A]

Vince, do you still line dance at all?
We do a lot of C&W social club dances, and they do line dances all night and we usually dance around them (2 Step, Waltz, Polka, etc.) or on the sidelines (WCS, ECS, Cha Cha, NC2S).

But every now and then . . . they play ones of those really old, fun to do, try and remember them line dances, and . . . "why, yes, I do!"

How about you?

[dancersdreamland]

Howdy!

Just thought I'd add my two cents...for what their worth...

I do infact line dance on a fairly regular basis with several dance groups in the midwest area. We usually do the "Electric Slide" at least once per night. It's a GREAT beginners dance and can be jived up with new moves for the "pros."

I prefer the "funk" music to the actual "country" version and LOVE adding turns, floor slaps, and floor kneels. A friend of mind actually throws in the "worm" and sometime a "pushup" kind of thing. It's pretty fun.

Mambo #5 is a GREAT line dance. We actually danced that tonight...come to think of it. It's one though that if you don't do it for a while it's kind of hard to remember.

A few other favorites: Cross Over, Giddy Up, Lord to Dance, Pot of Gold, She Bangs...and there are SOOOO many more.

[pygmalion]

Floor kneels? I gotta get a visual on this! Where do the floor kneels fit in? Gotta try it. :D

Of course, I'm no bellydancer, so I'm probably not as limber as you. But I do have a great sense of adventure. Where do the kneels go?

[d nice]

I prefer the "funk" music to the actual "country" version and LOVE adding turns, floor slaps, and floor kneels.

I thought the funk version from the 80's was the original version of the dance. Shows you what I know, I guess.

[Vince A]

I prefer the "funk" music to the actual "country" version and LOVE adding turns, floor slaps, and floor kneels. A friend of mind actually throws in the "worm" and sometime a "pushup" kind of thing. It's pretty fun.
Not to mention several "hip hop"moves and "running man."

Mambo #5 . . . one though that if you don't do it for a while it's kind of hard to remember.
You can say that again . . . I tried it 3 weeks ago at a dance, and it took nearly the entire song to get it back!

[dancersdreamland]

Floor kneels? I gotta get a visual on this! Where do the floor kneels fit in? Gotta try it.

Let's see...where to put the floor kneels in:

Electric Slide (without addins)
Counts 1-4: Grapevine right with touch
Counts 5-8: Grapevine left with touch
Counts 1-4: Backstep R-L-R with touch
Counts 5-8: Rock forward onto left, touch right, Rock back onto right, touch left
Final counts: Step left with 1/4 turn left and scuff right

Electric Slide (with addins)
Counts 1-4: Grapevine right with touch (can do full turn right while traveling right in place of the grapevine)
Counts 5-8: Grapevine left with touch (can do full turn left while traveling left in place of the grapevine)
Counts 1-4: Backstep R-L-R with touch (can do full turn while traveling backwards in place of backsteps)
Counts 5-8: Rocks (can do floor kneel following are the counts)
Final counts: Step left with 1/4 turn left and scuff right

Counts for Floor Kneels
Count 5: Step forward left
Count 6: Kneel down on right knee while keeping left foot firmly planted so your left leg is making a 90 degree angle
Count 7: Lean back on right heel and kick left foot out placing your heel on the floor. At this point, your left leg should be slanted to the floor with all your weight on your right.
Count 8: Bring left leg back in while transferring your weight onto left foot.
Final counts: While turning 1/4 turn left, stand back up and start the dance over again with a right grapevine.

For other line dance step sheets, check out http://www.kickit.to/ld/Main.php3.

[pygmalion]

Perfect! I can actually understand when and where to do the kneels.

How is a different matter! :lol:

Thanks.

[Sean Boogie]

The Slide Is the Old Bus Stop from the 70's

[Christina75]

hey! I remember when I first started hearing about line dancing years ago, I saw someone demonstrate what I thought was called the Bus Stop. A little while later I saw it as the Electric Slide and I just figured I had been mistaken about the name. I never heard it called the Bus Stop again until I read Sean's post. Glad to know I wasn't just imagining things. LOL

Also, on the floor kneels, when I've seen it done in the country bars around here, the cool thing is for the guys to take their hats off and twirl them as they kneel. I can't really describe it, but it looks nice. :)

Christina

[Grandmaster Slice]

Greetings to all.I just wanted to thank everyone who's ever danced to my release "Electric Slide(Shall We Dance)" or purchased it.I created the record when I was a dj in southside VA in 1989.I wanted to record a record that would pack dance floors everywhere no matter what race you were or no matter how good you could dance or what your age was.I never realised that the song would never die when it was recorded.For a little info on what I've been up to since then,you can go to www.wingspanrecords.com

I may go back on the road performing soon so if you know of any promotors interested,let 'em know that I'll be checking this forum from time to time as we get things together.Again,thank you all & God bless you,Grandmaster Slice

[pygmalion]

Welcome Grandmaster Slice. :D

Nice website, btw. Loved the beats on your home page. 8)

[Grandmaster Slice]

Thanks.Needs updating but we haven't released anything new in over a year.Hopefully that'll change soon.

[pygmalion]

Good luck with your next project, and be sure to let us know how it goes. :D

[Grandmaster Slice]

Will do.Thanks again...

[peachexploration]

Hi Grandmaster Slice. Welcome to the DF! :D Wow, I remember this song and "Thinking of You" as well. Cool! Good luck with your next project! :D

[pygmalion]

Yup. I remember too. The first time I heard about it I was on my way to a hayride/marshmallow roast with Big Brothers/Big Sisters. An old codger old enough to be my grandfather asked me, "You have heard electric slide, haven't you?" I lied and said I had. :oops: :lol: Oh well. It's many years later, but now I really have. Many times. Best of luck, Grandmaster Slice. :D

[Grandmaster Slice]

Yeah,"Thinking of You" did well thanks to supporters like yourself.It's still unbelievable how well that song was received.It's all blessings & I appreciate all of it.I'm not sure if I'll be rapping or producing another artist on my next project but I'll be sure to post all the info regarding that & my new clothing line which will launch this summer if all goes as planned.Glad to be able to help keep the party going.Keep on slidin'..

[Pacion]

:shock: He's here? :shock: Quick! Did we say anything horrible about the electric slide :shock:
:oops: :lol:

Welcome Grandmaster Slice. :D If the electric slide is what I think it is, some people from South Africa taught it to me last summer :shock: so, the electric slide is still around and is well travelled :wink:

How did you discover Dance-Forums?

[Grandmaster Slice]

I decided to google my name & Electric Slide just to see what popped up & this forum was one of the links I came across.

[pygmalion]

Cool. It's so nice to have you with us. After you joined yesterday, I googled you too. :oops: :wink: It's nice to have the gen-u-wine article in the house. 8) :D

[SDsalsaguy]

What? :shock: Jenn use google? Who knew? :lol:

[Sakura]

I learned a little bit of the Electric Slide from a friend during my diving season freshman year; just basics, really. I probably couldn't do it very well, in an actual line, but, as far as I'm concerned on it: Electric Slide + "I Will Survive" = I'm there! 8) Silly, yeah, but hey, I think it works! :roll: :wink:

Sakura Kitty :kitty:

(PS- Welcome to Wes and Grandmaster Slice! Belated, I know, but I just found the topic. Have fun here on DF!)

[Pacion]

Cool. It's so nice to have you with us. After you joined yesterday, I googled you too. :oops: :wink: It's nice to have the gen-u-wine article in the house. 8) :D

Ditto what Pygmalion said :D

[Grandmaster Slice]

It's an honor to be here...

[NYCsDancer]

I prefer the "funk" music to the actual "country" version and LOVE adding turns, floor slaps, and floor kneels.

I thought the funk version from the 80's was the original version of the dance. Shows you what I know, I guess.

Actually - the dance was created in 1976 when the song first came out - check out http://ric06379.tripod.com for the original choreography and a new video showing the way it was originally performed. In two lines facing each other - the dance has been taught incorrectly for many years now and we are trying to get it corrected

[Vince A]

The Electric Slide is old! ...you should go line dancing now and see the new stuff!

Wes!
xxx

ps. Are there any other line dancers on this board??? - Just curious! :D
Um-m-m-m-m-m, I hate to admit it, but I enjoy line dancing, and I just discovered that they do line-dance aerobics along with kick-boxing aerobics at my gym . . . something new to do with all my spare time!!!

[NYCsDancer]

Floor kneels? I gotta get a visual on this! Where do the floor kneels fit in? Gotta try it.

Let's see...where to put the floor kneels in:

Electric Slide (without addins)
Counts 1-4: Grapevine right with touch
Counts 5-8: Grapevine left with touch
Counts 1-4: Backstep R-L-R with touch
Counts 5-8: Rock forward onto left, touch right, Rock back onto right, touch left
Final counts: Step left with 1/4 turn left and scuff right

Electric Slide (with addins)
Counts 1-4: Grapevine right with touch (can do full turn right while traveling right in place of the grapevine)
Counts 5-8: Grapevine left with touch (can do full turn left while traveling left in place of the grapevine)
Counts 1-4: Backstep R-L-R with touch (can do full turn while traveling backwards in place of backsteps)
Counts 5-8: Rocks (can do floor kneel following are the counts)
Final counts: Step left with 1/4 turn left and scuff right

Counts for Floor Kneels
Count 5: Step forward left
Count 6: Kneel down on right knee while keeping left foot firmly planted so your left leg is making a 90 degree angle
Count 7: Lean back on right heel and kick left foot out placing your heel on the floor. At this point, your left leg should be slanted to the floor with all your weight on your right.
Count 8: Bring left leg back in while transferring your weight onto left foot.
Final counts: While turning 1/4 turn left, stand back up and start the dance over again with a right grapevine.

For other line dance step sheets, check out http://www.kickit.to/ld/Main.php3.

This choreography is incorrect - check http://ric06379.tripod.com for the correct choreography and a video of how the dance was supposed to look

[d nice]

I've done the boxing which is more fun than the multiple lines all facing the same direction, but I like reversing it, so that I square off with a dancer. That way when it comes to the touches one person kneels and other leans over them as they rock back and forth.

Not surprising I thought it was from the early 80's I was born in 1973 and didn't learn it until '79 or so.

[Vince A]

Care and I do it as a couple . . . beginning in the "promenade" position, with multiple turns and spins as the four walls change . . . it can get very challenging . . .

I also like to dance it opposite of the person in front of me, sort of my back to the wall they are facing . . . I go left as they go right, and so on!

Is that the box you're referring to???

[d nice]

No that is the reverse I was talking about. The box is both people doing the same steps while facing each other so they are essentially "circling" each other.

[Vince A]

No that is the reverse I was talking about. The box is both people doing the same steps while facing each other so they are essentially "circling" each other.
Gotcha . . . haven't tried that . . . :idea:

[Miss Evergreen]

Actually - the dance was created in 1976 when the song first came out - check out http://ric06379.tripod.com for the original choreography and a new video showing the way it was originally performed. In two lines facing each other - the dance has been taught incorrectly for many years now and we are trying to get it corrected

Hi Ric

Just curious to hear what method you used to prove that you choreographed this dance as I believe from various sites that you were taking out a suit against people who had the incorrect choreography so assuming that you therefore had some way of proving that you wrote this dance!

Can I also ask what your copyright of the dance means as I see from various messages by you and on your website that it was danced in films and that as you hadn't given permission then that wasn't allowed, so I am assuming from that then that no one can do the dance even if danced as you originally choreographed, or is it just that no one can dance it incorrectly.

Best wishes

Miss Evergreen

P.S. Wes - If you still read this forum, just thought I'd say "hi", and of course you know that I'm a linedancer :lol:

[Chris Stratton]

It's a pretty non-challenging dance, and virtually anybody can do it. I think that's why it was so popular (less so now).

I have boxes full of ribbons from heavily contested dancesport events.

I still can't do the electric slide.

[pygmalion]

Hehe! I said virtually anybody! :wink: :lol:

Don't worry. You can always take a water break. No one will notice. :wink: :D

[Kitty]

It's a pretty non-challenging dance, and virtually anybody can do it. I think that's why it was so popular (less so now).

I have boxes full of ribbons from heavily contested dancesport events.

I still can't do the electric slide.

Why not?

DId you try?

[Purr]

I used to feel frustrated when I'd go out to clubs, and see otherwise nondescript dancers (even those who barely freestyle) do the electric slide, and I couldn't. I just couldn't grasp how the dance travelled.

I (finally!) learned about a year ago from my teacher how do do the electric slide, as well as the cha cha slide and boot, scoot & boogie. For laughs, I even had him teach me the cowboy cha cha & the Texas two-step. Now all I need to do is to find a nice C&W bar. :wink:

[pygmalion]

Don't forget the red leather boots! :wink: :D Nothing like Texas two-step when you're wearing dance shoes and he's wearing (invariably huge :shock: :lol: ) boots. You simply must get yourself some boots, to even the playing field. :lol: :lol:

[Purr]

Red leather boots sound like a great idea! :D

Sometimes I wish my ballroom shoes offered more protection to my feet. We're having a major problem with line of dance at my studio, and with a crowded dance floor, I've gotten clobbered a couple of times. I've still got a blood blister under the toenail of one of my toes.

Maybe someone should come up with a steel-toed practice shoe. 8)

[Sagitta]

Well, my ballroom dance shoes are butchered/ripped in the front. Too many people stepping on them! :( I need steel plated fronts for protection!!

[DWise1]

Heard this a few months ago on an old Burns & Allen radio show (quoted from memory):
Gracie: George used to be a dancing fool. He wouldn't stop dancing until he had worn out two pairs of shoes -- the bottoms of his and the tops of mine!

[Sakura]

I've still got a blood blister under the toenail of one of my toes.

:shock: :x Ooh, be sure to take care of that! If it doesn't go away after an extended period of time/causes you quite a bit of discomfort (probably depending on its size) you may want to head in to a doctor so he/she can drain that for you. =>_<= Owie.

I've seen the head trainer at our school do this one time, while I was in there ('cause the swimmers were doing laps and no one looked like they were about to die, so I went down to the training room to hang out with my fellow trainers. =^_^=), and it didn't look fun. *frowns* Well, anyways, I hope it gets better soon! :D

Sakura Kitty :kitty:

(PS- *Loved* the idea about a steel-toed dance shoe! Added benefits include being able to kick a guy who won't get the point to keep his hands to himself, and not have to use extra effort to make sure he gets the *point*! :D Sorry; I love terrible puns, and, of course, so offence to our lovely guys on DF, who I'm sure would *never* do such a thing [to merit getting kicked]!)

[Purr]

Thank you for your concern. :D

The toe seems to be doing fine.

[Sakura]

:D No problem! It's what being a trainer does to you! (Of course, that could also be the "I love everything about medicine, and I'm gonna be a doctor, 'cause learning anatomy and anything to do with medicine and treatments comes extraoridnarily easy to me!) *grins* I've got some pretty funny stories from the training room, but I suppose those don't belong here.

...*Although* since this *is* an electric slide topic, I *have* done the electric slide on the pool deck when I've been bored out of my mind! Very fun! :D :D :twisted:

Sakura Kitty :kitty:

[NYCsDancer]

What's the electric slide?

Check the original choreography and a video of how it was originally performed at http://ric06379.tripod.com/id6.html

[suneedae]

Hi you Electric Fans out there! It's funny...I learned the electric slide from my brother who went to his first year of college in 1991. He taught me so that when I went to college the following year, I wouldn't be out of the loop. Anyhow, the Electric Slide is by far my most favorite line dance to do. It's simple and it gets the energy in the room going :D I added my own variation to it over the years that I was in college. Recently, I've taught a couple of friends the dance and it's been just plain fun to be able to show them the "moves" :wink: I LOVE the Electric Slide (BOOGIE WOOGIE)!!!!

[NYCsDancer]

Hi you Electric Fans out there! It's funny...I learned the electric slide from my brother who went to his first year of college in 1991. He taught me so that when I went to college the following year, I wouldn't be out of the loop. Anyhow, the Electric Slide is by far my most favorite line dance to do. It's simple and it gets the energy in the room going :D I added my own variation to it over the years that I was in college. Recently, I've taught a couple of friends the dance and it's been just plain fun to be able to show them the "moves" :wink: I LOVE the Electric Slide (BOOGIE WOOGIE)!!!!

:D Glad to hear that you are enjoying my dance - if you have learned it correctly - I would be surprised -
I have a new group started for Electric Slide Fans - check out my web page at http://ric06379.tripod.com/id6.html for full info and view the videos - the steps (basic) - the single line dance and double line (the Original)

[suneedae]

how do i view the actual video that you have of the electric slide?

[Sagitta]

how do i view the actual video that you have of the electric slide?
Ditto. Didn't seem obvious how to get to the "new" club page. :cheers:

[HomeSkillet]

my electric slide is great, i do the whole thing in glides.

[NYCsDancer]

how do i view the actual video that you have of the electric slide?
Ditto. Didn't seem obvious how to get to the "new" club page. :cheers:

OK - If you go to http://ric06379.tripod.com/id5.html and click on the link - to join the club - you will be taken to the GROUPER DOWNLOAD SITE - fill out the form and that's it - It sends me a note saying that you want to join the group - I approve it - and then you download the program GROUPER - and there you are - the files are there to download or just watch
ps - Minimum System Requirements:
Download size is 1.9 MB.
Microsoft .Net 1.1. If necessary, it will be automatically installed.
PC running Windows XP and 2000 (Windows 98 and ME are not supported).
500 MHz Pentium III class processor or better, 256 MB RAM minimum.
Broadband Internet connection -- DSL, cable modem, LAN, etc.
Latest Windows service packs recommended.

:D

[luh]

saw it in january in rochester, MN.

[NYCsDancer]

I have put up a new site to find the Electric -

http://electric-slide.tripod.com

Got an email for the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra who is doing free concerts in the park this year and their theme is The Electric Slide. They asked for permission to list my name as choreograher and are going to either list the choreography or the site above in the program.

Got a call from the Library of Congress - they have finally approved my registration (after two years) and I should have the paperwork in two weeks - I will post the registration to the site above so everyone can see it.

I spoke to Human Kinetics publishing company this week... They put out the book "Christy Lane's Complete Book of Line Dancing" - they have acknowledged their mistake of printing the incorrect 18 step version of my dance and are in nogotiations to settle.

Line Dancer Magazine of England - and another publication are doing articles on me and LDM will be making a retraction next month to remove the 18 step versions from their site once I send them the Registration paperwork. [/url]

[pygmalion]

Please don't take this as a challenge, NYCsDancer. It's not intended that way, but just to help me understand. You're at least the third (fourth?) choreographer who's come to DF and claimed ownership of the electric slide line dance.

What's up with that? Are there different versions? Was there one original dance that got corrupted? It's really confusing, to me. I learned about the dance for the first time in the mid to late 80s -- 1988ish, I think (although it was popular before then, I think.) Then later, in the early nineties, I started seeing a really fancy version with lots of spins and fanicer footwork. Still called the electric slide, but much more difficult. What's the story? :?

[NYCsDancer]

Please don't take this as a challenge, NYCsDancer. It's not intended that way, but just to help me understand. You're at least the third (fourth?) choreographer who's come to DF and claimed ownership of the electric slide line dance.

What's up with that? Are there different versions? Was there one original dance that got corrupted? It's really confusing, to me. I learned about the dance for the first time in the mid to late 80s -- 1988ish, I think (although it was popular before then, I think.) Then later, in the early nineties, I started seeing a really fancy version with lots of spins and fanicer footwork. Still called the electric slide, but much more difficult. What's the story? :?

There has been alot of confusion over the years -
the whole story can be found at http://ric06379.tripod.com
The short version - In 1976, I was asked to open a disco in NYC - VAMPS - for Beefsteak Charlie's - I gave the opening night party and about three months later they asked me to create a dance and start teaching it at the club - The music had just come out at the clubs and I like it - so I created the dance and premiered it with professional dancers - when I started teaching it to the general public - I found it was too complicated and taught it as a single line dance - evey nite I would start by saying that by biggest fear was that someone would teach it incorrectly and it would go around the world incorrectly and I would end up spending the rest of my live trying to correct it - WELL - that's exactly what happened (as in my dream) - and here I am- almost 30 years later - still trying to get it done correctly -
In Dec 03 - I had to have a knee replacement to my rt knee - the same knee that I tore while teaching the dance in 1976 and was forced at that time to stop teaching it - I never gave it another thought until 1996 when I went on line and found three internet sites that had the 18 step version listed - I wrote to KICKI-IT and the other two and told them they had it wrong - and the letter I got from KICK-IT stated - GET A LIFE _ WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!!!!
I am in the process of sueing their butts for the statement they have listed on line at the present - which I find slanderous.
Once the paperwork is posted at my site - there will be no more confusion.

Hope this clears it up for you - any more questions - email me directly at nycsdancer@msn.com

[NYCsDancer]

The Slide Is the Old Bus Stop from the 70's

They are actually two different dances -
The Bus Stop was THE 1st line dance - I was actually teaching it when asked to create The Electric.....
In fact - Louise - see http://ric06379.tripod.com/id6.html - actually wrote the bus stop in my letter to the Workmen's Comp office when I asked her to help me get my decision overturned. If it weren't for her letter - I would never have gotten W/C in the first place and would have paid thousands of dollars in surgerys over the years.

Just to keep the record straight

[NYCsDancer]

Please don't take this as a challenge, NYCsDancer. It's not intended that way, but just to help me understand. You're at least the third (fourth?) choreographer who's come to DF and claimed ownership of the electric slide line dance.

What's up with that? Are there different versions? Was there one original dance that got corrupted? It's really confusing, to me. I learned about the dance for the first time in the mid to late 80s -- 1988ish, I think (although it was popular before then, I think.) Then later, in the early nineties, I started seeing a really fancy version with lots of spins and fanicer footwork. Still called the electric slide, but much more difficult. What's the story? :?

Would love to sue their butts as well -

[NYCsDancer]

No that is the reverse I was talking about. The box is both people doing the same steps while facing each other so they are essentially "circling" each other.

Never found anyone who could actually keep up with me except Alvin Ailey dancers.
You must be a great dancer -
The BOX - is actually the way the dance was supposed to be done.

[pygmalion]

Try googling him. :wink:

I'm sure there are many who'd call him a great dancer. Many, many. He's a bit too humble to do so himself, though, I suspect. 8)

[DWise1]

A "dance buddy" friend has been wanting to learn West Coast, so I've been accompanying her to a hotel lounge's pre-band West Coast Swing lesson and, now that she's got the basics down, we've started sticking around to practice a bit.

Last night, the band called all the Electric Slide dancers to come. She didn't know it, but I gave her a quick, albeit incomplete, intro and, in the course of the dance she got it down pat and had fun doing it. The floor was full, so it looks like the dance is fairly strong in Orange County.

OTOH, at one event during the Orange County Lindy Exchange we had a Jack-and-Jill contest in which the MC would call out a particular step and judges circulating through the crowd would tap out those not able to do that step (they got me on the mashed potato). But when he called out "Electric Slide", nobody who was left could do it and, by the expression on their faces, didn't even know what it was. And there was still a sizable crowd on the floor. Needless to say, that round didn't count.

[Sagitta]

hmm...interesting stuff... It will be nice if it got sorted out as you suggest will be done NYCsDancer.

[NYCsDancer]

I have started an Official Electrtic Slide Club

http://directory.grouper.com/g.aspx?g=73775

Copy and paste/ or click on the above link to join
I have the video files listed there - so you can watch me teach the steps - see the single and double line versions
there is also a copy of the Copyright Paperwork there for those of you who are interested.

Ric
PS - If you join - you are asked NOT to use the smiley faces but to post you own photo - so that others in the group will recognize you when we're out and - I just think it's friendlier.........

[NYCsDancer]

Anyone catch Tripping the Rift on the SciFi channel tonight - the episode where Chode goes to his class reunion - and is teaching the Clown to be cool - they do steps 9 thru 18 from the original choreography - WOW!!!

[NYCsDancer]

I have had the Dance Notation Bureau notate The Electric and also the 18 step dance as listed in Christy Lane's Complete Book of Linedancing.
The following is the cover letter that was sent with the charts.
The chart can be found on my http://electric-slide.tripod.com site



Mr. Ric Silver
35 Village Lane #2
Groton, Ct. 06340-4540

Oct. 18, 2005

Dear Mr. Silver,

I have notated the two versions of the “Electric Slide” you requested based on my understanding of the word notes you provided. As I mentioned when we met, word notes can sometimes be open to interpretation. Although the two versions are not identical, there are many similarities, as though variations on a theme.

Sincerely,



Ilene Fox
Executive Director
Dance Notation Bureau
151 W 30th St NYC, NY 10001
212-564-0985

[noobdancer_08]

man the electric slide is what taught me how to dance! or just to get up and start dancing because it was easy at first, now adding other things in is quite fun :D

[Romein]

Haven't seen it in SLC, UT at all to be honest