Inline Dance

[denisebel]

I just took my first "Inline" partner dance lesson at a small country dance club in Phoenix, Arizona, and I loved it! This is a partner dance performed in a line, but is not line dancing. The best dance I can compare it to, though they are very different, is the West Coast Swing. Dancers follow each other back and forth in a line. The man, of course, steps out of the slot for her pass-by turns. That is the best way I can describe it at present. It is a very fluid dance, fun to watch and fun to perform!

For the past hour I have been trying to locate a video or some footwork patterns for this dance, with no luck -- most search results return line dancing or inline skating. :( Happily, this Dance Forum site also returned. :D

The basic Inline Dance step for the woman is (with feet together) right, left, triple-step back, forward, together. Is anyone familiar with this partner style of dance and can you tell me how I can learn more about it? Or is it just that I have been under a rock most of my life and "Inline" is simply another name for the ????? :confused:

Thank you!

Denise

[Steve Pastor]

Hi, Denise.
Never heard of such a thing. We've got a couple of people who are down your way. Maybe they'll know something.

What music do you dance this to?

Does the woman turn 180 after her first two steps, or no?

Seems like on the woman's next pattern, she would be starting on her left foot; since there's an odd number of steps there. Is that right? Or is there a tap step there?

[denisebel]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the prompt reply!

There is a tap step for the turn out. The basic step starts out in place: feet together, twist right, twist left -- and, gads, I'm reaching back to my elementary dance school days here (I am hardly an educated dancer, if you could not already tell that!) -- a triple-step back that is similar to a shuffle-ball-change with the right foot, left foot forward, right foot forward together. On the front turn out, for the lady, she taps out front angling her right foot in then steps out again on the same foot, executing a full turn, then forward, together and back to the twist, twist to begin again.

Apologies as I'm sure that it's not called "twist, twist," but I don't know the correct name for the step when, in place, with both feet together you slide out your heels to the right, then the left.

In addition to posting here, I emailed one of my former dance instructors, who was a competition dancer for years. His reply, "In-line is a home made dance that is local. It is only done in Phoenix. It usually is done to West Coast music and not popular except in local bars in the valley." (The valley is a nickname for Phoenix, "the valley of the sun.") Arizona... we're so different. We never change our clocks and we even do our own version of the two-step! So I guess I won't find any videos on it unless I make one!

I don't know who originated this dance, but it sure is fun!

Denise

[Steve Pastor]

You can't beat a fun dance.
In a way, I think it's a goo dthing that when you go to another town you will see stuff you haven't seen before. After having to retreat from the dance floor in, say, Long Beach, CA at Cowboy Country, for instance when they do horseshoe different....
I've learned to watch for a while before going onto the floor! Sure beats the embarressed retreat.

Anyhow, glad you got your question answered.

[denisebel]

That's true! Thanks, again! :)

[beckya]

That's true! Thanks, again! :)
If anyone knows of this going on down Austin way, let me know!

[Wolfgang]

Sounds a little bit like square dancing.
Sometimes, they do a 'barn dance' at the local line dance lessons, which is a partner-switching circle line dance that moves (slowly) in line-of-dance.

[pygmalion]

Hi denisebel! Welcome.

Question: Are you describing one long line of dancers, or does the dance involve two parallel lines of dancers? I'm having trouble visualizing this. :-?