Those 70ish Girls

Get in Line on Time for Line Dancing Lessons

By Valerie Cowgal Halla

Howdy. I’m getting out of my comfort zone tonight to go to line dancing lessons with a friend. I’m not sure what to expect and I do not even know what to wear but I decided to just wear gym clothes and comfy shoes for my first time. I’m ready. I’m practicing saying, “Yee haw!”

Later:

Line dancing is fun and challenging especially for people in their ‘70’s. Heck, it’s challenging for people any age. We first had an hour lesson with a pretty, middle aged gal wearing jeans, surprise surprise, a white sleeveless billowy top, boots – hiking style not cowboy ones – and a cowboy hat with a shiny medal on the front like a medal for bravery maybe because she had the courage to teach about 40 older people how to dance together, without bumping into one another, hitting posts, chairs, tables and anything in our way.

Then my friend,who brought me there, and I danced up front right by the baby grand piano which we skillfully avoided. It was covered with a waterproof – maybe even bullet proof – black cover. There was a giant sign on top of the baby grand piano that said, “Don’t put anything on the piano.” About halfway through doing toe taps, Lindy steps and grapevine steps, both left and right directions, and the k step forward and then back diagonally I actually was tempted to crawl on top of that giant, solid piece of furniture called a baby grand to take a nap. So which is it? Is it a baby sized piano or a grand humongous one? And can a piano even be baby like?

The dance instructor had a sweet little microphone that bellowed out her instructions and line dance terminology from anywhere on the tiled dance floor. She mostly stuck to the front of the room right below the raised stage where the live band would perform later. She demonstrated each step and had us mimic her moves. She was strict, smart and wasn’t putting up with any wisecracks or crap. She got down to business promptly at 6:00 pm. She had a lilting kinda cool accent that threaded its way throughout her speech. Her dark brown eyes simmered at everyone as she viewed the crowd, calling to some experienced expert line dancers she knew to come forward and show their skills off, the dirty little so and sos and teachers pets. Uhh, I’m getting distracted. Couple deep breaths and I’m good. Here we go.

We had to stay in four straight lines she said or rather commanded. I was getting the hang of things (barely bumping into posts or walls or people) when the line style became a circle. I was not ready for that command. I followed the cattle into a big big circle or corral. Now I must do the steps I’d learned in a curve not in a line. One guy was actually trying not to get irritated as I kept grapevining into a line and not curving around. Clearly the experienced dancers were getting miffed at a newby like me. I was just concentrating on the instructors boots and her graceful moves, but when you must turn around she wasn’t there to watch so I kept an eye out for my friend or the smarty pants dancers to copy. The sweat was building up on my forehead.

Next we had an hour of dancing with the band. The teacher called for music and directed which songs we would hear and which steps we would do. The count was always 1/2/3/4 then the step would change. I could feel perspiration dripping into my bra and other places I cannot mention. I kept dancing- kinda.

I liked the band. They all had gray hair but it didn’t seem to dull their musical abilities nor blur their voices or mess with their guitar playing talent. One song was about a Cattle Drive, which I could identify with and many were about lovey dovey romance stuff between dance partners. In line dancing you don’t have someone to hold onto. I had no time to sing along since I didn’t know the songs and my brain was concentrating on the next step. One lady next to me told me to, “Just copy what your friend does!”

Sure lady, easy for you to say. How did she know it was my first time? Right! True. I should have said: “This is my first time and you’re not the boss of me”but I was too nice and just swallowed my pride along with sweat from my lip.

The music helped as did the instructors crisp fast directing. Now more than my forehead was sweating.

My friend said she usually leaves the dance at 8:00 pm when everyone takes a break so she kept looking at her old timey watch and let me know when our two hours was almost up. When the time came, I skipped or rather side stepped and sashayed outa there.

Then I drank about a gallon of water and my good friend drove me to my car. I thanked her, got in my car and stepped on the gas. I couldn’t wait to get home to rest. Maybe I would even practice the line dance steps. Naw.

It was fun line dancing and also great exercise. I will definitely go again. Maybe I will even take in a rodeo beforehand. Of course it won’t be my first rodeo. Might be my second. Yeehaw!