Can't tell you how chuffed to bits I am to have appeared in Linedancer Magazine.

The first time was in a feature article in Issue 86 (July 2003)

The second time was in Issue 96 (May 2004) when I was very lucky to have a dance published :-)

Bit of a story behind it's creation - I used to run an Adult Education course on linedancing and, each year, my local council liked to promote the various Performing Arts courses it runs by holding a Showcase Evening where current students get a chance to show off all they've been learning in an effort to encourage new students to sign up in September.

In 2002 I was asked to do a spot but none of my students were too keen. It's one thing to linedance in a class atmosphere but to perform on a stage was something they didn't want to do. I telephoned the Showcase organiser to tell her Linedancing wouldn't be represented. Having visited one of my classes herself she was very disappointed we wouldn't be joining in and asked if I could show up and do something on my own anyway!! I think this lady missed the point about linedancing somehow if she thought I could Showcase it on my own!

"Can't you get volunteers from the audience on the night and do a bit of teaching?" she pleaded. Personally I couldn't see the entertainment value in that nor did I want to run the risk of no one volunteering but she sounded so desperate that I said I'd think of something and I'd be there on the night.

I mentioned my dilemma to some friends who thought the idea of getting the audience to join in was a good one and suggested I think about writing a dance that everyone could do. And that's how Sit In Line was born.

On the night, I took to the stage on my own, asked for the house lights to be turned up, told the audience that linedancing was great fun to watch but even more fun to actually do and proceeded to get the 100 or so people to join in.

I was the last "act" on that night and, according to the organisers, it was a brilliant way to close the show. I had many people coming up afterwards saying how much they had enjoyed the linedancing although I did assure them that "real" linedancing meant being on your feet rather than on your bums but that the "fun" factor was certainly a big part of it all. There was a group of disabled adults in the audience and their support staff sought me out afterwards thanking me for thinking of something that allowed their people to join in with everyone else. To be honest, I hadn't even considered this aspect when I wrote the dance - and me working with Special Needs Kids too!!!

As a result of Sit In Line, my Adult Education course did gain quite a few new students. I also do the dance occasionally at my club socials and it's always guaranteed to make people smile. And I know it's also been used by a number of instructors when they've been asked to teach children.