I am an Eight-time World Champion in Country Western Dance. I teach line dance, using all styles of music, to groups and individuals at all levels, from “first time on the dance floor” to the competitive dancer.

Services Offered

• 

  Dancing with Natalja Sawal at the World Championships of Country Western Dance

  Line dance lessons: both country and non-country styles.

• Individual Private Instruction for the social dancer or competitive dancer
• Group Instruction at all skill levels and all ages 12 and up
• Long distance Instruction via Skype or Video exchange
• Lessons for individuals or groups at dance events
• Group lessons for businesses as a team building exercise, an exciting group activity at a convention/conference, or for fun at an office/staff party.

Overview of my dance experience

The short version:

• I have been a professional Line Dance Instructor since 2011.
• I have an Associate of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts in Drama; both degree programs included coursework in dance.
• I have over ten years of professional dance coaching and training.
• I’ve competed in all types of dance: Couples, Line, ProAm and Teams.
• I am a eight-time UCWDC World Champion and a two-time ACDA National Champion in Country Western Dance
  ..

The far more interesting “long version”.  Well, I think it is more interesting.  😉

I’ve been dancing for years; a lot of years.  So many years in fact that I’m very tempted to not mention when and how I got my start!  But since you are considering hiring me I guess I’ll fess up.  😉

I first started dancing to Disco Music as part of the Disco Dance craze spurred by the movie Saturday Night Fever.  I would rush home to watch Solid Gold Dancers on TV and closely study their moves and try to duplicate them.  This was in the late 1970s, toward the end of high school;  I graduated in 1980.  So while I flirted with dancing then, somehow I escaped “being hooked.”

Both of the theatre departments where I attended college included dance as part of the curriculum.  While working on my Associate of Arts in Drama from San Jacinto College in Houston and my Bachelor of Arts in Drama from the University of North Texas in Denton,  I took dance classes but the dancing was always in association with my desire to be an Actor.  Yes, with a capital “A”.   It was during this period I took classes in ballet, tap dance, modern dance and jazz.  None of which I remember with any detail.  But I do remember enjoying them!  Again, another close pass at making dance a permanent part of my life but still not yet “hooked.”

Then there was of course “Urban Cowboy” in the early eighties which got me interested in Country Line Dancing.  I faithfully watched a dance show on the Nashville Network called “The Wildhorse Saloon” which starred some friends of mine Barry and Dari Anne Amato.  I should point out that they are friends now.  Back then I was just one among thousands of enthusiastic fans watching them on TV.

I remember vividly when Barry, Dari Anne, and I were at the Big D Bash in the instructor’s hospitality suite and I finally made the connection that the “Barry and Dari Anne” sitting in the room with me was THE “Barry and Dari Anne” that I had watched on TV years before!

Ok, ok, I admit it; sometimes I’m slow.  But… OMG!!!!

I am afraid I made a huge fool of myself gushing forth how much I had enjoyed watching the show.  *blush*  Yes, Yes, it is true.  I was the stereotypical “fan” who had finally meet the star they admired.  Barry and Dari Anne are amazing dancers, singers, and they are wonderful people so they didn’t give me too much teasing about turning into a gushing Valley Girl for a few moments.  🙂

Fast forward to the early 1990’s and envision me working as a barback in a Country Western Club because my degrees in Drama were pretty much worthless.  They were not helping me snag an honest to goodness PAYING acting job!  Food and rent had to be paid, which meant I was looking for acting jobs in the day and working the bar at night.

And what, may I ask, dear readers, all five of you reading this info, is a country western bar without country western dance lessons?   Ah Ha!  I hear all six of my readers saying!

Well, the rest is pretty much a script which I bet any of the three people reading this could write:  I was hooked, as in “hook, line sinker, and fry him up for dinner” kind of hooked.

Really really really hooked!  There was no turning back.  Dance had been a visitor from time to time in the past but now it was home to stay!   From this point forward, no matter what happens, dance is a permanent part of my life!

The “Hail Mary Pass”   —  I’m looking to teach Line Dance Classes at Dance Studios in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area

If by some really weird fluke of chance a dance studio owner is reading this and by an even more weird stroke of luck the studio owner is actually looking for a line dance instructor to teach lessons at their studio, then do not pass go, do not go to the frig, don’t put on a movie from NetFlix.

Instead, you should scroll as fast as humanly possible to the bottom of this page… nope… scratch that, just click on this link to send me a message to put me on your staff!  I will officially nominate you for sainthood if you do.  🙂

So, there you have it.  A little bit of history of how I got into line dancing and how I became a “Line Dance Instructor”.

I am available to teach Line Dances, both Country Western and Non-Country dances, to groups and individuals, including coaching for the competitive dancer.

The easiest way to contact me is to use my “Contact Form” to send me a note.

Or you can scroll down to the “comment” button at the bottom of this page. Send me a note with your phone number and email address and I’ll get right back to you. 🙂 I’m the only one who will see the message and I promise you won’t get any spam.

Line Dance Services/Rates:

• Private lessons/coaching in the Dallas/Fort Worth area or at a dance event
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  » Are you a competitive line dancer needing a coach?
  » Are you thinking about competing and want to learn the current slate of competitive dances for ACDA or UCWDC?
  » Are you a social line dancer who just wants to “catch up” on the dances that all the other dancers already seem to know?
  » Are you a social line dancer who can’t quite get that tricky step that everyone in the class seems to already understand?
  » Do you want to learn how to read step sheets?
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  $30 per hour plus floor fees if any** (Note: this awesome rate is because I lost my “day job,”and I’m trying to build up my line dance business, and really really REALLY need to have some cash coming in…. So go ahead and snap up this great deal!)
  ..
• Group line dance lesson in the Dallas/Fort Worth area
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  Are you having a party, a wedding reception, a family reunion, or a team building exercise for your employees? Are you in town for a convention and want something a little bit “Texas” at your social for the event? Give me a shout I’d love to hear what you have planned and how I can help out!
  ————————————————————
  $75 per hour at your location** (Note: this awesome rate is because I lost my “day job,”and I’m trying to build up my line dance business, and really really REALLY need to have some cash coming in…. So go ahead and snap up this great deal! My Normal rate is $100 per hour.).

• Video Teach of a line dance (any line dance you choose)
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  Not just a “walk through / demo” like what you get on YouTube! The video you’ll receive is what you would see if I was right there in front of you at a workshop or a line dance class. The “video teach” will include not just the steps but tips and tricks on how to make dancing the dance easier and how to add a little bit of style to the dance, and of course my very own special brand of humor. My philosophy is “If you aren’t having fun when you are dancing, then why are you doing it!” And that is true when learning the dance as much as when you’re dancing the dance!
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  – $30 (sent to you via the Internet)
  – $10 extra (if you need a DVD or CD-ROM mailed to you)
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• Distance Video Coaching or Coaching via Skype — Let’s face it… …not everybody has a coach nearby!
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  You have two options: (1) we use Skype to connect our computers and we work together live via “video conferencing, or (2) you video yourself doing the line dance (four walls or four walls plus enough to show me the tag/restart if there is one). Once you have the video, you send me the file over the Internet. I look at your video and then send you a video back pointing out areas you need to work on along with a visual demonstration and explanation of how to improve those areas.
  ————————————————————
  — $40 (via the Internet) – Video coaching is more than in person coaching because of the technology bits.
  – $10 extra (if you need a DVD or CD-ROM mailed to you)

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Do you have your own music?

A: Yes. I have all my music on my iPod. Most dances can be danced to either Country or Non-Country music.

Q: Who provides the Sound System when you teach groups?

A: I have a wireless head-worn microphone which I use when I teach which is included in my base fee. For a $25 per hour, I can also provide a professional quality sound system which includes two speakers, speaker stands, mixer board, a hand held microphone and all necessary speakers. If you want me to supply the sound system, just let me know. (Note: the $25 per hour is a special rate while I’m trying to build up my business — normally the sound system rental is $45 per hour.)

Generally, however, the venue where the group is meeting provides the sound, either because they’ve hired a band or DJ or because the sound equipment (speakers, etc) are already included as part of the rental fee the group is paying to the hotel or convention center.

Q: What dances do you teach and how difficult are they?

A: Exactly what dances I teach depends on you and what you have in mind for your event. I can teach any line dance you request, however, I have a set of dances that I typically teach, which, based on my experience, work well for parties and events where there are a lot of beginner dancers. Because most groups that want me to teach them are not “hard core line dancers” the dances I teach are all fun and easy ones. If you’d like to see some examples of some of the dances, then check out these two articles:
— Easy Line Dances for Weddings, Reunions, Company Picnics, and Parties of all Kinds
— Five MORE Easy Line Dances for your Party, Wedding, Reunion, or Company Picnic

Q: Do you only teach in the Dallas / Fort Worth area?

— I am available to teach privates and groups at any dance event that is listed on my calendar.
— I do remote teaching over the Internet and “video teaching” Scroll back up the page for more info on those options.
— If you are an event owner and would like to hire me to teach at your dance event, I would be delighted to attend. Contact me and we can work out the details about travel.
— I am willing to drive anywhere with 300 mile radius of Dallas. A fuel surcharge for mileage over 40 miles (one way) will apply**
— If you need me to teach at a location further than 300 miles, contact me to discuss travel arrangements.

**Fuel Surcharge: I hate to do it but gas prices leave me no choice; if I drive to meet you at a location further than 40 miles (one way) from my apartment I will charge the current IRS Mileage Rates per mile for any mileage over 40 miles (one way). Just so you have an idea of how far “40 miles” is in the “real world,” the distance from downtown Dallas to downtown Fort Worth is 33.1 miles, which means that unless you live outside of the main DFW metroplex, you probably will not have to pay the surcharge.

Have a question I haven’t answered? Don’t be shy, just say “howdy” and fire away!

See ya on the dance floor!