4 wall - 32 counts - intermediate

May 2013I was truly astounded when I finally managed to get aninterview from Arlene Phillips in this month’s magazine. She is apersonal favourite of mine and someone who, I believe, alwaysmanages to keep her integrity intact, even though she is now inso many popular programmes as a judge of various dancingtalents. Incidentally, I have to thank Claire Butterworth whoknows no fear (and is far better than I will ever be at facebook)and managed to get her PR interested.I hoped I would manage to get Arlene to talk about how hard it had been to be a woman NOT inher twenties or thirties and still be seen on TV but she would not, predictably perhaps, go downthat road. To be fair, she only granted me a chat because of Midnight Tango the show she isbacking and which is now on the road. But I still managed to get some interesting replies and youcan read them all in these pages.One of the things that did surprise me however is her candid admission that she knew little aboutLine dance, although she recognised its influence in getting some very good dancers in showslike Strictly. I was surprised because as a dancer I thought someone like Arlene Phillips would benaturally curious of a new genre or at least a style that she didn’t know much about. Especiallywhen she seems so aware of the talent that comes out from our hobby.Again, is the thought here that Line dance is an “easy” style, something uninteresting in asmuch that from the outside it still is cowboys and cowgirls incessantly twirling to Billy Ray Cyrruswithout any form of talent or grace? I don’t know and she would not reply any further. But the factis that if someone as influential as she is, recognises the worth of Line dance and yet remainsunconcerned or uninterested about it, what can you do about it?Nothing is the answer. I feel that, for years, Line dancers have done everything possible to showthe world the difference between clichés and reality. If all their words, demos, letters, emails etcstill bear no fruit then why bother further? To spend all this energy shouting in a black hole ofindifference has become unimportant for me now. I am old enough not to have to prove myself toanyone.If worldwide dance celebrities KNOW the talent Line dance can bring out, then the ignorance ofthe genre is down to them, not you or me. You can take a horse to water …. It is ultimately theirloss.So my advice is very simple. Leave the world to itself and understand that opinions andparadigms don’t get changed that quick, sometimes never….the only thing for sure is what theyactually say in Strictly…KEEP DANCING!scan mewww.linedancermagazine.comwww.linedancermagazine.com May 2013 • 3