Dance: Mr. Sexy Man
Count: 32 count
Wall: 4
Level: Beginner
Choreographer: Sir James (James Mobley)
Song: Mr. Sexy Man
Artist: Nellie Tiger Travis
Step Sheet: Kick It
The instructional above is by Linda Simms “The Who Dat Teacher” from Let’s Mess It Up Line Dancing.
Okay, Mr. Sexy Man. Love the song, although I’d not heard it before learning the line dance. This dance is another of my favorites. To tell you the truth, there aren’t too many line dances I’ve learned, that I don’t like, but there are a few.
Tip: Ideally you are attending a weekly class and learning new dances each week. Practice those new dances every day, if possible. Refresh your memory by watching the instructional video above, then follow along with the class in the video below. If you can’t manage every day, then try to practice for an hour each weekend day. It will help you learn the dances faster, PLUS it’s great exercise! The more you practice, the better you will get. What I like to do is play the class video (like the one below) and repeat the dance two or three times in a row. It’s super easy to get 12 to 15 minutes of exercise in when you repeat the dances. I also find sometimes I am slow at getting started with the steps, but after a couple of rotations I am in sync. Repetition really helps to anchor the steps in my brain.
The video below is Linda Simms’ class.
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The instructional above is from Linda Simms “The Who Dat Teacher” from Let’s Mess It Up Line Dancing.
Dance: Backyard Party 4 Wall, 32 Count
Choreographer: John Woodhouse
Song: Backyard Party (Clean)
Artist: R. Kelly
Step Sheets: None
This is another favorite. Our instructor does warn to be sure to get the “clean” version of the song.
Even though I’ve danced Backyard Party many times, I cannot complete the full turn. I get dizzy, and become disorientated. During the turn, I can’t remember which way I should end up. I will keep practicing full turns, but in the meantime I’m going to use the modification which is to step in place after the half turn. Eventually I should be able to make the full turn, and stay orientated to which way I should end up.
About 9 rotations into the dance, Backyard party has one extra set of steps, where you step forward four times. There is a marked change in the music, and if you watch the video enough times, you will figure out where to put it. And in addition, you will be stepping forward while facing the front of the room.
Tip: Watch the dance on YouTube. Your brain will grasp where the steps should be according to the music, and it can help you learn the dance.
One way I feel like I’ve gotten better at line dancing is to watch the dance. I love this song, Backyard Party, but don’t recall having heard it before. I have probably watched this video at least 30 times.
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These were so much fun! My husband is always bringing home clearance items, he is quite the bargain hunter and very thrifty. A couple of weeks ago he showed me a pack of these dance finger lights. He said he’d bought them specifically because they each contain three little flat batteries. It is a trick he has found for saving money on flat batteries, to find a toy or item that contains one, and then buy it (so long as it is cheaper), instead of paying $3 or more for the specific battery.
But then he saw on the package that they were for dancing, and he thought I might like to try them out at my class.
I brought them with me a couple days later and they were a hit! Several ladies asked about them, where did I get them, how much were they? I told them my husband found them on clearance, which wasn’t much help. I decided to take a quick look at Amazon, one of my favorite places in the world. And wow, I found an 80 pack for less than $8.00 and with no shipping charges since I have Amazon PRIME. I decided to order some to share with my class mates.
The next week we videotaped our second Tuesday dance, and I shared the dance finger lights with everyone who wanted to use them. One lady was so delighted that she asked for a couple extras to share with her grandsons. I was so happy that she wanted to share them with her grandchildren.
What did I think of these?
The price was amazing. Less than 10 cents each. I did discover that I should test the light before handing them out to my classmates, as sometimes they didn’t work once on the person’s finger. But I also learned that jiggling the light would often adjust the batteries so that they would work.
The other thing is that the rubber bands want to slip out of the slot they are nestled into. So it is important to hold the rubber band in place while you slip onto your finger. It is really easy to slip the rubber band back into the slot though.
Finally, these are a little tight on the finger, especially if your fingers are big. However, you probably won’t be dancing long enough to affect your circulation.
Would I Buy them Again?
I would. They are such a good price and so much fun to use while dancing I think they are definitely worth purchasing.
Have you ever used them?
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Dance: Wifey (Start at 16 or 32 counts, either will work)
Count: 20 count
Wall: 4
Level: Beginner
Choreographer: Unknown
Song: Wifey (Clean)
Artist: Next
Step Sheet: NA
I am learning that Wifey can be danced to many songs. I will begin listing the ones that I find will work.
I have learned this is another line dance with split personalities, except instead of the same dance having two names, the song has two dances. My favorite YouTube instructor, Linda Simms, “The Who Dat Teacher” from Let’s Mess It Up Line Dancing teaches the version I am highlighting in this post, stating “This is the version we do in New Orleans“.
This link will take you to the second version: “Other” Wifey Line Dance where instructor Steph states “This is the version we do in San Antonio.”
I cannot locate step sheets for this dance, and its choreographer is unknown. I count 18 steps, wait, I think actually it’s 24 steps. No… I think it’s actually 32 steps!?
I’m going to see if I can get my instructor to confirm. Update: He confirmed and I was totally wrong. LOL. 20 “counts”.
Note: it’s not “steps” that we are counting, but beats which gives us the “count”. I thought the “count” meant steps, I love learning new things!
So from what I’m learning, the way to find the count is to listen to the beats when the steps begin, ending when the steps complete for that wall/round.
Also, I am going to consider it a beginner dance since it is pretty easy. I have to admit it looks complicated at first and the first time I saw it danced and demonstrated I wasn’t sure I would get it. But, I feel that way about a LOT of the dances when I see them for the first time. But as usual, I was able to pick up the steps, it is super fun and another of my favorites. I am in such envy of my classmates who can practically follow along with the instructor from his demonstration of the dance. And, he can learn dances by just watching them! I just find that amazing.
I cannot find step sheets, so I am going to try my hand at creating a step sheet*!
This is what I have at this point and may need to come back and correct.
Here’s a quick tutorial from Troy Jones:
The dance begins at 32 counts (you can also begin the dance at 16 counts)
RIGHT TWO, LEFT TWO, KICK, STEP PAUSE, KICK
Touch right side, touch right together, twice (right two)
Touch left side, touch left together, twice (left two)
Kick right forward, step right together (kick right)
Kick left forward, step left together (kick left)
Step pause (right left lift) and (left right lift)
Kick right forward, step right together (kick right)
Kick left forward, step left together (kick left)
CLOSED JAZZ BOX
Cross right over left, making 1/4 turn right, step left back
Cross left over right, step right back
Cross right over left, step left back
Cross left over right, step left together
The song Wifey, by the R & B group Next was released in May 2000. It has been a favorite of mine for years. I listen to MEGA 104.3 FM and it was playing one night on my drive home, and so, loving the song, I wondered if there was a line dance for it. YES! There was! I put in a request for our class to learn it and soon it was on our rotation.
Tip: If you love the song, you will LOVE the dance! Especially if you love oldie rhythm and blues, disco, or hip hop. Just do a search on YouTube with the name of the song, and the words “line dance” in quotations.
The video below is the one I use to practice Wifey. It is Linda Simm’s class, I just love watching Linda and her dancers! Enjoy!
*For the record, I began writing the steps based on dances I already know, for example, steps 1 & 2 are the same as in The Baltimore and also in Ms. Jody’s Thang. Remember how I said you will learn dance steps in one song that will help you get better in another? And then I found there is a tutorial written by KickIt that walked me through how to write a step sheet!
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Dance: Flashing
Count: 80 count
Wall: 1
Level: Low Intermediate
Choreographer: Dr. Loretta Hall-Martin
Song: Flashing
Artist: Dial Tone
Step Sheet: Kick It (Search for Dance Name “Flashing” Choreographer “Dr. Loretta Hall-Martin”)
The instructional above is by Linda Simms “The Who Dat Teacher” from Let’s Mess It Up Line Dancing.
The first time I saw my line dance class perform Flashing, I stood back with my mouth hanging open. I was transported back to grade school, feelings swirling all over me, admiration and envy, yes, envy, wondering if I could EVER learn this dance. I loved Flashing immediately. It just looked so complicated, and when I saw that one rotation of the dance was 80 counts, I had my doubts.
Tip: Something to remember when you are learning to line dance, and this is very important. Catch onto the steps that you can, and trust that you will pick up the rest of the dance with time and practice.
The first part of Flashing was easy to pick up, you are basically stepping forward “with a little bounce and attitude”. I had those steps quickly (hah – the steps – not so much the “bounce and attitude”), but then I was lost with the Triple Steps Forward and 1/2 turns, the Rock Easy. Wow.
The second part I was able to master was near the end, the “Jamie Fox” aka “Give Me 5”. It is the part of the dance where you touch your foot to the right twice, then lift your right foot up and cross over the left foot. It is at 5:47 in the instructional above. Our instructor teaches a new dance for a couple of classes, and that makes it easier to pick up the steps. After two instructions, I was able to perform it fairly well. I am so happy when I am line dancing!
The video below is the one I use to practice Flashing. It is Linda Simm’s class. Enjoy!
Line Dance Passion is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to AMAZON.COM. Line Dance Passion is an affiliate for several companies and may be compensated through advertising and marketing channels. Therefore, this post may contain affiliate links.