Welcome

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Hello. My name is Linda Hardy with the 757 Crew & JustUs Norfolk.
 

As a surprise on my actual 61st Birthday (August 15 2015), my spouse Phyllis, got tickets to the first 757 Meets the Blues (as in DJ Chris) line dance event. I was told to not ask where we were going, wear blue, be ready at 7pm and just get in the damn car. SMILE!

I spent that whole evening walking around the perimeter of the dance floor --- amazed that when a song came on folks knew the dance steps. Renee Nichols (Richmond VA) saw me circling the floor....and said "Come on this one is easy!" That makes her my FIRST LD Instructor! 

I was Instantly HOOKED!!!!! Learned about classes, went to local then national events. Meeting AWESOME AWESOME people that are now My Line Dance Family. Having FUN -- SO MUCH FUN!!! 

YES - Life changed for me on my 61st birthday. Who knew this micro community even existed? I certainly didn't!!  Of course being from Ohio, I knew about line dancing.....but never knew how big it was across the nation. 

Events became "My Happy Place". 

Should I mention THE EVENT SHENANIGANS!!!  Of Course I Should!

At my first Parkside event in Philly – I casually asked folks at the Meet & Greet where they were from? The answer: California. WOW!!! You mean line dancers travel ALL THE WAY ACROSS the USA for events!! Yes, Yes they Do!  Now I have traveled across the country to line dance at Cali Jam. 

Then at the Parkside Main Event.....I was sitting eating dinner with the Fabulous Ladies from IFE.....a favorite song came on..they covered their plates with napkins and went to dance.  I was left alone at the table. You mean folks don't even stop to eat dinner.  That's when I learned from PJ (IFE) that a song is only going to be played once. 

My first Parkside event starting me thinking & asking about the history of this movement and folks involved from the early days. I got HELP from LOTS OF PEOPLE!   

That's why - We Dancin Over There in Punta Cana 10th Anniversary Celebration (August 2021) is a good time to release this website.

At each event I meet more wonderful dancers, choreographers and DJs, ALL willing to help with our Urban Line Dance History Project. And its with help of ALL these people – that this website is possible to be a repository to collect. preserve and share our Urban Line Dance History. 

 
The year 2020 was going to be the year that I could finally attend more events ........ to gain a better understanding of differences by region.   I was scheduled to attend 12 National events. I  only attended 2 National & 2 local events in 2020 before Covid shut us down.

Very grateful that I got to experience this community before the world changed to ZOOM line dancing in 2020...ZOOM is not best for me.

All 757 Crew Instructors will tell you - I come to class to learn the turns, ...because if someone takes a photo I want to be facing the correct wall. 

I am always very excited to meet the choreographers at various events and THRILLED to be out on the same floor dancing with them. Especially enjoyed meeting and talking with many of our Pioneers. Their stories about our Line Dance Community are priceless!  Still trying to get Ray Boyd to write a book!  Someone Help Me Please!

Site is a WORK in PROGRESS, as we collect more history to share.   I have a small totebag full of notes with information I collect at each event that still needs to be incorporated.    

THANKS to Big Mucci for providing his personal archive information about the Beginnings of Urban Line Dance.  You MUST read how it all started. 

THANKS to Nichol Poyntz for her Urban Line Dance Connection website.....the basis for our Pioneers interview profiles.

THANKS and a shout out to Linda & William “Dollar Bill” Shuler.  Dollar Bill and I talked a lot at events.  Dollar Bill was very supportive, helpful & encouraging from the beginning of this project. I asked lots of questions and always took lots of notes when he talked. He said he was a dinosaur….I told him I prefer to use the term Pioneer!  I truly miss him! 

THANKS to Theresa Lamb for all of the Dave Bush Jr info and the Philly scene back in the day.  

THANKS to Linda Simms and Debra Mouton for the NOLA SE Instructor's Worshop Guide packed with great Line Dance informtion for our website.  

THANKS to Kenny J for opening up his "personal archives" Trunk and sharing lots of stuff with me.

THANKS to Sharon Lynn Holmes for introducing me to Trish & Mike Womack as well as providing lots of info about founding ICLDI.

THANKS to Trish & Michael Womack UC Star Awards for their kind invitations for front row seating at the UC Star TV show and Leadership meetings.  Plus providing all of the UC Star Awards winners. 

THANKS Marlo & Isha Hutchinson for all of your 410 TV interviews.  Lots of great stories with history.  Check out episode 53!

THANKS Chris Blues for his "My View of the Line" Podcast interviews.

THANKS Deirdre Seabrook for sharing your extensive photo archives.  

....and then there is Curtis Goode who runs from me because he says "I have NO HISTORY"!  Well.....we found some!

Thanks to EVERYONE for all the Event photo postings......makes it easy to compile a rotating photo slide show that I will continue to update. 

THANK YOU ALL!!!  I can't say Thanks enough.  Even to those that do not want to be identified as helpers. 

Lots more work to do. Its a work in Progress.. Labor of LOVE!

Hope you enjoy our history.  Come back often and read about folks creating our Urban Line Dance History. 

Ep 53: Retired Military, Breast Cancer Survivor, Dance Historian - Linda Hardy, VA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFnUfiACnwY

Blessings, Linda Hardy 

Urban Line Dance History Project, 

19 August 2021 - Grand Palladium Bavaro Punta Cana Dominican Republic

We Dancin Over There in Punta Cana 10th Anniversary Celebration.