Line Dance Fun Classic Dance Page

030808 I Remember: Bella's Cha Cha circa 1994

I remember learning Bella's Cha Cha from the choreographer John Mulhall (Redwood City, CA) at Swiss Park in Newark ...the home stage venue for Charlotte Skeeters and Neil Hale back in the day ...Circa 1994ish. He told us that he created the dance for his wife, Bella.

I do recall well ...that the dance was way too hard for me to grasp at the time. I created LineDanceFun in the summer of 1996 for the purpose of sharing my step description collection ...the dance sheet was not in my collection nor do I have it documented on any webpages as a dance being done on my immediate social floors circa 1996. I did attend one other workshop where John Mulhall was one of the instructors and I remember him well. I wasn't learning the steps fast enough to a mixer dance he was teaching and he pointed that fact out ...grins ..I thought at the time ...what a drill sargent ...and I tried harder. Doris Volz © 2008

This is a list of the 'classic' dances that were being done or are still being done in the San Francisco Bay Area in Summer of 1996.

Ain't Goin' Nowhere - Lori Wong of Sonora, CA.

All Nighter - Miranda Tanner

All My X's Live in Texas - Ganean De La Grange, CA

All Shook Up - Randy & Stephanie Krul

Alley Cat - choreographed by Donna Aiken

Amalgamotion - Sue Shotwell and Dan Speed.

Applejack - choreographer unknown

Arlene - George Davis of Antioch, CA.

Rock It - "Hillbilly" Rick Myers of IN.

Bar Room Romeo was choreographed by Ron "Doc" Holiday of Clovis, CA.

Big Ole' Truck - choreographer unknown

Blue Rose Is - choreographer unknown

Bocephus - choreographer unknown

Bonanza - choreographer unknown

Boot Scootin' Boogie - Tom Mattox & Skippy Blair

Cha Cha Con Tejas - Chris Hookie, originally of CA, now a Texan.

Cha Cha Lengua - choreographed by Neil Hale CA, USA.

Chocolate City Hustle - choreographer unknown.
Chattahoochee Hustle - Lana Harvey, Tucson, AZ

City Slicker - Lori Wong of Sonora, CA.

Cotton Eyed Joe - choreographer unknown

Cowgirls' Twist was choreographed by Bill Bader of Vancouver, BC. This was the line dance performed by more than 3700 dancers on July 4, 1996 in Redwood City, CA that won the 1996 Guinness World Record for the World's Largest Line Dance.

Cowboy Boogie was choreographed by Kenneth Erle Engel (Kentucky Ken) in 1972. Ken states that he can not accept credit for name 'The Cowboy Boogie' but can accept credit for creating the line dance. The original title of the dance was the Watergate. The title was infulenced by Nixon's downfall, The Watergate Scandal. Somewhere along the way, another teacher perhaps, decided to change the name. Esactly where I first taught it , I don't recall. But my favorite song to dance it too was "Born To Boogie" by Hank Jr.

Cruisin' was choreographed by Neil Hale of Pleasanton, CA.

Dance Ranch Romp - Jo Thompson USA

Double Duchess- choreographer unknown

Double Trouble - Darla Peters of Sacramento, CA

Electric Slide - choreographer unknown

Elvis and Andy - Charlie Fortenberry, N. Charleston, SC

Fireman - George Davis of Antioch, CA.

Five O'Clock Stomp- choreographer unknown

Flying 8 was choreographed by Kenneth Erle Engel (Kentucky Ken) around 1981. The Flying 8 is a variation of The Traveling 4 Corners and the reason for this dance ...because any and all lie dances at that time were all done with everyone facing the same direction. So just for a change, I created a line dance with everyone crossing through each other. My favortie song for this dance was Charlie Daniel's "Still In Saigon". I created only a variation of the Traveling Four Corners "The Flying Eight". I have no desire to take credit for a dance (The Traveling 4 Corners) I did not create.

Gatlin Boogie - Tony Curso and Denise Pothier of Sacramento, CA.

Go-Go's Stomp - Gloria and Emmitt Nelson of Michigan City, IN

God Blessed Texas - Shirley K. Batson

Hawaiian Hustle- Sue Shotwell

Honkey Tonk Twist - choreographed by Max Perry

Hooked on Country - choreographer unknown

Hot Tamales was choreographed by Neil Hale of Pleasanton, CA

Jump Start was choreographed by Evelyn Khinoo of Menlo Park,

Kamakazzi - Diane Ulm of CA.

Linda Lu was choreographed by Neil Hale of Pleasanton, CA.

Long Legged Hannah - Parry Spence

Lost in Texas - Jim Williams of Pacific, CA.

Metamorphosized - James O. Kellerman

Midnight Waltz - Jo Thompson USA

Mudslide Boogie - Lori Wong of Sonora, CA.

Mustang Sally was choreographed by Neil Hale of Pleasanton, CA.

Norma Jean was choreographed by Donna & Dena Wasnick of Tulare, CA.

Prancing Pony was choreographed by Neil Hale of Pleasanton, CA.

Queen of Memphis - Jean Garr of North Carolina in 1993

Rednex Stomp was choreographed by Chris Kumre of Hollister, CA.

Rock Around The Clock -choreographer unknown

Rodeo - choreographed by Dale White

Slappin' Leather - Gayle Brandon

Stampede - Mary Kay Beltramini and Charlie Steak

Stray Cat Strut - choreographer unknown

Syncopations - Annette Marsey-Carter of Englewood, CO

Takin' It Easy - Julie L. Welth and Geoffrey Small.

Texas Freeze - was choreographed by Kenneth Erle Engel (Kentucky Ken) in the early 70's. Way before line dancing was popular an old Buddy of mine from Texas wrote a song ...Bombed, Boozed, & Busted...at that time no self respectin Texas would ever do a line dance, let alone do one in Gilleys....but we ended up doin' the dance to Bombed, Boozed, & Busted. I first taught the Texas Freeze at a private party for Mr. (Lookin' For Love) Johnny Lee. (Joe Sun is the writer of Bombed, Boozed, & Busted, his bio is here)

The Bug - Kat Williams & Peter Burke of Tucson, AR

The Cowboy Boogie (Originally called the Watergate) choreographed 1972 - Kenneth Erle Engel (Kentucky Ken)

The 16 Step - unknown

Tornado - Michelle Stremche

Trashy Women - Pat Eodice

Traveling 4 Corners - unknown...also known as a couples pattern dance elsewhere...but here in the San Francisco Bay Area ...we do it as a circle line dance to Cherokee Fiddle by Johnny Lee.

Triples - Sandy Jones.

Tropicana Parking Lot - Patrick W. Riley.

Tumbleweed - choreographer unknown

Tush Push choreographed approximately 1977- Kenneth Erle Engel (Kentucky Ken)

Walkin' Wazi - "Dakota" Dave Getty & Michael Callahan (per Michael Callahan ..Thanks for your interest in the Walkin' Wazi ...Let me very briefly tell you what really happened. The original dance didn't have a name. It was just one of several that my friend and I created together circa 1971. My friend's name was Wozzy. At least that's how most people knew him. Only his family and very close friends knew his real name was Doug Todd. In memory of all the good times we had in college, I gave the dance the name of it's co-originator "Wozzy". I taught this dance to many friends over the next 15 years, including the other members of our dance team, the West 40 Flyers, in 1986. But that original dance is only the beginning of the "Walkin' Wazi".
In order for the team to do this dance in competition, steps were added at the end to create a transition to another line dance, the Bonanza, to complete our solo dance number. The team's official choreographer, Dave Getty added the grapevines and basketball turns for this purpose, and the dance was renamed "Walkin' Wazi" for obvious reasons.He didn't know the correct spelling for Wozzy.

Waltz Across Texas - Lois & John Nielson

Watermelon Crawl - choreographed by Sue Lipscomb

Wild Wild West Boogie - was choreographed by Chris Hookie, originally of CA, now a Texan.

Zydeco Lady - was choreographed by Chris Hookie, originally of CA, now a Texan.