Submitted by Monica Gelinas, Monteagle, Tennessee

Idea posted June 3, 2005

"I Love A Rainy Night"
by Monica Gelinas (taught by Sanna Longden)
Line Dance
Movement, Style
Grades 4-6
Materials: Recording of Eddie Rabbit's "I Love A Rainy Night"
Procedure: Line the class up in two lines facing each other. It doesn't matter whether boys are across from girls or not. There is no touching in this dance. It's a good idea to have a person-wide space between each person in a line. I often do this in a hallway in order to have enough space.
The first sixteen beats are introduction. Then:
  • With right foot slightly extended, swivel from heel, tapping toes eight times.
  • Pick up right foot and do two taps in front and two taps behind.
  • Pick up right foot and do tap in front, tap in back, tap to right side, and then pick right foot up.
  • Palms up, right foot down by stepping to the right side, step left foot over to right, step again to right with right foot, and step left foot over again to right, and clap on last step. I usually say, "Right, together, right, clap."
  • Go to left in same manner. Left, together, left, together. Clap on last together. I usually say, "Back, together, back, clap."
  • Walk across and pass through the opposite line in four beats. Think, "Cross, cross, cross, cross."
  • Turn on spot on four beats. Think, "Turn, turn, turn, turn."
  • Repeat until end of song.

The tricky bit is the "step-together-step-together" with clap to the right and then the left, because the lines are going in opposite directions. It helps to point out that, the first time, the right foot has been picked up in the air and that it is natural to step down to the right.

Once this is really solid, I have the dancers alternate rights and lefts. Thus, the first time through the sequence is all the right foot. After the lines have crossed, I call out, "Turn, turn, left foot." (Say it on the beats.) Then continue to alternate left and right through the sequences.

I do this with a lesson on country music.