THE STUPID DANCE

CHOREOGRAPHER: (Unknown -- perhaps intentionally *g*)
PREPARED BY: Jeffrey S. Wade (21 August 1997; 773/728-4561)
COUNT: 24
TYPE: 4 Wall Line Dance
LEVEL: (is there something below "Beginner"?)
MUSIC: Burnin' Love by Travis Tritt (Honeymoon in Vegas soundtrack)

Note: Dance begins with vocals. See notes on beat/step counts below.

ARM PUMPS

1-2	"Pump" arms/elbows from the right side twice 
	(The "pump" is similar to the "YES!" thing that MacAuley Culkin 
	does in Home Alone... follow me? Extended fists are brought in sharply 
	in the direction of the elbows, first from the right side, then...)
3-4	"Pump" arms/elbows from the left side twice
5-6	"Pump" arms/elbows from the right side twice 
7-8	"Pump" arms/elbows from the left side twice

FIST ORBITS

9-10	"Spin" fists in tight orbit around each other at the right hip
11-12	"Spin" fists in tight orbit around each other at chest height
13-14	"Spin" fists in tight orbit around each other at the left hip
15-16	"Spin" fists in tight orbit around each other at chest height

MACARENA THANG

17	Place Right hand on Left shoulder
18	Place Left hand on Right shoulder
19	Place Right hand on Right hip (keep it there for a bit)
20	Place Left hand on Left hip (that one, too)

"HITCH" SLIDE & 1/4 TURN

21-23	Hitch Right leg up and hop/slide forward three times
24	Plant Right foot (in direction of travel, 
	which effects a 1/4 left turn), and simultaneously clap.

REPEAT

==========================================

JEFFREY WADE'S STYLE NOTES:

(1) I think this dance is a total waste of time if you don't dance it 
with great vigor. What I find so great about this dance is that 99% of 
all line dances (from my limited experience) concentrate on lower body 
movements (from the hips down). The Stupid Dance is almost entirely 
arms and upper torso. I cannot help over-exerting myself; I expend so 
much energy during this dance that I am often left gasping for breath 
and I have to sit our the next two or three (seriously! I can't help 
it! I LOVE this dance! The local deejays HATE me for requesting it 
all the time! It really IS stupid!)

(2) I dance this with my feet planted far apart, and knees deeply 
bent. During steps 1-8 (the "pump" thang), I lean strongly in THAT 
(Right/Left) direction. It looks better (but boy, do your knees get weak!).
I have seen some people thrusting their pelvises (pelvi?) in the 
direction of the "pump" (in equal and opposite motion to the direction 
of the arms) which adds a sexual look to the sequence.

(3) OPTIONAL for steps 9-16 (Can you do this? It looks cool and is 
easier than it looks): 

FALL BACK THANG (I don't know what else to call it)
9 Keeping both feet in place, reach Right hand directly
 behind you, and "drop" backwards, landing onto
 your extended right arm (your Right hand should be
 planted 12 to 18 inches behind your Right foot; MOST
 of your weight must remain carried by your legs).
 Simultaneously extend your Left arm straight upward
 toward the ceiling.
10 Pause (Oh, that pose looks great!)
11 Quick - switch hands! (Now you know why your weight
 needed to carried upon your legs!)
12 Pause (Does anyone have a camera?)
13-16 REPEAT steps 9-12
17 NOTE: you will need to raise up (strong legs needed
 here!) WHILE you begin the "Macarena" sequence

(4) End sequence. At the end of the song, Travis just goes 
"Yea-aaa-aaaaaa-aaaa-aaa-ah" with some fancy drum riffs & such. Many 
dancers just walk off the floor during this part. MISSED OPPORTUNITY! 
I go into a Michael Jackson - type whirling spin (up on the heel of 
one cowboy boot) and when my momentum slows down, I drop and perform a 
series of "leg circles" until the last notes (Leg circle: a 
break-dancing thing where I drop down into a squat onto "all" fours... 
My right leg is extended and sweeps around and around (and around) in 
continuous circles, while each of my Right arm, Left arm and Left leg 
is picked up one at a time to make way for the swinging leg. Looks great. 
Often gets applause (!). ...and anyone in the Chicago area (and, by 
the way, Brazil) now knows who is writing this (Yeah, I'm the guy that 
inserts this move into the Electric Slide).

(5) NOTES on beat counts/steps. Some people may count my "1-2" counts 
as "1-&" (see separate volumnous "bpm count" e-mail correspondences). 
To be clear on my beat description, here is the assignation on tempo 
to the lyrics:
 "Lord Al-mi-ghty," is 1-2-3-4
 "feel my temp-ature" is 5-6-7-8
....Does that help?

From:	jwade@galileo.colum.edu (Jeffrey Wad)

Reformatted for display on web site 
Dancing Deep In the Heart of Texas
by Don & Patti Brown
http://members.aol.com/cactusstar/home.htm