From our OCD C/W dancer
Jan. 21st, 2006 09:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
billeylerI have to post this email I got yesterday from an old friend of mine, with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. At least he's that way with activities...I've taught him 90% of Mainstream in two lessons, and he's also scoured the internet for teaching tools to finish learning, even ordering a couple of CDs with interactive moving dancers doing the calls.
THIS post though comes from me teaching an old line dance, 'Slappin Leather,' with 2 more beats than the way he learned it when he visited Sidewinders in Palm Springs CA a couple of months ago...
I'm stunned by the way this man thinks!
OK, so I had a too much free time today, but I felt that a little
"scholarship" on the topic would be enlightening.
I decided to see what kinds of variations there are for the Slap Leather line
dance. I googled for "line dance slap (and slappin) leather". The results
were interesting.
Although there is no clear majority "standard" for the dance as a whole, there
are apparent standards for individual sections of the dance. If the dance
were performed with each section done to "standard", it would be a 38-count
dance. Ironically, I found only one 38-count version. (Meaning that almost
all versions deviate from the norm in some section or another.)
From the cue sheets (which I list below) here is the general template for the
dance:
* pigeon-toes (2 heel splits, 4 counts)
One variation does the right/left heel shifts instead. Some versions do
pigeon-toes at the end rather than the start. One version omits this section
entirely.
* heel-taps (right/left/right/left, 8 counts)
Two versions do right/right/left/left. Some tap toes rather then heels. (As
an aside, I've seen a scissor step done here and like to do it myself from
time to time (for 4 of the 8 counts). One web site, describing a scissor
step, said many dancers use a scissor step variation in Slappin' Leather and
other dances.)
* heel-and-toe-taps (front/front/behind/behind, 4 counts)
One version does front/behind/front/behind. (Yikes! too much work.)
* slap-sequence (plus 1/4 turn, 6- or 8-counts)
This is all over the place. The "standard" seems to be a 6-count sequence
that goes: 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock (slap), 3 o'clock, 12 o'clock
(slap in front), turn 1/4 with slap. Some don't slap at 6 o'clock.
Almost as common is an 8-count sequence which seems to be tagged as "St. Louis
version". This would go: 12, 3, 6 (slap), 3, 6 (slap), 3, 12 (slap), turn
(slap). At least one version (and what I learned in Palm Springs) puts the
extra slap at 12 such as: 12, 3, 6 (slap), 3, 12 (slap), 3, 12 (slap), turn
(slap).
As far as I can tell, all 40-count versions of the dance use the 8-count
slap-sequence.
* grape vines (right and left, 8 counts)
Lots of variations on the grape vines too. Some "slap". Some "hop". Some
"kick". Some "stomp". There is no clear majority here although "slap" (my
preference) seems to be the least common. One version omits the left grape
vine entirely.
* back/forward (and stomp, 8 counts)
Standard seems to be 3 steps back with hitch, followed by
forward/slide/forward/stomp. Some will do 3 steps forward with stomp. Some
will do a 2-count forward (step/stomp).
Here is the list of cue sheets I found:
http://www.iaglcwdc.org/dance/stepsheets/slappingleather.htm
38-count. This is from "IAGLCWDC Line Dance Competitions 2004-2006". Seems
pretty close to "standard" - the only 38-count version. Grape vines hop.
http://www.geocities.com/dancethursday/slap.htm
34-count. Pigeon-toes omitted entirely (hence 34 counts). Grape vines slap.
http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/physedpd/MAY11-FINALLY/lesplans/educgames/educrhytn/list/5.htm
Heel-taps are R/R/L/L. No left grape vine. Only 2 steps on the forward.
Weird. Seems to be 32 counts.
http://www.parishcountry.com/lineS-Z/slapping_leather.htm
40-count. 8-count slap-sequence. Grape vines hop.
http://www.westerndancers.fi/tansseja/slappin__leather.html
36-count. Heel-taps are R/R/L/L. Grape vines stomp. The 2 missing counts
came from the back/forward section - the forward is only 2 counts.
Pigeon-toes at the end.
http://www.westerndancers.fi/tansseja/slappin__leather_(st_louis_style).html
40-count. 8-count slap-sequence. Grapevines kick.
http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/physicaleducationonline/teacherresources/toolbox/a_10_12/a_12_10.pdf
36-count. Heel-toe-taps are front/behind/front/behind. 2 missing counts are
from back/forward. Grape vines "kick up" (hop?)
http://www.blazingboots.com/dances/slappinleather.htm
40-count. 8-count slap-sequence. Grape vines kick or optionally hitch.
http://www.linedancecountry.com/Linedances/slappinleather.html
40-count. 8-count slap-sequence. Grape vines kick or hitch.
http://www.ccepe.net/conference/2005/greiner_DancesWeKnowByHeart.pdf
36-count. 2 missing counts are from back/forward. Grape vines hitch.
http://members.aol.com/ldarchives/slappin_leathers.txt
40-count. Another labeled "St. Louis style" with the 8-count slap-sequence.
Grape vines kick or hitch.
http://members.aol.com/ldarchives/slappin_leathers_2.txt
36-count. 2 missing counts are from back/forward. Pigeon-toes are at the end.
Grape vines scuff-and-kick.
THIS post though comes from me teaching an old line dance, 'Slappin Leather,' with 2 more beats than the way he learned it when he visited Sidewinders in Palm Springs CA a couple of months ago...
I'm stunned by the way this man thinks!
OK, so I had a too much free time today, but I felt that a little
"scholarship" on the topic would be enlightening.
I decided to see what kinds of variations there are for the Slap Leather line
dance. I googled for "line dance slap (and slappin) leather". The results
were interesting.
Although there is no clear majority "standard" for the dance as a whole, there
are apparent standards for individual sections of the dance. If the dance
were performed with each section done to "standard", it would be a 38-count
dance. Ironically, I found only one 38-count version. (Meaning that almost
all versions deviate from the norm in some section or another.)
From the cue sheets (which I list below) here is the general template for the
dance:
* pigeon-toes (2 heel splits, 4 counts)
One variation does the right/left heel shifts instead. Some versions do
pigeon-toes at the end rather than the start. One version omits this section
entirely.
* heel-taps (right/left/right/left, 8 counts)
Two versions do right/right/left/left. Some tap toes rather then heels. (As
an aside, I've seen a scissor step done here and like to do it myself from
time to time (for 4 of the 8 counts). One web site, describing a scissor
step, said many dancers use a scissor step variation in Slappin' Leather and
other dances.)
* heel-and-toe-taps (front/front/behind/behind, 4 counts)
One version does front/behind/front/behind. (Yikes! too much work.)
* slap-sequence (plus 1/4 turn, 6- or 8-counts)
This is all over the place. The "standard" seems to be a 6-count sequence
that goes: 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock (slap), 3 o'clock, 12 o'clock
(slap in front), turn 1/4 with slap. Some don't slap at 6 o'clock.
Almost as common is an 8-count sequence which seems to be tagged as "St. Louis
version". This would go: 12, 3, 6 (slap), 3, 6 (slap), 3, 12 (slap), turn
(slap). At least one version (and what I learned in Palm Springs) puts the
extra slap at 12 such as: 12, 3, 6 (slap), 3, 12 (slap), 3, 12 (slap), turn
(slap).
As far as I can tell, all 40-count versions of the dance use the 8-count
slap-sequence.
* grape vines (right and left, 8 counts)
Lots of variations on the grape vines too. Some "slap". Some "hop". Some
"kick". Some "stomp". There is no clear majority here although "slap" (my
preference) seems to be the least common. One version omits the left grape
vine entirely.
* back/forward (and stomp, 8 counts)
Standard seems to be 3 steps back with hitch, followed by
forward/slide/forward/stomp. Some will do 3 steps forward with stomp. Some
will do a 2-count forward (step/stomp).
Here is the list of cue sheets I found:
http://www.iaglcwdc.org/dance/stepsheets/slappingleather.htm
38-count. This is from "IAGLCWDC Line Dance Competitions 2004-2006". Seems
pretty close to "standard" - the only 38-count version. Grape vines hop.
http://www.geocities.com/dancethursday/slap.htm
34-count. Pigeon-toes omitted entirely (hence 34 counts). Grape vines slap.
http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/physedpd/MAY11-FINALLY/lesplans/educgames/educrhytn/list/5.htm
Heel-taps are R/R/L/L. No left grape vine. Only 2 steps on the forward.
Weird. Seems to be 32 counts.
http://www.parishcountry.com/lineS-Z/slapping_leather.htm
40-count. 8-count slap-sequence. Grape vines hop.
http://www.westerndancers.fi/tansseja/slappin__leather.html
36-count. Heel-taps are R/R/L/L. Grape vines stomp. The 2 missing counts
came from the back/forward section - the forward is only 2 counts.
Pigeon-toes at the end.
http://www.westerndancers.fi/tansseja/slappin__leather_(st_louis_style).html
40-count. 8-count slap-sequence. Grapevines kick.
http://www.education.gov.ab.ca/physicaleducationonline/teacherresources/toolbox/a_10_12/a_12_10.pdf
36-count. Heel-toe-taps are front/behind/front/behind. 2 missing counts are
from back/forward. Grape vines "kick up" (hop?)
http://www.blazingboots.com/dances/slappinleather.htm
40-count. 8-count slap-sequence. Grape vines kick or optionally hitch.
http://www.linedancecountry.com/Linedances/slappinleather.html
40-count. 8-count slap-sequence. Grape vines kick or hitch.
http://www.ccepe.net/conference/2005/greiner_DancesWeKnowByHeart.pdf
36-count. 2 missing counts are from back/forward. Grape vines hitch.
http://members.aol.com/ldarchives/slappin_leathers.txt
40-count. Another labeled "St. Louis style" with the 8-count slap-sequence.
Grape vines kick or hitch.
http://members.aol.com/ldarchives/slappin_leathers_2.txt
36-count. 2 missing counts are from back/forward. Pigeon-toes are at the end.
Grape vines scuff-and-kick.
