Close Encounters

Description: 2 Wall Contra Line Dance, 24 Counts, Upper Beginner / Low Intermediate Level

First Place Winner: Golden Gate Classic "BEST LINE DANCE CHOREOGRAPHY"

Choreographer: Bill Bader Email: billbader@hotmail.com Website: billbader.com

Music:

"MOVE IT ON OVER" by Hank Williams Jr. (102 bpm) CD: Tribute To My Father . Start with the words.

For a brilliant cover, look for Sean Kenny’s version (UK). Caution: Versions of this song done by

singers other than Hank Jr. or Sean Kenny (like the Hank Sr. version), have unsuitable tempos.

Other song ideas:

Slow (for teaching): "Tonight We Just Might Fall In Love Again" by Hal Ketchum ( 92 bpm)

Alternate Medium: “No One Else On Earth" by Wynonna (100 bpm)

Alternate Fast: "No News" by Lonestar (120 bpm)

Choreographer's Notes: This choreography stems from my work on Sting’s music video, "I'm So Happy I Can't Stop

Crying". But that song is not recommended. (Sorry, Sting!) In the video, we Earthlings are line dancing with aliens

- close encounters of the dance kind. As in the video, the dance is designed to be done in contra position...

CONTRA Starting Position: Lines apprx. 4-6 feet apart, dancers facing and off-set.

Close Encounters features a “box around someone” in the opposite line. This is really fun to teach, especially when some dancers make for some "close encounters" of the wrong kind! Ppoint out that dancers should not “force” anything to happen -- if you do the steps correctly, they will take you to where you need to go. The person to the right of the gap across from you is the one you will box around. On the second pass there is a different “right hand partner”..

RIGHT SHUFFLE FORWARD, LEFT SHUFFLE FORWARD

1&2 Shuffle forward on R-L-R

3&4 Shuffle forward on L-R-L

RIGHT HEEL, TOGETHER, LEFT HEEL 1/4-TURNED, TOGETHER, CROSS-SIDE-CROSS

5 Touch R heel forward

& Step R beside Left.

6 Touch L heel to left side turning 1/4 left to face 9:00 wall

& Step L beside R facing 9:00 wall

7&8 Cross-Step R over L, Small step L to left side, Cross-Step R over L

9-16 BOX: 4 SIDE SHUFFLES 3 ENDING WITH A 1/4TURN RIGHT

1&2 Side Shuffle to left side: L-R-L stepping side-together-side. In contra lines, dancers will pass

through the opposite line leading with the left shoulder.

& Move R in beside L (almost a Touch) while turning 1/4 right. (Good cue “Turn to face”) (12:00)

3&4 Side Shuffle to right side: R-L-R stepping side-together-side. Contra dancers are facing.

& Move L in beside R (almost a Touch) while turning 1/4 right ( 3:00)

5&6& Repeat 9&10& As above, this "pass thru" ends with a 1/4 turn right (“Turn to face”.) ( 6:00)

7&8 Repeat 11&12. There is no turn here. Dancers end the box facing their opposite wall.

LEFT HEEL, STEP BACK, RIGHT HEEL, STEP BACK, LEFT HEEL, HOOK, HEEL, STEP BACK

1& Touch L heel forward, Small Step L back

2& Touch R heel forward, Small Step R back

3& Touch L heel forward, Hook L heel up across R shin

4& Touch L heel forward, Small Step L back

RIGHT HEEL, STEP BACK, LEFT HEEL, STEP BACK, STOMP, STOMP, STOMP

5& Touch R heel forward, Small Step R back

6& Touch L heel forward, Small Step L back

7&8 Stomp up R 3 times

End of pattern. Begin again...

SUGGESTED ENDING: At the end of “Move It On Over” there are 4 loud beats where you can do 4 slow "cymbal" claps: Start with R hand clapping downward and L hand clapping upward as if you are clashing cymbals together.

This step description was updated 15 September, 2004 by the choreographer. Photocopying for classes and

competitions is permitted. For more dances and videos visit webpage: www.billbader.com