We’ve just returned from the Kickin’ It Dance Convention in Mundelein, Illinois and did we ever have fun!!! A handful of people from our group attended and we all learned a lot and enjoyed ourselves immensely.
Friday
The gals at registration were so sweet and helpful, and they got us checked in quickly. And across the way we had an awesome snack and beverage counter to grab sustenance between classes if we needed it.
For our first class of the day, Chris, Teri, Chad, Lisa, Carol, and Lauren all chose to attend Rob Holley’s teach on “Raised Like That”. We’ve been seeing this choreography gaining popularity on a world-wide scale in the line dance community, and have been wanting to learn it. So of course we were thrilled that Rob was teaching a class on it.
The dance is a 32 count Improver/Intermediate level with some fun combinations and turns. Rob did a great job teaching and by the end of the class everyone was getting into the groove. Can you find all six of us in the video? (Well, not Lisa because she’s behind the camera.) And check out those “Wanted Poster” t-shirts on Carol and Chad! They look sharp on film. Available in our Michiana Country Kickers shop if you want one.
We split up for an hour or two to attend other classes but ended up back in the same room to learn “Tragedy”, a fun disco remake, taught by Rob Holley. This phrased dance is 70 counts long, with several phrases—or sections—to learn and remember. It was a challenge but so much fun that the class all cheered and clapped at the end. Check out the energy in this dance class!
Friday AFternoon
The highlight of Friday afternoon for us was teaching a room full of eager students “Take Me To The Beach”, a line dance that’s sweeping the nation. It has quickly become a favorite with our dance crew so we were thrilled to teach it to this amazing group of dancers.
The unique moves and upbeat music make this one sooooo much fun to dance to.
Friday Night
After our dinner break we returned to the Main ballroom where the instructors put on a show for us. As you can see they are an amazing bunch of dancers and each one made our classes so much fun as well as productive. We had a great time interacting with them over the course of the weekend.
Dance Off teach
On Friday night Jamie Marshall taught us this line dance to Dasha’s “Not At This Party” which would be the dance and music for the “Dance Off” on Saturday night. This dance was choreographed by Dasha along with co-choreographer Pennywild.
Open Dance
After the show the DJ fired up the music and we danced like crazy for hours. I wish I could share all the fun, funny, and heartfelt moments we had, but we can only catch so much on video. Here’s a montage of some of the fun dancing and goofing off we did that night.
Saturday
We hit the ground running on Saturday morning with an hour-long class where Chris taught two dances: “Boots On Bars” and “Posies & Ponies”. It’s a challenge fitting both those dances into one hour, but Chris did a great job teaching and by the end of class, the students were gliding through the steps.
Saturday Afternoon
We attended a few more classes with other instructors in the afternoon. Then wrapped up the day’s schedule in the pattern partner room, teaching “California Blue” to the couples in attendance. This dance has been around a few years, and is a favorite with many partner dance enthusiasts. Did I mention that Jeremy and Stacey joined us on Saturday, adding to our Michiana Country Kickers group.
Saturday night
Saturday night’s agenda started off with the Kickin’ It With Carol’s dance team performing their award winning number for us. Next we were treated to a performance from the Hardwood Shiners dance team. Unfortunately, I was in the worst place to get any decent pictures, so I can’t share that memory with you.
Open dance kicked off with a bang and we all had a blast. Here is a video montage of a handful of the songs we danced to and the fun we had.
We had an amazing time at the Kickin’ It Dance Convention and are already making plans to go again next year. If you are interested in joining us, you can watch our Facebook page for updates as they are available or the KickinItWithCarol.com web page which will be updated with info on next year’s convention in a couple months.