European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 3, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                But what really draws this group together is their passion for country music and dancing. Quot if you Don t like the music you can t fake it Quot said Trejo. While dancing and singing drinking and laughing the members have found compassion and Friendship within their informal group a some ties going Back two years when the gang started hanging out together others begun when new members joined within the last month. Their social Calls Aren t limited to country nights they got together for Turkey dinner on thanksgiving and exchanged gifts for Christmas. This group of about a dozen people from the Frankfurt area unofficially self dubbed the autobahn tag team after a recent Roadside ruckus is More than people sharing six packs of Budweiser and Good times. There s pain too. For Many their military Tours in Germany Are the first time away from friends they grew up with and from families that nurtured them a and gave them their first taste of country music. And maybe that s Why they have come from All Over America to find themselves at a country bar in Germany spending their nights listening to songs about heartache and lost loves. Quot that s what country music is All about Quot said Michelle Lynn a surgeon s assistant at the Frankfurt military Hospital. Quot relationships where someone s done someone wrong the whole Way lying to people and breaking  Lynn could relate to that. The 23-year-old Danville va., native spent most of the evening on the verge of tears her latest relationship on the rocks. The team pulled together around Lynn like a protective Blanket and tried to cheer her up. Dan Bishop touched Lynn gently on the Cheek and told her he would t danc e with her again until she smiled. The ploy worked and soon they were on the dance floor lost somewhere Between the music and the Beer. Quot she s always Down Over somebody Quot Bishop said of Lynn. Quot but she s All right. She always gets Over  Lynn in t alone in the heartache Section they All take their turns in this Circle. Quot it s Nice to go to a place where everyone sitting with you is feeling the same Way Quot Lynn said. Although those in the group often find themselves together four or five times a week their relationships arc1 generally platonic. Several have boyfriends or girlfriends outside the group. Emily Decker a 21 year old food service specialist at the Frankfurt military Hospital said her Boyfriend in t jealous of the time she spends at country nights with her two stepping friends. Quot i do what i want with my friends and he does what to wants Quot said dec Ker of Skowhegan Maine. Quot and he understands. We still have time to spend  that does t mean that the love Bug does t occasionally affect t them. Trejo and Christine Elkins were thought of As a Quot perfect couple Quot when their relationship developed into More than just Friendship this year. They were excellent dance partners on the dance floor away from it Elkins ebullient personality played off Trejo s Good of boy fun Loving attitude. And they were inseparable for More than a year leading up to their Romance going to movies and dancing at the clubs nearly every night. They also worked together at the Frankfurt military Hospital where Elkins is an administrative specialist and Trejo is a medical specialist. Quot in a Way i want to be his Best Friend again Quot said Elkins a Dallas native. Quot and in a Way i Don t want to be anything. And a part of me still wants to hold onto him like i had him before. Quot the Quot Perfec t couple Quot tag turned out to be More an annoyance than a fact. Quot i guess we tried to be Perfec t Lor everyone else for the group Quot Trejo said. When the relationship fell apart they did t have to look far to be consoled. They were Able to talk to others in the group without forcing alliances and that helped to renew their Friendship when the love interests faded. Some in the group have tried other types of clubs like the Rock n Roll scene but begged out. Lynn said it was a matter of sitting All night at a club and never getting asked to dance. But for Shawn Howard a 24-year-old Aerial observer at Hanau the reason was More physiological. Quot my body s not designed to move that Way Quot he said. Another reason they were drawn to country danc ing is that they say Guys Are not As aggressive off the danc e floor As they have seen at Roc k n Roll clubs. Quot it s More that the Guys arc scoping for the females it a Rock n Roll club than Here said Decker. Quot Here Liev come to dance a some in the group Are converted Rock n rollers but Tor the most part they grew up listening to country music. Despite that some still had to learn the two step Here in Germany. While a lot of people usually feel pretty comfortable picking up the two step in their first night out Bishop said it took him three or four weeks. Not that he minded. Quot i had a lot of coaches that s for sure Quot be said grinning. Quot it s addictive Quot said Bishop a 27-year-old am mentions specialist at Hanau. Quot now that i know How to danc e a Little bit there a no getting away from  Cine person who was t Bishop s coach is a woman he refers to Only As his Quot eyeball Quot Girlfriend. She was playing Pool at the club one night and they caught each other s eyes. But when he asked her to dance she explained that she was married and All they could do was Quot eyeball Quot each other. Since then they be become Good friends. Along with drinking Beers and talking with friends Bishop often watches other dancers to pick up new two step moves. Quot he Trejo and Chris Elkins Are the Best two dancers in be Ever seen Quot said Bishop who is from Kansas City to. Quot but there s a lot More out there. You can never learn All the  if variety is truly the spice of life country music danc ing c certainly fits right up there. On a Given night danc ers c an try several versions of the two step the 1 it step the Waltz the Cotton eyed Joe and a club s4inc dance which can be one of numerous variations. In a line dance people take the floor in a Loose version of a formation and All do the same moves giving it an interesting Mirror effect. Quot its Kinda intriguing to watch Quot said Bishop. Quot everyone s doing their own dance but it s the same dunce. I like that. You can be yourself in a line danc e. A although group members come from different parts of the states several talk about a Day when they can live together in Texas fulfilling their ideals of a Cowboy s Way of life. Quot we re going to go to rodeos drink Budweiser arid Coronas and none of us is Ever going to get married Quot  said. Trejo and Elkins Are much admired by friends for their cd / croup members whoop it up during a two step contest. January 3, 1992 stripes Magazine 9