European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 31, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6in step with country shot line dancing Here was a time when people lining up at a country Western bar meant one of three things a it was time to do the Cotten eyed Joe. A. A the bartender had shouted a last  a police just raided the joint. Not today. When people line up now they re dancing. Its called line dancing and military people across Europe Are lining up in massive moving formations on club dance floors for the hottest dance craze since the twist. Woe be to anyone who tries anything else while they Boogie. There really Isnit a definition for line dancing. Some say its a perfect Wallflower dance because you done to need a partner. Others say its a great group party dance because everyone can participate. For the uninitiated line dancing looks a lot like the 1970s Funk dance electric slide. Essentially As Many people As possible Rush to the floor on the opening notes of their favorite designated line dancing song and fall into a formation not unlike those seen on Parade grounds at every military Post. Then they go through a series of choreographed movements each person doing the same thing As everyone else. Its a Solo dance done with a crowd. Its country slam dancing. A if you go to a club by yourself and done to want to dance with any of the Guys there line dancing is perfect because you done to need them a said Anga Holt a German who dances at the Galaxy club at Rhein main a Germany. Line dancing took hold in the United states five years ago according to several Veteran club disc jockeys who keep up on these things. Traditional country dance the two step variety gave Way to line dancing As country music changed. A the beat carries a line dance a said club do big Dollar in Hanau Germany. For 21 years Dollar has spun albums in military clubs. A new country has a a amps Marian Hamilton disc jockey Mike Sims checks his sound equipment at the Flamingo club. Line dancing Isnit the Only dance form at the Galaxy club on country and Western night. A amps Dava Casey stronger beat More Speed and Energy than the old stuff. The younger people like  one of the main reasons line  so popular Dollar said is because people done to need partners. At Many clubs men outnumber women 3 to 1, and finding a partner is about As easy As finding a place to two step during a line dance. A a these Young Guys come out and want to dance but the ladies Are already dancing a Dollar said. A so they wait for the next line dance and hopefully can have a Good time and maybe show off a Little so. The ladies will want to dance with  Rocco Bench into manager of the Hanau Rod and gun club said the craze is taking Root Over Here because its part of the general country craze sweeping across Europe. A if you want to be country today you line dance a Benevento said. Bin Cento has watched his older two stepping crowd yield precious dance space in past few years to the line dancers. His club like Many others offers line dancing lessons. A a there a a big audience that wants this right now a he said. A we have a lot of germans who come in and try to learn the dance. The soldiers come out in groups and  but lessons Arentt essential. A line dancing is easy once you get the hang of it Quot said a one time Rhein main dance instructor known Only As . A it s really just a series of simple Steps put together in a package. Military people can catch on because they re used to moving in unison like  when he taught at the club about 99 percent of his students came in for line dancing lessons. The. Two step he said is for county purists and May be in danger of becoming extinct. A i still prefer to two step a said ., now in the United states. A but the fact is most of the younger people want to come out Here and line up. They think two stepping is for old married  not everyone is a line dancing fan. For people like two step fan Tammy Pederson who usually dances at the Galaxy club line dancers Are taking too much space on the floor. A i done to mind line dancing a she said Beer in hand. A a in be danced a few dances myself but its become so huge and so Many people Are doing it that there a no room anymore for  to some line dancers the fact you done to need a partner is the dancers Best Selling Point. A i done to have to put up with the losers if i want to dance a said an Anonymous lady line dancer at the Galaxy club. A if a Guy can to dance or is a  i can just wait for the line dance and do my  Mark Kinkade country Battle waged in Naples by. Marian Hamilton Mediterranean Bureau country music is a big Deal in Naples. So big a Deal that two club systems in two different military communities in the a City Are waging War Over it. The american morale welfare and recreation office which runs the scuttlebutt enlisted club on the . Military base in Naples used to have  on the genre. The club featured country music on thursdays and saturdays and it was usually standing room Only. The nato morale and welfare activities office which handles the Flamingo enlisted club at the Allied forces Southern Region base also in Naples offered no country music at All. But in september 1993, the Flamingo started offering country music each Friday and customers started alternating Between the two clubs. The War escalated when air Force master sgt. Michael Smith became the Flamingo club manager last february. By april the 38-year-old go getter had hired away the scuttlebutt a country disc Jocky and changed the look of the flamingos former disco lounge. He also upped the number of country nights to cover every thursday Friday and saturday. A a in a a redneck from Arkansas and i love country music Quot Smith said. A they previous managers were doing it one night a week and a lot of people wanted it More. I did no to do anything More than what people asked me to do. People have the ideas and in a just trying to make it happen.�?�. A i just got Brand new two million lire about. $1,300 do equipment a former scuttlebutt disc Jocky Mike Sims said. A there Are also eight or 10 different contracts to improve the  improvements include Reding the bar to reflect a country theme taking Down disco mirrors renovating the do Booth enlarging the dance floor and installing Pool tables and Dart boards. Peter Hackenberg the scuttlebutt manager is not taking the defection of his customers lying Down. He is working with a . Entertainment firm to modernize and expand his club. A we Are really going to modernize Here All new equipment to monitors so people can watch themselves dancing and the whole Deal a Hackenberg said. A i am also trying to rearrange things so that we have a bigger dance  i pc done a Little two stomping myself you know the austrian born manager said with a laugh. They have bigger facilities but in a making it the  sunday july 31, 1994