Die folgenden Auszüge wurden mit freundlicher Genehmigung des australischen Autors David Powell übernommen.
Der Autor trägt Informationen aus zahlreichen Quellen zusammen und stellt in seinem Artikel u.a. fest, dass die Wurzeln vermutet, aber nicht nachgewiesen werden können. Er bietet den Gedanken an, (nach Vorläufern wie Hully Gully, Mashed Potatoes, Bus Stop und Nut Bush) die Choreografien "Tush Push" und "Four Corners" im Jahr 1980 mit der Geburt des "Linedance" gleichzusetzen.
Nach David Powells Theorie, die er als durchaus diskutierfähig bezeichnet, hat sich Linedance aus den Contra Dances entwickelt.
Es gibt zahlreiche Ausarbeitungen zu diesem Thema, auch bei Wikipedia, alle ähnlich, aber nicht identisch. Allen ist gemeinsam, dass die getroffenen Annahmen nicht nachweisbar sind. Da David Powell das als Einziger anmerkt, finde ich seinen Zugang zum Thema sehr tolerant.
Ilse, im März 2011
"What is linedance" by Dave Powell, Australia
http://www.roots-boots.net/ldance/history.html
Conclusions & comments
Just how long has linedancing been around?
That all depends on how loosely you consider the question. In a very loose sense, people have been doing dances that would not be out of place on today's linedance floors for 100's even 1000's of years - dancing has, after all, been a part of human culture since before recorded history and more than a few of those ancient dances contained all the elements of modern day linedancing.
More recently, linedancing can be traced to some of the line-style folk dances of the European Middle ages. Again, some of those dances could be called linedances, but one could justifiably say that they are really just folk dances that could be seen as linedances.
In the 1800's USA, some folk danced in lines, but these dances were contra dances, quite distinct from linedancing.
In the 1940's Contra dancing started to diverge (it's still around today) - some of the Contra dances appearing in the 1940's to the 1960's were increasingly like linedances. One could argue these dances were the first linedances, although I'm inclined to view them as "missing links" between linedancing and contra dancing (tho' they are by no means missing).
In the 1970's another step in the birth of linedancing was made with the advent of the "disco linedances" such as the 'Bus Stop'. Were these linedancing? One could argue both ways .. yes and no.
In one sense, linedancing was born when the word itself was first used.
Just when that happened and who was the first to use the term ... that is unknown.
Certainly by 1980 when the 'Tush Push' was choreographed, linedancing existed. That is the oldest known dance that is indisputably a linedance so,
IMO - I would date the birth of linedancing to it's appearance - 1980.
True, there are older dances which today are called linedances, but when they came out they were considered Contra dances and, arguably, linedancing is just a particular type of Contra dancing, one that has come to have an identity and standing of it's own.
