275,000 Settlement for "Dirty Dancing" awarded North Carolina woman
November 17th 2008 23:52
Seems some of the locals in the town of Marshall, North Carolina, weren't too taken with the dancing style of one Rebecca Willis. Apparently, Willis would dance at the local hall in a manner deemed not appropriate by some of the town officials, who banned her for life. Apparently (gasp!) they could, at times see her "undergarments" and stated that members of the community had complained about her sexually provocative dance style.
The ban was issued in December of 2000, so it took some time for the settlement to come through. Terms are that she still can't ever go to the dance hall. Personally, I can't see that bothering her too much. If it were me, I take the money and move somewhere in the current century. Funny, I saw the news story about an hour after seeing part of the 80's classing movie Footloose on television. Uptight towns, eh?
Something else that interested me in this story is personal experience. I've been kicked out of places for dancing before. My dancing was never anything to brag about, for sure. I grew up in an environment not that unlike the prudish small town portrayed in Footloose, and had never danced until I was in the Navy. That's right, no Prom for me. When I did start, I was, shall we say, "self-taught." Never very good, but always willing - especially after a drink or six.
And I don''t know if my limited early experience had something to do with it, but I have grown to love dance. All kinds of dance. From my own odd adaptations to the professional. My wife and I recently caught Oregon Ballet Theater's production of Swan Lake and just loved it. And yes, I watch Dancing with the Stars. My love of dance doesn't allow me not to dance, no matter how others might see my failings. That, and the freedom aspect of it all, are why I am happy for Rebecca Willis. As for my personal "bad experiences," they go back a few years, but resonate nonetheless.
was asked by security at a Berlin concert to stop - what is it they call it these days? Moshing? It was at a place called The Boathouse in Norfolk, Virginia. I persisted, and was threatened with arrest. Being that I was really into the show, I thought a chill pill would be a good idea. But my most infamous dancing episode resulted in not just me, but my entire group getting kicked out.
It was a winter night near Fort Eustis, just upriver from Norfolk. I was in the Navy and our ship would go to Fort Eustis to load up on ammunition prior to deployments. The night before getting kicked out for dancing, several of us were asked to get out of the base club after a ruckus with some of the Army guys, so we decided to take a taxi to a place that was a strip club on one side and a country bar on the other. We spent some time in the strip club and then went next door. There was a band playing that seemed right out of the backwoods. The crowd was sparse, with only a few people dancing.
As I was ready to dance, I asked a couple of girls who quickly turned me down. The only person who would take me up on my offer wasn't- how should I say this- someone I would normally date. I like my gals to have at least most of their teeth, you know. But she was willing to dance, and dance we did. As I didn't really understand dancing and had no feel for beat, my style was about the same for whatever kind of music. A little like Billy Idol meets George Michael with the grace of Meatloaf. Got some looks at that place, for sure.
When one of my friends ordered a drink at the bar, he was told "Are you with him? Are you with him jumping up and down on my dance floor? You go now, all of you!" The guys I was with were mad, because the strip club next door had closed and some of the girls had come into the country bar, and naturally, the guys had all drunk enough that they were sure they would be hooking up. They left in a cab without me, and I went outside and began walking back to base. After awhile I decided to "rest" and fell asleep in the ditch. Some other sailors saw me and I found myself with the nickname "dead dog" as that's how they said I looked.
Ah, if only I would have got 275,000!
The ban was issued in December of 2000, so it took some time for the settlement to come through. Terms are that she still can't ever go to the dance hall. Personally, I can't see that bothering her too much. If it were me, I take the money and move somewhere in the current century. Funny, I saw the news story about an hour after seeing part of the 80's classing movie Footloose on television. Uptight towns, eh?
Something else that interested me in this story is personal experience. I've been kicked out of places for dancing before. My dancing was never anything to brag about, for sure. I grew up in an environment not that unlike the prudish small town portrayed in Footloose, and had never danced until I was in the Navy. That's right, no Prom for me. When I did start, I was, shall we say, "self-taught." Never very good, but always willing - especially after a drink or six.
And I don''t know if my limited early experience had something to do with it, but I have grown to love dance. All kinds of dance. From my own odd adaptations to the professional. My wife and I recently caught Oregon Ballet Theater's production of Swan Lake and just loved it. And yes, I watch Dancing with the Stars. My love of dance doesn't allow me not to dance, no matter how others might see my failings. That, and the freedom aspect of it all, are why I am happy for Rebecca Willis. As for my personal "bad experiences," they go back a few years, but resonate nonetheless.
was asked by security at a Berlin concert to stop - what is it they call it these days? Moshing? It was at a place called The Boathouse in Norfolk, Virginia. I persisted, and was threatened with arrest. Being that I was really into the show, I thought a chill pill would be a good idea. But my most infamous dancing episode resulted in not just me, but my entire group getting kicked out.
It was a winter night near Fort Eustis, just upriver from Norfolk. I was in the Navy and our ship would go to Fort Eustis to load up on ammunition prior to deployments. The night before getting kicked out for dancing, several of us were asked to get out of the base club after a ruckus with some of the Army guys, so we decided to take a taxi to a place that was a strip club on one side and a country bar on the other. We spent some time in the strip club and then went next door. There was a band playing that seemed right out of the backwoods. The crowd was sparse, with only a few people dancing.
As I was ready to dance, I asked a couple of girls who quickly turned me down. The only person who would take me up on my offer wasn't- how should I say this- someone I would normally date. I like my gals to have at least most of their teeth, you know. But she was willing to dance, and dance we did. As I didn't really understand dancing and had no feel for beat, my style was about the same for whatever kind of music. A little like Billy Idol meets George Michael with the grace of Meatloaf. Got some looks at that place, for sure.
When one of my friends ordered a drink at the bar, he was told "Are you with him? Are you with him jumping up and down on my dance floor? You go now, all of you!" The guys I was with were mad, because the strip club next door had closed and some of the girls had come into the country bar, and naturally, the guys had all drunk enough that they were sure they would be hooking up. They left in a cab without me, and I went outside and began walking back to base. After awhile I decided to "rest" and fell asleep in the ditch. Some other sailors saw me and I found myself with the nickname "dead dog" as that's how they said I looked.
Ah, if only I would have got 275,000!
| 68 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
haha, little did I know....
Comment by Jeff Musall