Newsletter Feedback

The feedback from September's Newsletter has been pouring in with more positive than negative....

What I found interesting is that none of the negative feedback actually disputed any of the actual content in the newsletter but either generalized by saying it's disgusting and sick or better yet, resorted to personal attacks against my choreography.

Before I share the notes I received, let me say that my actions speak even louder than the words you hear from others and you can either let the hype machines out there try and have you believe that I'm maligning all of England or you can take it for what it is - a small faction of the UK that tricks people into thinking they speak for thousands with their promotional tactics. And the fact that we, here in Chi-town, regularly teach and promote many UK dances (including Shaz' Insomnia) pretty much proves that I have nothing against good talent and good dances. Do your research people before spewing your hate!

There are people that will have you think this Newsletter is a personal attack against certain choreographers or talent. If that were true, we wouldn't teach their dances. They will have you think I am attacking our way of life. (They probably are Republicans - just kidding.) But.... you have to look at those making the accusations - look at what they teach or look at who they are. The truth is troubling to them so now they want me to pay - whether it be through hate-filled emails, ridiculing my lack of talent in choreography or other means to be announced. They will tell you how to think or what you should think of me! I am not telling you all how to think, but rather asking you to just think for yourself.

It gets to a point where you need to be honest about the political environment around you and I'm at a point where I can truly call a spade a spade and sleep at night.

It's unfortunate that so many of you out there took this as an attack on the UK talent and are so busy jumping to conclusions about the content that you never understood the point. As I mentioned on my newsletter feedback column at markcosenza.com, I support UK talent and have promoted it. (Note the dances on our Current Favorites list - and who is on there - Shaz Walton! Hello people?!?!? ) The method as to how some of these dances become popular (note the key words THE METHOD here) is what the point was of the article. No where did I mean to imply that Shaz Walton, Dee Musk or anyone else you deduced I'm insulting here lacks the talent to be out there on the circuit. And to Sandy Albano, who thought Guyton and Scott were targets on my humiliation list, they along with Peter & Alison always have been and always will be friends of mine whose work I have always respected. (I just taught Guyton's Hey Hey Goodbye a few weeks back.)

I don't need to write a barrage of notes to support me in Carol's newsletter because they'd quickly fill it up even though Shaz is so hurt that she thinks it's necessary to do so. However, if you go to my feedback area, you will see the number of people that understood the article for what it was - NOT an attack on Shaz, Dee or any other choreographers. I'm fine with your debates on whether or not Big Dave's Promotional tactics are good representations of the all the talent out there (we can agree to disagree), but please, stop assuming I am anti-Shaz. I'm not and if you reread the newsletter again, perhaps you'll see that. Some day, hopefully she'll see that and forgive me for making her and some of you to think otherwise.

t"lol!
Hype, hype baby ;)"

============

Little Mo is a great character follow up to last months newsletter. Isn't it amazing that ppl will push crap dances by big names and pass on good / great dances by unknowns. And then of course to decide their opinion of a dance based on how it does in a survey. I teach a lot of stuff in my class by ppl nobody knows and my classes are doing great ... Read Moreand having fun. But I guess if we go dance in Uganda we will look silly for not keeping up with what we are told to teach and by who. Oh well, I guess then we just won't dance in Uganda. Good job Mark.

================

Didn't find it funny personally. We dance everything here and don't rely on surveys. We teach what our students request. We have a huge social scene for such a small country.
I found it quite slanderous and feel you are scared to use proper names for some reason. These people are friends and colleagues of mine. UK and US. Only found out about it by 20 mails from people who want to boycott your event. It's hurtful beyond belief. (Shaz Walton)

================

Mr Cosenza

The September "newsletter" is personally slanderous, nasty and uncalled for. It helps
no-one, and says more about your character than it does about line
dancing. I feel sorry that you are so full of negativity............. Comment on
dances, but leave the personal attacks to children who don't know
better, as opposed to grown men who should!!!

Dee Musk

=================

lol...you do have a way of outdoing yourself! Great contribution...lol

====================

Mark is BACK!

==================

Go Mark Go! People just don't know you well enough to state harsh things....and by all means EVERYONE NEEDS TO LEAVE WINDY CITY ALONE....unless you are prepared to sign off on several thousand dollars to host an event...just shut up for God's sake.... Just in case we have to remind everyone, this is AMERICA...we can (at the moment) say and "type" what we want...especially on our own website!

===================

Here is my favorite...(remember again to read what I wrote above...-:)

Comments = Dear Mark

It tears up my heart to see that a instructor and choreographer as persistent as you, absolutely fails to acknowledge the talent of others...

I read your newsletters from August and September. Well, you have every right to ask questions as to why so many british choreographers get noticed.

But you really should wait for the answers. Either by letting dancers and instructors from all over the world reply, or (maybe even better) read and compare their stepsheets and videos closely. If you do that, and compare them to your own, you should be able to see the significant differences in quality in flow, elegance and "dance-ability".

As for me, I took the time to watch some of YOUR videos. You obviously do not hold back, when commenting other choreographers, so I will NOT be kind to you either:

Your dances really look boring and without any "dance-ability"! Further to that, your considerable lack of dance-techniques, makes the whole package something, that I personally would never consider for my own dancers!

Well, thats for the August Newsletter...

Your September Newsletter is one of the most disgusting attacks on choreographers from all over the world - UK, Scotland, Holland, Denmark, Australia AND from the USA - that I have ever seen.

You even cross the line, and put yourself in a position to throw REALLY sick humor on fantastic people on the international linedance-scene, who are deeply respected and who have worked for years to make modern linedancing as popular worldwide, as it is today.

These results speak for themselves, and would NEVER have been achieved by people of your attitude.

Your newsletter is absolutely outrageous, and I sincerely hope that you will be convinced to ask for an apology.

However, I suspect that it will become quite difficult for you, as you have succeeded in insulting most of the international linedance-scene.

I feel sorry for your students, if you have any left after your recent outbreak!

Regards
Henrik Juul Sorensen
Linedance instructor
Air-Liners Karup, Denmark
Username = Henrik Juul Sorensen

Mark's personal response: Interesting that you assumed that this was all about me and being bitter my choreography isn't done with your class. Hardly the case as I enjoy a lot of the current UK talent out there which is proven by the list of dances taught (you must have missed that page in your quest to malign my videos). It's more about the new talent that is ignored as well as the US and Canadian talent that was once prominent that no longer has the same impact. John Robinson, Michael Barr, Judy McDonald, Michele Burton, Jamie Marshall, to name a few. If their dances were suddenly stale, I'd understand but they're not. You should have spent your time researching them instead of me. If it were about me, it really would be silly to write this now that I don't choreograph anymore so I found your powers of reasoning to be faulty at best. Interestingly enough, watching others from Singapore and Malaysia do my dances so beautifully on the videos I posted on the homepage trumps over the opinion of someone who hasn't done them.

======================

Comments = As the Brits in Uganda would say,
Your contributing writer this month is
BRILLIANT.

Just read through it all and OMG! Tears coming outta my eyes I'm laughing so hard! This is the MARK that I remember hanging with "back in the day" up in Denny & Sherry room at the weekends. Nothing was sacred and NO ONE was safe! ...Having personally been raked over the coals by you face to face, one can appreciate the insightful and skillful (and Chicago?) way you can rip into someone! Like a laser. Nothing personal, folks, just Mark having fun! (And it's always a relief when it happens to the person NEXT to you.)

I am surprised at the negative response to your satirical look at the
message we have been seeing in Carol's newsletter day after day after day
after day (after day after day) for the last few years it seems. (After day
after day). Now, truthfully, I haven't read that message for a long, long
time. I always just skip over it. But the fact that it is repeated so much
makes it ripe for satire. It finally got its due. (After day after day.)

I especially like the ending, where it mentions that Mo's personal business
plan includes income from promotion of (and employment at) events that
feature the choreographers he names repeatedly. Mo can pretend he isn't the
"manager" for these folks, but if he makes his living promoting events that
feature these people, then he is only one degree of separation away from
being their manager, and his daily message in Carol's newsletter is just one
degree of separation from being an official press release for his clients.

The other thing that intrigued me is the response from people in the UK. I
would have thought that people from the country that produced Jonathon Swift
would be a little more tolerant of biting satire. I'm not saying your
September Newsletter was Swiftian in any sense, but it is certainly cut from
the same cloth. Some of the responses even went so far as to give the real
names of the people they think were being skewered by the satire. This only
proves that the satire was right on the mark (so to speak:).

Where were all these complaints when the guest writer was Cooter Dee?

Comments = Hi Mark,
Don't know what happened but I would like to say you did some really good dances.Sorry it is so much cut throat out there with the line dancing.Everyone should teach each others dances and not just pick certain ones.A few years back we had no dancing problems.Everyone went to different instructors.
Please don't get dicouraged.Keep on dancin'.

Comments = Hi Mark,
Well....you're taking some heat, but you had the guts to expose something that seems to be hidden in plain sight.(IMO). I was rolling on the floor and wiping tears of laughter from my eyes as I read the commentary (about 4 times). It got funnier each time. To me, it brought light to a "marketing" ploy that the general public seems oblivious to, yet are totally enthalled in at the same time.

========================

Subject = Question or Comment
Comments = Go Mark!! I almost wet my pants. Bulls Eye!!
It is SO how Little Mo puts it & just what I & many many others have thought for a hell of a time now.

What is it these guys don't like? That you speak the truth? Or just that they know they've been rumbled?

So some of them do choreograph a good one every now & then but we're getting it forced down our throats that just this select elite group are who we should be following in our lessons at the expense of our own talent & other talent around the world & yes even overlooked UK talent.

The end result of this is those few hyped up individuals rake in the big bucks from events they instruct at as they are the top dogs & I guess that these guys MANAGER turns a nickel or two as well.

Carol Craven's well meaning Newsletter/Survey is being used by a few to hoodwink many.

Don't believe the hype guys & keep spreading the gospel Saint Mark

Comments = Mark~

I just finished reading your past few newsletters and I have to say how refreshing they are from reading one of Carol Craven's newsletters (which, incidentally, I barley read anymore). Thank-you for say what needed to be said. To me it was obvious how slanted everything is toward the UK. But then I have a brain and can think for myself. I get the feeling that a lot of dancers out there prefer to be led around by the nose rather than actually form a cohesive thought on their own. In any case, you deserve thanks for put into words what I'm sure at least a good number of us were thinking, but just never took the time to say it.

Comments = Hi Mark,
Just read your August Newsletter.. having screamed with laughter at the September one (and there is a LOT more you havent mentioned..and I could tell you some true stories..lol).
You are 'lucky' .

I've known you for many years and know that you have written many satirical articles. It's just that people who don't know you personally and don't know that you have done that in the past just didn't understand. Anyway, I hope you know I will always support your event in any way I can.

Comments = Mark~

I just finished reading your past few newsletters and I have to say how refreshing they are from reading one of Carol Craven's newsletters (which, incidentally, I barley read anymore). Thank-you for say what needed to be said. To me it was obvious how slanted everything is toward th UK. But then I have a brain and can think for myself. I get the feeling that a lot of dancers out there prefer to be led around by the nose rather than actually form a cohesive thought on their own. In any case, you deserve thanks for put into words what I'm sure at least a good number of us were thinking, but just never took the time to say it.

Comments = All I can say..is if not for the furor I would have never looked at your site! Then follow that with the comment...good grief! Grow UP! I do not know what all the kickin' and screamin' is about. I found the article to be humorous and perhaps it was a veiled comment on some but why all the thin skins. If nothing else they can consider you a lunatic and move on. To send ugly responses back only shows that maybe you hit close to home in the comments??? We all have different views on line dance and some of the events I have attended show some really BIG EGOS in the works but I have also met some wonderfully friendly and helpful people. I believe in teaching what I like and what I think my students would like but some would prefer to teach what is HOT! I suppose linedance is like music. I LOVE Keith Urban and use his music a lot, I suppose the same could apply to a choreographer....like oh let's say Max Perry or Joanne Brady...( I just luv JB) . It is all in the person!
al choices. But I still don't see the big deal about the newsletter..

Comments = hi my name is cass and i would just like to let you know that i read your letter page and i was pretty much amazed at what a sad and bitter person you must be as regards the dances being taught in the united kingdom with the internet making it very difficult to choose dances as you will be well aware there are thousands of dances out there and quite a lot of teachers only have one or two classes a week so they have to pick their dances carefully and being a teacher myself i do not always pick the top choreoghraphers dances but i do want my dancers to be able to join the rest of the dancers on the floor and just for the record i did teach one of your dances a while ago and the class did not like it and as dancers vote with their feet i think that says it all big mistake so i will not be teaching any more of your dances what is more if you have been choreographing dances since 1998 than yes i think it is time you gave up choreographing and you might just start enjo!
ying dancing once more instead of trying to be a wanna be there are far too many choreographers out there far better than you
Username = cass
UserEmail = carolmcalister@hotmail.co.uk

Personal Response: There is nothing in what was written to reflect that I am sad and bitter with the exception that perhaps there are few choreographers in the US and Canada who have people in their corner like they do in the UK. But it's also a shame that people like yourself have taken what I said as a reflection of my lack of success. (Sorry to shock you here but I have already had plenty of successes with full dance floors at events in both US and other countries along with a published dance in Linedancer Magazine that have more than fulfilled me in that dept. Too bad you and your class missed out...) As for trying out one of my dances and not liking it and then judging my choreography, it's lucky I don't have that type of attitude. There have been many dances that have missed by other choreographers and then followed up with a hit. I don't think there would be anyone left that I would be teaching to if I followed your philosophy. But anyhow, very little of what you wrote about has anything to do with my previous newsletters. I don't care if you look at my dances, no really... but you are really missing out if you are not routinely checking out offerings from John Robinson, Michael Barr, Michele Burton, Judy McDonald, Michelle Perron, Gerard Murphy, Max Perry and others that seemed to be routinely overlooked.

Comments = Good Morning Mark,

This conflict reminds me of our illustrous Chicago Bears, always something before the big Game. I say GREAT ADVERTISING at NO COST. Keep up the good work and keep on DANCING

I read the Newsletter today and thought I'd like to put my 2c worth in. If you're asking about a feeling to continue the event or not, let mine be counted on as a huge YES!! It's a well run and thought out event....one of the best. I've done this event from the beginning and have always felt like there was care and purpose behind it all. A gathering for friends and people alike who have a common bond in their love of dance and music. There aren't many things in life that give us as many good times as dancing but between the venue that you offer in Chi-town, and the time and planning that you, Eve, and Glen put into it, it has really become one of the premier events in our dance world . To lose all that you've accomplished now, would be a shame. I personally hope that there are many more to come..... If for some reason, this event does come to a close, I just want to take the time to say......Congrats to all 3 of you for doing such a great job over the years!!!! It!
's appreciated and I for one won't overlook it!!

I don't know you well but I don't think you deserved any of the negative remarks that were made about you in Carol's Newsletter. I really couldn't understand the humor in your newsletter but I don't think it was meant to hurt anyone. I don't know why your article upset so many people because Windy City is one of the best line dance events in America and you have all the best UK choreographers at these events ( I think they are your friends). If anything is to be learned, I guess you can't joke about anyone because everyone seems to be too sensitive. I, for one, have a very positive opinion of you. You always seemed to be very friendly and genuine. Even if I haven't been to Windy City yet, it would be a shame to discontinue it because I always hear such great things about this event and I would like to participate in the future. We appreciate how much you have given to the line dance world. Hope you had a great time in Cancun.

Comments = Totally got the message on your newsletter. You are right, did you go about it the right way? Ah! you can't please everyone. But PLEASE don't cancel Windy City. We have been planning to go for a couple of years, and I think we finally have our ducks in a row and do plan to attend next year. Keep on dancing.

I think you have done a positive thing through your newsletter, I have heard alot of good comments.

Well done and sorry for all those negative people out there.

Comments = Mark,

I don't know you personally but will soon I hope as will be at Windy City for the first time this year. I just want to say how sorry I am for all the junk being thrown at your and I applaud you for your courage to speak from your heart addressing a situation that concerns you. I am a 60 something senior line dancer and instructor and I cherish the gift I have been given, that of being a part of keeping line dancing active in my little part of the world. Do I care where these dances come from? Not in the least. Am I a little tired of the majority of the big hits coming from across the pond, yes I am. Does that mean I don't recognize their talent? Absolutely not. I don't do a lot of your dances. I'm a senior and many times the turns and movements are limiting, but this is also very true of all the dances from abroad. We have much talent here in the states, as there is much talent everywhere else. Can we not share our common love "line dancing" with all and honor all!
who possess the gift to be able to choreograph whether near or far. How sad that your honesty was taken as a personal affront. Not how I took it and I am just a little nobody in love with dancing in an upper midwestern town. Looking forward to your event!

Comments = Mark,
I don't know you personally but the barrage of political and uninformed hate mail on LDUK must have hit a nerve. I occasionally have some time to read it and one of the Emails linked me to your site. So I read... Don't let it bother you. Those with any genuine intelligence can see what you were really trying to say and none of it was malicious towards anyone. It was honest. It is so sad to see that nationalism and politics still continue in line dance. This hate mail truly demonstrates it. And the fact that many of them want to censor you is what disgusts me the most. I serve in the military when I am called and it saddens me that we, as well as, the great British soldiers (our brothers who I call friends) I served along side of not that long ago, risk our lives to protect these people who don't respect the right to everyone’s free speech unless it is in their favor (we now have so many of them in our country too). I left the line dance spotlight quite some time ago. It w!
as not all of the reason, but some, of why I strayed away from something that I so much enjoyed. Things like this take the joy from it. It’s supposed to be about having a good time, no matter where you are from (remembering my dear friend Pedro Machado now-really miss him). Quality of the dances is better than how many are created, and who cares who did it when you are truly enjoying it on the dance floor. One choreographer from the windy city area that I know of (S.B.) never put out a lot of dances per year, but most of them are keepers. But he is in a class of his own. You keep it up. And don't let anyone pressure you from speaking the truth and what you believe in. That would be really sad and wrong (then you would become just another one of the sheep - being a sheepdog is much better (not a wolf)). It's refreshing to read good commentary that isn't oriented toward just kissing bu** to gain someone’s favor. We all don't have to always agree. None of us can truly please everyone. Keep it up. And it would be a pleasure to meet you personally someday.

t"lol! Hype, hype baby ;)"

======================

t"lol!
Hype, hype baby ;)"