If you like country music or even just smiling faces and upbeat music, then this video of a team of Country Dancers' Choreographed Audition on Britain's Got Talent will surely have you tapping your toes and clapping your hands.
CountryVive is a line dance act that hails from across the UK. The team is made up of members from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. They are from the World Dance Masters Elite Show Team, a group of line dance judges, instructors, and World Dance Masters Allstar competitors.
Shane McKeever, one of the 19 members, says he loves country music and that his group will be dancing to a country song. A few in the crowd roll their eyes and look sarcastically thrilled. Simon Cowell also looks less than excited and takes a deep breath to prepare himself.
The song starts, and Shane begins dancing almost ballet-like to a song that sounds like the beginning of a saloon scene from an old western movie. It’s the Rascal Flatts song Backwards. Shane is joined by another man about 10 seconds into the song, and they continue to dance to the slower tune for another 15-20 seconds.
Suddenly the song ramps up, and the rest of the group joins the two and sends the energy through the roof. The song is fast and fun. A great song for a hoe down. Which is exactly what happens.
The song's upbeat tempo and funny lyrics make this performance even more fun. The lyrics take a fun jab at country songs, saying that if you play a country song backward, you get your house back, your dog back, your truck back, your boat back, and a whole lot of other things lost in the typical country song.
The team dances for nearly a minute and half, twirling, high stepping, and kicking. The dance style is a mix of country line dancing, ballet, and even some hip-hop moves thrown in. At one point, the four gentlemen dancers in the group spin around and throw their black
cowboy hats to the judges, who excitedly reach out for them.
By the end of the performance, the crowd is on their feet, clapping, dancing, and shouting out in approval. You hear whistling, and even a few yee haws. The judges also give a standing ovation and begin the rave reviews.
The first judge, David Walliams, says the group is “an answer to prayers,” and the second, Alesha Dixon, says they brought an amazing energy to the stage. The judge everyone fears, Simon, adds his approval saying they’ve taken it up to a whole new level.
With four yesses, the group and crowd explode with cheering, and the team gets emotional.
Psalm 149:3 says, “Let them praise his name in the dance! Let them sing praises to him with tambourine and harp!” Even a toe-tappin’ hootenanny can be a form of worship to the Lord.