Line Dance Connection:	What's your name? Do you have any dance nicknames that you're known by?
Jackie Bowie:	My name is Jackie Bowie. I have several nicknames, but not for dance and God knows I don’t want to be known by any of them. J
Line Dance Connection:	Where are you from and what city do you call home?
Jackie Bowie:	I’m a native of Detroit, but southern California is home, city Pomona.
Line Dance Connection:	What do you do in your professional life? Any hobbies outside of dance?
Jackie Bowie:	I am a retired MTA Operator. I simply love watching: scary/horror, suspense thriller, and murder mystery movies, along with bowling, fishing, and card/domino playing.
Line Dance Connection:	So what do they call this dance craze in your home town? Line Dancing, Hustling, Sliding, Other?
Jackie Bowie:	Definitely Soul/Urban Line Dancing.
Line Dance Connection:	Are you affiliated with any group or groups?
Jackie Bowie:	Yes. I am the founder & originator of “Dance 4 Fun 4 Life”, created March 2012.
Line Dance Connection:	How long have you been dancing?
Jackie Bowie:	I started dancing June 2005.
Line Dance Connection:	How did you get involved in dancing?
Jackie Bowie:	I was coerced and bamboozled by my Mom into going to a senior line dance class (or so I thought) to learn & teach her. I was, at the time, retired medically from MTA, and was a 300+ pound recently diagnosed diabetic on a cane (taking 2 insulin shots/4 Medformin pills morning & night). So I went to class and then I was hooked. Prior to this, I was bedridden, then moved up to a cane & danced my way to the present 211 pounds and no medication (subsidized with herbs). Thank you Lord!
Line Dance Connection:	After you attended your very first class, how did you feel?
Jackie Bowie:	After attending my first class, I knew I had found my niche. I am so passed dancing with my hair down, I dance like my life depends on it. I feel like my life & energy have met it’s match, and I dance like nobody is watching EVERYDAY!!!!!!
Line Dance Connection:	How did you get into choreography?
Jackie Bowie:	Choreography? I felt compelled to do it, like I didn’t have any choice. I felt as though I was dreaming, envisioning, thinking, so I had to share it. I get it, what music/poets/artists talk about, waking up and putting pen to paper or turning on the video, ya just gotta do it…..and LOVE IT!!! IT IS SO MUCH FUN. I enjoy sharing the craft with others, watching their faces lite up when they get it, so cool…..even when they don’t, it is a learning process for me, because I remember when.
Line Dance Connection:	How many dances have you created and what was the very first dance you created?
Jackie Bowie:	I have created 23 dances, and my first one was “Jackie’s Groove” to Rick James “You & I”.
Line Dance Connection:	Of all your dances which one would you say is your favorite?
Jackie Bowie:	“Night Time” song by Ray Charles, Night Time Is The Right Time.
Line Dance Connection:	In your own words, what makes dancing special?
Jackie Bowie:	To me, with this form of dancing, there are no restrictions and so much enjoyment. It allows you to express yourself on the floor in so many ways, no matter who you are, wow. Partner or no partner, cane or no cane, handicapped, no matter who; you can have the time of your life while dancing to your favorite song and that is such an awesome feeling. It’s like dancing freedom, and I love the expressions on people’s faces while they are enjoying themselves on the floor. The cheers the smiles, the I love this song face, lol; it is so easy to unite with perfect strangers, and you would think we have known each other for years.
Line Dance Connection:	If you could change one thing about dancing, what would it be?
Jackie Bowie:	Maybe not change, but enhance or add to. I wish that line dancing would have some type of uniform guide, or identifying descriptions that we could all use to identify moves, and steps. It could help put us all on the same page, for example: East coast uses Charon, West coast uses sailor step, it would be cool if we were aware of each other’s call signs, making them more universal; so when we instruct it would help be more of a unit working together. In this enormous line dance work, and we are yet growing, we can’t label every move, some moves have nicknames; but if being aware we grow more as a unit, something truly missing with black folks. J We seem to come together on negative events, it would be nice to work together on something positive.
Line Dance Connection:	Tell me one thing about yourself that the dance community would find surprising.
Jackie Bowie:	I chart the stock market, commodities, and for years and I love it. Gold, silver, sugar, Palladium, pork bellies; commodities are such a rush; IBM, Xerox; those paper stocks ain’t no fun, I love the challenge. I love living on the edge; life, dancing, and the stock market….it is such a rush. J