Line Dance Connection:	Before we get into the normal questions, can you explain to everyone why you started the Urban Line Dance Connection website?
Nichol Poyntz:	I started the Urban Line Dance Connection site because I had a strong interest in knowing who created the dances I was enjoying. In the past, I had heard conflicting stories about who created certain dances, so around 1999 I started capturing this data in an excel spreadsheet. I later discovered that another woman in our class was collecting the same data, so I stopped my effort assuming she would share her information. That person eventually moved from Michigan and that first effort died. In 2011, I decided to revive my effort because I was continuously hearing questions like “who created that dance” or “what’s the original song for that dance” or “I heard another person created that dance”. Other dance genres (e.g. Country Line Dance) have public sites where anyone can search for dances, so I figured why not create that type of site for our dance community. It took me a year to bring it to fruition but I’m happy it’s here. I didn’t create it for ME, I created it for US and I hope WE all find it useful. J I’ve been asked, in a nice way, what do I get from the site and the simple answer is NOTHING. I actually spend money to host the site and I pay the individual who does the development. It’s been slow getting choreographers to get their dances entered but there’s been a lot of movement lately. I believe partnering with the UC Star Awards will create the momentum needed to get more dances entered.
Line Dance Connection:	What made you add the “Interview Profiles” section to the website?
Nichol Poyntz:	It just seemed like a good next step. We celebrate the dances that we all enjoy but in most cases we really don’t know the person behind the dance. We typically like a person’s style of dance and I thought it would be nice to get to know them a little better.
Line Dance Connection:	Great, thanks! Now let’s get to the normal set of questions that we ask everyone.
Line Dance Connection:	What's your name? Do you have any dance nicknames that you're known by?
Nichol Poyntz:	My name is Nichol Poyntz and I have a few dance nicknames: Choly Chol (the main one that I prefer…even though some people don’t realize the “Ch” is pronounced as “K” LOL), Nik Woo, Memorex and NPeezy (given to me by my softball fam).
Line Dance Connection:	Where are you from and what city do you call home?
Nichol Poyntz:	I am from Detroit, MI and I currently live in Southfield, which is right outside of the city.
Line Dance Connection:	What do you do in your professional life? Any hobbies outside of dance?
Nichol Poyntz:	In my professional life, I’m an IT Manager at Ford Motor Company. I have an undergraduate degree in Computer Information Systems from Florida A&M University and I have a MBA from Florida State University. Honestly, I find it very difficult to tell people what I do at Ford. Typically I say I manage the deployment of new computer systems and folks typically get the gist of what I do….even though I no longer perform that role. If I said I am responsible for Corporate and Global IT Communications for IT Security and other IT Strategy Initiatives, I’d probably get a blank stare. J As for hobbies outside of dance, I absolutely LOVE softball…which I’m sure many of you already know. LOL I’ve been playing softball for 36 years. I played through high school, a few years in college and I still play.
Line Dance Connection:	So what do they call this dance craze in your home town? Line Dancing, Hustling, Sliding, Other?
Nichol Poyntz:	In Detroit we call it Hustling, although the more I travel I find myself saying Line Dance more and more.
Line Dance Connection:	Are you affiliated with any group or groups?
Nichol Poyntz:	Within the dance community, I’m a member of Motown Hustlers. We call Motown Hustlers a group but we’re really just a Thursday class that loves to dance and anyone can be a part of our “group”. J I’m also a member of Mo Ground Park. Well we aren’t really a group either, we’re more like a small family. A family that loves to have fun together, laughs together, travels together and dances together. Outside of dance, I am a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Line Dance Connection:	How long have you been dancing?
Nichol Poyntz:	I started dancing in a classroom setting when I was 5. I started out with ballet, tap and jazz and continued to dance all the way through high school and college. In college I got my feet wet with another form of dance called “stepping”….I was the Step Master in my sorority. I’ve been hustling for about 14 years.
Line Dance Connection:	How did you get involved in dancing?
Nichol Poyntz:	I used to see people doing hustles at cabarets and parties. Then a friend and teammate invited me to a bar in Detroit called the Comfort Zone and I immediately feel in love with it.
Line Dance Connection:	After you attended your very first class, how did you feel?
Nichol Poyntz:	After I attended my first class I felt good from a dance perspective but I didn’t feel warm and fuzzy about the atmosphere. Initially I didn’t find hustlers to be very friendly but that feeling passed a looooong time ago.
Line Dance Connection:	How did you get into choreography?
Nichol Poyntz:	I was a tap and jazz instructor my last two years of high school, so I had some experience with choreography. But when it came to hustling, I wanted to see if I had what it took to create a hustle.
Line Dance Connection:	How many dances have you created and what was the very first dance you created?
Nichol Poyntz:	I have created 25 hustles, including collaborations. The very first dance I created for the public was Incognito in 2003.
Line Dance Connection:	Of all your dances which one would you say is your favorite?
Nichol Poyntz:	Hmmmm, let me see. It’s hard to pick just one. If I just considered the dances I created by myself I’d have to say it’s between N^2 and Nik Woo. Wait….and And 1. Shoot, I can’t pick just one. LOL
Line Dance Connection:	In your own words, what makes dancing special?
Nichol Poyntz:	Dancing is special because the dance floor has no boundaries. Dance allows people to express themselves in their own unique way. Dance allows us to get the physical exercise that we all need. Dance allows us to momentarily escape the stresses of life. Dance is like therapy…….and it’s just the therapy I need! J
Line Dance Connection:	If you could change one thing about dancing, what would it be?
Nichol Poyntz:	I would change the unspoken competition that sometimes rears its head on the dance floor. The great thing about the dance floor is that it’s big enough for everyone to shine at any given time. We need to recognize that we don’t need our light to shine brighter than the next persons because the spotlight is big enough to cover the entire floor at one time.
Line Dance Connection:	Tell me one thing about yourself that the dance community would find surprising.
Nichol Poyntz:	Let me see…..some may find it surprising that I’ve had 5 surgeries (3 knee and 2 ankle) over the years and I refuse to let it keep me from dancing or playing softball. Let’s just say that Motrin 800’s are my best friend.