Line Dance Connection:	What's your name? Do you have any dance nicknames that you're known by?
Shante’ Lee:	My name is Shante’ Lee and I have several dance nicknames…..Sun-Shan, Coach, Shanny, Judith Jamison, QV and Phyllis.
Line Dance Connection:	Where are you from and what city do you call home?
Shante’ Lee:	I’m from Chester, Pa. but the State of Delaware has been my home for more than 20 years.
Line Dance Connection:	What do you in your professional life? Any hobbies outside of dance?
Shante’ Lee:	Program Director for New Foundations Inc. (Foster; Kinship Care Agency). I’m an Independent Contractor as a Behavior Specialist Consultant and Clinical Consultant. My special hobbies include horseback riding, swimming, singing and miniature golf.
Line Dance Connection:	So what do they call this dance craze in your home town? Line Dancing, Hustling, Sliding, Other?
Shante’ Lee:	We call it Line Dancing
Line Dance Connection:	Are you affiliated with any group or groups?
Shante’ Lee:	Yes. S.I.L.K. (Smooth Brothas/Sistas In Line Kickin)
Line Dance Connection:	How long have you been dancing?
Shante’ Lee:	I’ve never attended school for dance; however, it has been a hobby since I was in grade school. I’ve been Line Dancing for close to 14 years. Prior to Line Dancing, my friends use to tease me saying I was always OFF BEAT or heard something different. It just so happens to be appreciated in the World of Line Dance, for the most part….lol….Freedom to Express J
Line Dance Connection:	How did you get involved in dancing?
Shante’ Lee:	Going to clubs, I remember seeing a group of Dancers on stage in sync doing the same steps to various songs. I fell in love with one particular dance they were doing. Found out the name of the song and dance and learned it on the floor. Not that night, over several nights. I kept going back until I got it down pact. BTW-that group of dancers happened to be the Dave Bush Dancers….who knew? And the dance was The Running Man by Dave Bush. I would dab a little when I was going to clubs but eventually got thirsty to learn more. At that time, I was in school so I didn’t fully jump in. When I graduated; I found a class in Chester, PA. Ray Boyd was the teacher and the rest is history.
Line Dance Connection:	After you attended your very first class, how did you feel?
Shante’ Lee:	I was excited after my first class. I was happy to be able to remember the steps but also this was the start of my obsession with Line Dance. Or as my Non-Line Dance friends would say Line Dancing “CULT”….they don’t know any better.
Line Dance Connection:	How did you get into choreography?
Shante’ Lee:	While going to Ray’s class on a consistent basis, Ray and a few other guys created a dance solely for men. It was called GQ. When we would go out dancing, the men would perform and the women had to sit on the side line cheering them on. We (Ladies) were told we could not join in. After the first time of cheering them on, I decided to have a friendly competition with the men and picked a song and created a dance for Women Only. I took the dance to Ray for guidance being it was my first dance and he was my teacher. Ray and another student, Neicy Brown both assisted with molding the final piece of the dance. Every time we went out and the guys would perform GQ, the ladies would perform Pure Essence right after.
Line Dance Connection:	How many dances have you created and what was the very first dance you created?
Shante’ Lee:	I do not keep track of my dances so if I had to take a guess, I would say more than 30. Pure Essence was my First.
Line Dance Connection:	Of all your dances which one would you say is your favorite?
Shante’ Lee:	This is a hard question for me as I get bored quick and love challenges so I would have to say my favorite has not been created yet.
Line Dance Connection:	In your own words, what makes dancing special?
Shante’ Lee:	Dance is special because there are no rules, restrictions, or guidelines. There are various levels and styles. It doesn’t discriminate. (age, sex, or race) All Welcomed…!!! A party can consist of a school age child to a fully matured adult, all under one roof enjoying being in the same space. I don’t know any other parties that would have those same demographics and all had a good time other than a line dance event.
Line Dance Connection:	If you could change one thing about dancing, what would it be?
Shante’ Lee:	I wouldn’t want to change anything about dance because everyone should have the freedom to express their way. Everything isn’t for everyone and it is enough dances and styles for everyone to enjoy. What I would like to say is Everyone who Line Dance, Things may occur within the bubble of Line Dance that may turn you sour towards dance….Try to remember the reason you started, the reason you fell in love with it, the reason your Non-Line Dance friends filed missing reports on you, the reason you need a second job to pay to travel to more LD events….Try not to allow any outside obstacles that are not relevant to the reason you were drawn to this recreational, stress relieving, family oriented hobby we all share and love….!!!
Line Dance Connection:	Tell me one thing about yourself that the dance community would find surprising.
Shante’ Lee:	Well, you may not have known this yesterday but after reading this, you should know, I can be a wordy person….And actually, this was cut down from my normal but I saw I was hitting for 3 pages..ooops…LOL…sorry for the length…..And I am approachable J