THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY CHAPTER FOUR: THE APPRENTICESHIP Written by Rick Archer

STEPPING STONE ONE AND TWO JUNE 1977 ROSALYN LIVELY

My dance career started in a very modest way.  It began with an unexpected offer from a woman named Rosalyn Lively.  During the Lost Years, 1974-1978, the Jewish Community Center served as my second home.  Why was I taking dance lessons?  Because I was still too afraid to go to a nightclub and approach women I did not know.  Hopefully, once I became a good dancer, I could get up the nerve to approach a lady and ask her to dance.  During the Lost Years, that did not happen.  The book said I needed to be 'excellent' if I wanted to impress a girl.  In my dreams.  So for three years I plodded along praying for improvement.  Unwilling to use 'dance' as my secret weapon until I was 'excellent', I occasionally met women in other ways.  Nothing ever developed.  Only one relationship in four years lasted as long as a month.  When I describe my problems with women as 'Epic', I am completely serious.  So what did I do during my long spells waiting for the next temporary woman to show up?  I turned to sports at the JCC.  Basketball Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday afternoon.  Volleyball Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday morning.

One day in 1976, I noticed a JCC catalogue as I headed to the gym.  The catalogue listed a Disco Line Dance class taught by Rosalyn on Wednesday evenings.  I ditched basketball on Wednesdays and started her class in October.  Due to previous line dance classes I had taken, Rosalyn's class was not particularly challenging.  But I liked her warm, relaxed style, so I stuck around.  Here in the third year of my Lost Years, I was a fairly good dancer thanks in large part to Patsy Swayze's adult jazz class (yes, Patrick's mother).  Rosalyn noticed I was a cut above the rest, so one day she asked me to help a lady who was struggling.  Watching me out of the corner of her eye, Rosalyn was pleased to see the woman smile as I helped her.  Repeating that service whenever called upon, I became teacher's pet.  Proud to be noticed and appreciated, I repeated Rosalyn's class 4 times. It was now April 1977, my seventh month taking Rosalyn's class.  Was I learning anything?  Nah.  But it made me happy to receive compliments from the other students plus it was a chance to be around women.  Most of them were older and married, but I didn't care.  I was so lonely, anything was better than sitting at home at night.  In addition, I had a secret agenda.  During my eight months as Rosalyn's unofficial assistant, I had developed a desire to teach a line dance class of my own.  Why?  Because I thought teaching a line dance class would help me find a girlfriend.  For that reason I carefully studied how Rosalyn explained her patterns.

One day I worked up the nerve to ask Rosalyn if I could substitute for her some time.  To my relief, Rosalyn accepted on the spot.  She said, "That's a great idea.  I could use a back-up if I ever get sick.  Let's do it next week." Oddly enough, just as I was about to play music in my substitute class, someone ran in my class screaming Bomb Scare.  This was the Jewish Community Center, so people took these things seriously.  The room emptied in five seconds.  So much for good omens, right?  However, to my surprise the students asked me to continue teaching the class out in the parking lot.  Pleased to be given a second chance, we had fun.  Afterwards, Rosalyn had a big smile.  "Rick, you're a natural." This class turned out to be Stepping Stone One.  Although I was thrilled that things went so well after that terrible start, I had no idea that it would lead to anything.  Fortunately, one week later my wish came true.  In early May Rosalyn got a surprise job offer to spend the summer in Washington, D.C.  However, before she could accept, she needed a replacement for her summer JCC dance class. "Rick, you did a great job last week and you know my patterns like the back of your hand.  I don't have enough time to train someone else, so I beg you to take my place for the summer." Rosalyn didn't have to beg.  I accepted in a heart beat.  Considering how much I had fantasized about teaching my own Disco class, this surprising turn of events had a ring of Fate to it.  This opportunity became Stepping Stone Two.  I had so much fun teaching the summer class that I never wanted to give this up.  I was not an amazing dancer, but I was a good teacher.  I had a gift for explaining moves in simple ways that inexperienced dancers appreciated.  In addition, I discovered my goofy sarcastic comments kept my students in stitches.  Mistakes are inevitable in a dance class, so I made frequent use of the classic line, "No, you need to use your other left foot."  The students knew I loved them, so they didn't mind my good-natured teasing.  However, when Rosalyn returned in September to reclaim her class, I figured this was the end of road.  I was so disappointed.

RICK ARCHER'S LIST OF SUSPECTED SUPERNATURAL EVENTS
THE MAGIC CARPET RIDE
055	Serious	Coincidence Wish Come True	1977	One week after a bizarre bomb threat interrupts Rick's first-ever opportunity to teach a line dance class, Rosalyn offers Rick a job teaching for the summer at the JCC.  This becomes Stepping Stone Two
053	Serious	Coincidence	1977	A bizarre bomb threat at the JCC interrupts Rick's first-ever opportunity to teach a line dance class.  The Bomb Scare Event was Stepping Stone One of four events leading to Rick's dance career.

STEPPING STONE three September 1977 the other Jewish community center

One day in September, I received a phone call from a lady who represented a new Jewish Community Center in the Memorial area of town.  I had never heard of this place, so she said it had just opened.  Would I consider teaching a line dance class for them?   Of course!   This class became Stepping Stone Three.

I did not know it at the time, but I later learned they had asked Rosalyn to teach the class.  However, she was not interested, so she recommended me for the job instead.  Imagine the gratitude I felt towards Rosalyn.  She was the person who gave me my first, second, and third break towards achieving my modest dream to teach a line dance class of my very own.   'Modest' turned out to be a pretty good description.  My new class was very small, 5 women.  I didn't care, we had fun. One night a woman named Esther stayed behind to ask about Disco Partner Dancing.  Embarrassed to admit I knew absolutely nothing about it, I told her I would look around.  18 months ago I had seen a couple demonstrate a dance called the 'Whip' at Stevens of Hollywood.  Lance Stevens and his wife Cliann had interrupted a line dance class I was taking to promote their upcoming class.  I was very impressed.  In particular I was mesmerized by Cliann's hip motion.  Wow.  I had made a note to try learning this dance someday, so I decided maybe this would be a solution to Esther's request.  The Whip is the Texas version of a better-known dance called 'West Coast Swing'.   Since the Whip works best to slow rhythm and blues music, it turned out to be a poor fit for fast Disco music.  But how was I supposed to know that?  It was the only thing I could think of at the time, so I signed up.

THE MAGIC CARPET RIDE
057	Suspicious	Lucky Break	1977	Rosalyn's Gift of a line dance class at Memorial JCC becomes Stepping Stone Number Three
055	Serious	Coincidence Wish Come True	1977	One week after a bizarre bomb threat interrupts Rick's first-ever opportunity to teach a line dance class, Rosalyn offers Rick a job teaching for the summer at the JCC.  This becomes Stepping Stone Two
053	Serious	Coincidence	1977	A bizarre bomb threat at the JCC interrupts Rick's first-ever opportunity to teach a line dance class.  The Bomb Scare Event was Stepping Stone One of four events leading to Rick's dance career.

STEPPING STONE FOUR AND FIVE October 1978 STEVENS OF HOLLYWOOD

When I arrived at Stevens of Hollywood in early October, I learned that the class Whip had already met twice.  Lance Stevens, the owner, did not want me to slow his class down.  So he assigned his assistant Dorothy Piazzos, 50, to help me catch up.  Dorothy was very surprised to see me pick the footwork up quickly.  Pleased by her compliment, I mentioned I taught a Disco class elsewhere, so the footwork was already familiar.  Unbeknownst to me, Stevens' Disco line dance instructor had just quit.  Based on Dorothy's recommendation, at the end of class Stevens walked over to see if I would consider taking the unexpected vacancy. The whole thing was very strange.  For one thing, I could tell that Stevens did not like me.  That was no surprise.  I had a hunch Stevens didn't like anyone.  The man was a serious grouch.  For another thing, Stevens was not impressed by my dancing.  He had criticized me several times during the Whip class in a harsh way.  So imagine my shock when he asked if I wanted the job.  Of course I did.  But it was weird.  Why no interview?  Why no request for a resume or discussion of my experience?  Stevens simply said, "Do you want the job or don't you?" "Yes, sir, I would like to take the job." Stevens frowned, then said, "Okay, I will see you tomorrow night at 7. Don't be late."  Then he walked away. Given this inauspicious start, I had no idea this job would become Stepping Stone Four.

So why the lackadaisical attitude?  Stevens hated Disco music so much he would have hired a homeless person if it meant not teaching the class himself.  Despite feeling distinctly unwelcome, I liked teaching line dances so much that I agreed to take the offer.  Another reason I accepted was due to a growing suspicion that something fishy was going on in my life.  Being handed my third unasked-for job in the space of four months had a serious 'Wish Upon a Star' feel to it.  Unfortunately, this new position did not hold much promise.  Given how gruff Stevens was towards me, my new boss was a hard man to like.  Furthermore his low opinion dwindled even further over the remaining six weeks of my line dance class.  I started with 15, but my class was down to five people on the final night  Seeing his frown as the five students passed by, I could read his mind.  One, this new teacher is lousy.  Two, Disco is dead.  Sure enough, I guessed right.  As he handed me my final paycheck, Stevens said he was not planning to offer this class again in January.  Then he added the proverbial 'don't call me, I'll call you'.  I assumed that was the end of the road.   To my surprise, this was not the end after all.  Saturday Night Fever debuted the next day.  I never suspected at the time, but in January this lucky break would become Stepping Stone Five.  During the month of December, the movie generated an impressive amount of interest in Disco dancing.  When Stevens called to say I had a class in January after all, I was stunned to be given a second chance.  In fact, the demand was so great that during January I went from teaching from part-time one night a week to teaching full-time five nights a week.  At this point, my belief that Fate was involved skyrocketed.  This was too good to be true.  My Magic Carpet Ride had just begun.

THE MAGIC CARPET RIDE
060	Serious	Lucky Break Coincidence Synchronicity Wish Come True	1978	Stepping Stone Five.   Rick is shocked to discover he is in the Right Place at the Right Time when SNF arrives.  Mistress Book Leap of Faith from 4 years earlier becomes validated. Courses a la Carte Spotlight Effect makes Rick the best-known Disco teacher in Houston.  The Surprise Factor makes Rick the One in a Million Dance Teacher.
059	Suspicious	Synchronicity	1977	Robert Stigwood's Saturday Night Fever Synchronicity:  Nik Cohn, John Travolta, Bee Gees, Norman Wexler
058	Serious	Lucky Break Coincidence	1977	Out of the blue, Lance Stevens offers Rick a Disco Line Dance class job.  Right place at the Right Time. This job would prove to be Rick's Big Break, Stepping Stone Number Four
057	Suspicious	Lucky Break	1977	Rosalyn's Gift of a line dance class at Memorial JCC becomes Stepping Stone Number Three
056	Suspicious	Coincidence	1977	The painful lessons learned at Melody Lane two years earlier help Rick turn into a Pied Piper at Rubaiyat
055	Serious	Coincidence Wish Come True	1977	One week after a bizarre bomb threat interrupts Rick's first-ever opportunity to teach a line dance class, Rosalyn offers Rick a job teaching for the summer at the JCC.  This becomes Stepping Stone Two
054	Suspicious	Premonition	1977	Rick is so excited after teaching his first-ever class, he spends two hours creating a syllabus for a class that does not exist only to discover one week later his prayers have been answered.
054	Serious	Coincidence	1977	A bizarre bomb threat at the JCC interrupts Rick's first-ever opportunity to teach a line dance class.  The Bomb Scare Event was Stepping Stone One of four events leading to Rick's dance career.
053	Serious	Coincidence	1977	A bizarre bomb threat at the JCC interrupts Rick's first-ever opportunity to teach a line dance class.  The Bomb Scare Event was Stepping Stone One of four events leading to Rick's dance career.
036	Serious	Coincidence	1974	Seeing the Mistress Book dedicated to 'Vanessa' was so improbable, it felt like an Omen.  This convinced Rick to buy the book that begins his Magic Carpet Ride and takes his life in an entirely new direction

JANUARY-JUNE 1978 THE BOSS FROM HELL

January was my first month as a full-time instructor.    Over the past three years, I had taken Disco Line Dance classes, Jazz and Freestyle classes non-stop.  Although I had been a slow learner, I had the advantage of knowing exactly what to teach.  Since  I was very well prepared, things went smoothly.  My classes were huge, anywhere from 50-100.  Why was that?  Although I did not know it at the time, I was THE ONLY DISCO TEACHER IN TOWN.  There were plenty of professional instructors in Houston who were far better dancers and much more experienced than me.  However, none of them paid much attention to Disco.  In the past there had been little opportunity to make money.  For most people, learning a line dance takes about 10-20 minutes.  As for Freestyle, most people learn the basics in high school.  These two forms of Disco dancing were so easy to learn that there was little demand for dance classes prior to Saturday Night Fever.  Hence the pros ignored it.  Thanks to Lance Stevens, I was the only person in Houston teaching a group Disco class when the movie hit town.  Countless people who had never danced in their life wanted to join the fun in a hurry.  Consequently they flocked to my January class to learn enough to join the veteran dancers on the floor.

February was pretty much the same.  However, my honeymoon period ended shortly before March.  What the students really wanted to learn was how to partner dance to Disco music.  I did not know it at the time, but their interest would prove to be a serious game changer. Partner dancing had been very popular during the Sock Hop Fifties.  The great Rock 'n Roll music of the era inspired everyone to take their shoes off and get out on the gym floor for a big night of Swing and Jitterbug dancing.  Then came the Twist.  Now that the emphasis had switched to dancing solo, partner dancing went out of style.  In short order, the Twist was followed by the Pony, the Mashed Potato, Hully Gully, Hitch Hike, Watusi, Cool Jerk, and various other here today, gone tomorrow dance fads.  TV shows such as American Bandstand, Where the Action Is, and Hullabaloo featured teenagers dancing to popular songs with an emphasis placed on Freestyle dancing.  Then came the classic dance show known as Soul Train in 70's.  If someone wanted to learn to dance, turn on the TV and copy the moves.  Since Freestyle was so easy to learn, this is why there was no money in teaching Disco. Disco was considered to be on its death bed at the end of 1977.  People were getting tired of Disco music and the clubs were not doing the same business.  Music insiders predicted a new type of pop music would soon emerge to replace Disco.  However, no one anticipated that Saturday Night Fever would rescue Disco from the grave.  This low-budget film starred John Travolta playing the cocky dance stud surrounded by countless adoring women.  The success of the movie took everyone by surprise.  Despite low expectations, this hard-hitting tale of directionless youth who wrapped their lives around the local Disco packed quite a punch.  Travolta turned in a brilliant performance as a dancer from the wrong side of the tracks who aspired to become recognized.  And the dance scenes were terrific.   As a result, this so-called B-movie caught fire in a hurry.

Back in January, the expectations were low.  Freestyle and line dancing were there to satisfy most people.  However, that did not last long.  The scintillating scenes of partner dancing had captured the public imagination.  Thanks to John Travolta, people became interested in learning how to partner dance for the first time in twenty years.  In mid-February, Stevens pulled me aside.  He ordered me to begin teaching Disco partner dancing in my classes.  I was given two weeks to comply.  When I asked if he would help, he stared at me in disgust.  "You're the Disco teacher, not me.  Visit a club and figure it out.  If you don't come up with something, I will teach the class myself."  I was panic-stricken.  I had never "partner danced" in my life.  Nor was there someone to teach me.  I was the ONLY DISCO TEACHER in Houston.  That would change soon enough, but at the moment there was no one around to help.  So I did what Stevens suggested and visited a club.  To my horror, there was no partner dancing to be seen.  Why not?  Since Partner dancing had been non-existent for 20 years, no one in the Houston Discos seemed to know what to do.  That included me.  What was I going to do?

That's when I caught a break.  There is a simplified form of Swing dancing that does not require training.  I call it 'high school swing'.  If one person knows it, others can copy it.   The day would come when I learned how to teach the Latin Hustle, a graceful partner dance with intricate footwork and timing that fit the Disco beat to perfection.  However, for now 'high school swing' would have to do.  Returning the following night, this time I saw someone dancing a clumsy 'high school swing'.  That was a good start, so I tried to copy what they were doing.  A return visit the following night provided another clue that led to a breakthrough.  I don't know how I did it, but in the space of one week I put together a workable system of partner dancing that was good enough to save my job. It had taken a Herculean effort to satisfy Stevens' demand to begin teaching my Disco students how to partner dance.  After accomplishing this task despite long odds, I was ready to coast for a while.  No such luck.  Stevens said it was time to develop an Intermediate level.  Then an Advanced level.  Then Super-Advanced.  Totally overwhelmed, I came up with a unique strategy called "One Step at a time."  I did not need to create the entire series at once.  I just needed to come up with one new move per week to keep my most advanced students happy.  Although this trick held promise, it required me to practically live at the dance club.  Over a period of four months, I spent several nights per week scouting for dance moves after class.  On the other nights I would ask various female students to remain after class so I could practice those moves and teach myself how they worked.  I was incredibly bitter at the amount of work this required, but one day I had an epiphany.  Once a student walked through our doors, I wanted them to stick around.  The easiest way to accomplish this was to continually offer new challenges.  Once a student got hooked on dancing, they were ready to sign up for each new level without any persuasion necessary. Did I get paid for this extra work?  No.  Did I get a raise?  No.  Did I get any help?  No.  Did I get praise?  No.  Stevens' attitude was that I should feel grateful to keep my job despite my inexperience as a teacher and clumsiness as a dancer.  So what kept me going?  After some soul-searching, I credited my education.  St. John's taught me the value of achievement.  My demanding teachers insisted I get the job done even when the going is tough.  Plus I was used to working on my own.  My father was long gone.  Whenever my mother wasn't busy chasing men in the bars, she showed little interest in my school work.  The result was nine years of practice at getting the job done all by myself.  And of course there was that chip on my shoulder.  Having grown up feeling inferior to my classmates, I wanted to prove to myself that I had talent too.  Now that I had finally found something I liked, I was determined to succeed at this job.

JANUARY-JUNE 1978 THE APPRENTICESHIP

During the first six months of 1978, I developed four levels of group classes.  A "Level" was an eight-hour series of dance moves that were increasingly more difficult.  Considering I learned how to partner dance as I went along, this amounted to "On the Job" training.  However, the pressure of creating these Levels left me in constant fear of losing my job.  Screaming bloody murder at being expected to teach something I knew nothing about, I scrambled like crazy to teach myself.  Then one day I learned something that blew my mind.  There were rumors that I was the first person in Houston to offer Group partner dance classes.  Maybe this is why my classes were so big.  Word of mouth that I was the only game in town had brought countless students to our doors.   I hated to admit it, but Stevens had done me a favor when he demanded I create these levels out of thin air.  There is an old saying that in Crisis there is also Opportunity.  Why was "Partner Dancing" so important?  Unlike freestyle and line dancing, Partner Dancing was too complicated for most people to learn on their own.  In order to join the fun, they needed a teacher.  Thanks to Partner Dancing, now there was serious money to be made in teaching Disco.  However I was constantly worried about keeping my job.  Yes, I had a head start.  But what would happen when the pros realized there was serious money to be made?

Swedish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard said that Life must be lived forward, but it can only be understood backwards.  I agree with that.  Although I write as if I knew what was going on as it took place, nothing could be further from the truth.  I was blind as a bat.  Completely new to the World of Dance, I made all kinds of mistakes.  Looking back, I have come to view my first six months as one long crisis.  Considering how little I knew and how much I had to deal with, these six months were a time of great learning.  I refer to this period as my "Apprenticeship".  Indeed, when April rolled around, I was no longer the only Disco teacher.  And I doubt seriously that I was the best teacher (although I was learning fast).  But I did have one huge advantage.  Due to my head start, I was the best known teacher and had the most students.  As it turned out, my ability to create these new levels allowed me to keep my lead.  Rather than see my students leave in search of better instructors, by always giving them something new to learn, I made it easy for them to stick around.  My hard work during this crisis not only saved my job, it created the foundation that would lead to a long and very successful career.  Once I was ahead, thanks to my ability to develop new classes, I never relinquished my lead.  Try to visualize how strange this was.  Here is a young man who never danced in high school, never danced in college, lacked natural ability, and was a notoriously slow learner.  Furthermore this young man had no training in partner dancing and knew nothing about the finer points of his profession.  Nevertheless, thanks to the incredible good fortune of catching this nationwide phenomenon just as it was breaking, my surprising ability to develop new levels allowed me to beat professional dance teachers at their own game.  Of course it makes no sense, but that is what happened.

THE MAGIC CARPET RIDE BEGINS
063	Serious	Coincidence Synchronicity	1978	Partner Dance Crisis: Gary, Sue Ann, Stevens, Janie, and Suzy each make a guest appearance to help Rick create the 'New Yorker' partner dance system out of thin air in the space of seven days.
060	Serious	Lucky Break Coincidence Synchronicity Wish Come True	1978	Rick is shocked to discover he is in the Right Place at the Right Time when SNF arrives.  The Lost Years Preparation makes Rick unusually effective right from the start. The Courses a la Carte Spotlight Effect makes Rick the best-known Disco teacher in Houston.  The Surprise Factor makes Rick the One in a Million Dance Teacher.

JANUARY-JUNE 1978 A GROWING CONFIDENCE

It is time to discuss Fate again.  Most people undertake a profession because they have a talent for it and an interest.  They use their education as a way to gain knowledge and hone their skills.  Not me.  I wasn't interested in becoming a dance instructor.  Nor did I have any discernable talent that might have nudged me in this direction.  Nor did I use my education to prepare.  The only reason I became a dance instructor is that at the lowest point of my life 'dance lessons' were the only light at the end of the tunnel.  I began dance lessons because I was too crippled to approach women.  Because I felt like the Creepy Loser Kid.  Why was I tossed from Graduate School?  Was it my poor grades?  No.  I had the second highest marks.  Was it rude behavior?  No.  I was infinitely polite and respectful.  So what was it?  I was told I did not have the right personality to be a therapist.  Which was probably true, but that was not the entire reason.  I was judged to be too emotionally disturbed to be of much help to another person.  Which is another way of saying that I sucked as a human being.  Or at least that's how I felt.  This low opinion of myself was confirmed in my Child Welfare job.  I was not very good as a social worker.  I did my job, but quickly tired of trying to help others who wouldn't help themselves.  As a result, during the three Lost Years following graduate school, I labored under the impression that I would never amount to much.  I was not good at anything, I did not accomplish anything.  Not a day passed when Lance Stevens didn't criticize me or threaten to find someone better.  Stevens had a point.  I lacked knowledge about the finer points such as styling and how to teach leads.  That skill would come in time, but right now I was woefully inexperienced.  And it was true that I lacked any natural ability at dancing.  So, yes, in the beginning I was almost certain I had no chance.  I know for a fact that Stevens expected me to fall on my face.  But then something strange took place.  To my surprise, I discovered skills I never knew I had.  I possessed an unexpected gift for teaching.  I was patient and explained things in a way that was easy to understand.  Then I discovered a side to my personality I never knew I had.  Growing up a loner, I was terrible at small talk.  However right from the start I was able to entertain large groups of people with quips and good-natured teasing.  Where did that skill come from?  In addition, I had a knack for creating these various dance levels despite no prior experience with partner dancing.  Where did that skill come from?  The perilous struggle to hang onto my dance job at all costs was bringing out talents I never knew I had.  I learned more about myself during the Apprenticeship period than at any other time in my life.  Once upon a time I been ambitious.  However Dr. Fujimoto's constant criticism made me doubt myself and Vanessa's betrayal did the rest.  Left for dead, I drifted for three years assuming my mediocrity was a permanent condition.  Thank goodness I caught a break.  This dance job provided the spark I so desperately needed.  As incredible as it might seem, this crazy dance opportunity was healing the wounds inflicted during graduate school.  To me, this Crisis felt like a Test of Fire.  Out of fire comes steel.  With each new taste of success, I felt my confidence growing.

 

THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY Chapter FIVE:  NIGHTMARE

 

previous chapter