IT WAS a craze which swept across the UK in the late 1990s, despite being in existence for around 15 years prior. Qualified class instructors across Hampshire got busier and busier as the demand for line dancing classes rapidly grew . It was not just the dance craze of the moment, but also a way for locals to make new friends, and because no partner is required, ideal for single people. The regional semi-finals of the first British Line Dancing Championships were held at Southampton Guildhall on April 5, 1997. More than 300 dancers garbed in cowboy splendour descended on Southampton Guildhall to take part in the competition with hope of becoming one of the sixteen hot-footed movers to progress into the national finals.