DATE: Monday, March 17, 1997                TAG: 9703170036

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LIZ SZABO, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   88 lines

``IN MY SOUL, I'M DANCING'' A DANCIN' ATTITUDE MEMBERS OF SOUTHERN ATTITUDES, A CHESAPEAKE LINE-DANCING GROUP, ENTERTAIN PEOPLE WHO NEED A LITTLE COMPANY AND SOME EXTRA ATTENTION.

Back in the 1920s, when Maude Nutter was a girl, her mother never allowed her to dance. No Charleston. No shimmy. No shake.

But last week, on the eve of her 83rd birthday, she did the macarena.

Nutter began the evening by nodding her head in approval as the men and women of the Southern Attitudes line-dancing group whirled around the gray linoleum floor of the Sentara Nursing Center.

She tapped the toes of her white tennis shoes against the silver steel foot pads of her wheelchair.

Wearing a string of shiny red plastic beads, she clapped her hands in time and swayed in her seat. She pulled an imaginary train whistle and shouted, ``Whoo! Whoo!'' when the group danced to ``Boogie Woogie Choo-Choo Train.''

When dancer Marty Charters - dressed in black cowboy boots and a royal blue scarf - asked for an audience volunteer to join him in the show-stopping finale, Nutter lost her inhibitions. She leaped from her wheelchair and began imitating the hand motions of the group's leader, Kandy Johnson.

``This is fun!'' she exclaimed, raising her shoulders in surprise.

Johnson and Kelly Wills organized Southern Attitudes eight months ago to harness their love of dancing and their concern for the community. Most line-dancing troupes compete and aspire to look professional, Johnson said. This group wanted to entertain people who need a little company and extra attention. The group has performed for everyone from elderly nursing home residents to sick children in hospitals.

Nutter was glad they came.

Although she was raised on Big Band music, Nutter loves all music and styles of dance - even the modern stuff. ``I'm not used to it, but I can get used to it,'' she said. ``I love dancing. I just love it.''

Does she like techno?

``Yup.''

How about hip hop and rap?

``Yup.''

Country dancing?

``Yup, yup, yup.''

Nutter wasn't quite ready for the racier aspects of the macarena. But that didn't keep her off the dance floor. When Johnson told the audience of 35 seniors that one of the macarena's moves involved putting ``your right hand on your right rear-end,'' Nutter covered her mouth with her hand and whispered, ``Oh my!''

Nutter soon gave up trying to follow every step, preferring to simply swing her arms and groove to the beat.

``I don't want to sit down,'' she said, slightly out of breath yet proud of herself. ``I was movin' and shakin' that thing. I think I'd like to do some more of that hoochie-koochie.''

Many patients, survivors of strokes and other debilitating conditions, were not able to move from their wheelchairs. But activity director Donna Millis said most could appreciate the music, even if they could not express themselves.

``All these residents can relate to music, all of them,'' Millis said. ``Even the deaf ones can feel the vibrations in the floor and appreciate the dancing.''

None of the 30 dancers in Southern Attitudes has a professional dance background. But they are energetic enough to perform nine consecutive numbers and coordinated enough to follow dances with as many as 96 steps. They dance to not only country but rock 'n' roll and techno, to dances with names such as ``Tropicana Parking Lot'' and ``Side Kickin' Blues.''

The dancers, who range in age from 21 to 52, say they enjoy the exercise and socializing and don't mind if they make a mistake.

Richard Hawkins, one of only a few men in the group, said anyone can line dance.

``I used to be very introverted,'' Hawkins said. ``But line dancing is very mechanical. You can move like a stick man and just learn the basic steps, then improve.''

And if Southern Attitudes isn't ready for Carnegie Hall, no one in the audience complained.

Dancing is ``good for your heart and for your body,'' said Sarah Boston, 88. ``Now, me, I can't walk. I have crippled hands. But in my soul, I'm dancing. In my heart, that's where it comes from, you know, in your heart. I wake up at night sometimes and I'm singing.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color L. TODD SPENCER photos

Maude Nutter, left, dances with Kandy Johnson on the eve of her 83rd

birthday. Nutter had been cheering the dancers along, but by

evening's end, ``I was movin' and shakin' that thing,'' she said.

``I think I'd like to do some more of that hoochie-koochie.''

Line-dancers dazzle a crowd at the Sentara Nursing Center. Southern

Attitudes was formed eight months ago to harness its love of dancing

and its concern for the community.

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