best -- line dancing.

Several women -- men don't seem to be up for stepping -- who have a keen interest in country dance, show up at the Mariners Club every Monday evening, some wearing their cowboy hats and boots, to learn how to line dance.

Country Line Steppers spokesperson Donna Amaral said to continue the interest with those who are learning the dances and give them a fun venue where they can do the `grapevine or pigeon toe', organisers hold a dinner/dance, with the band Razzle Dazzle.

"At every dance we decided we would have a raffle and the proceeds, even if it's just as little as $200, will go towards charity,'' said Mrs. Amaral.

She added: "I think it is necessary to build community effort. We all do a lot of things for the community and we just want to give back.

"All the raffles are donated by different organisations and the women that dance. We all are just doing something for somebody else and having fun doing it.'' Mrs. Amaral said the first sum of money raised was given to the Ashlee Kelly Fund -- to help with the medical expenses of five-year-old Ashlee, who was born with a brain disorder. The raffle from the March dance went to Summerhaven.

"If we have some extra money we will add to what was made from the raffles for the donation,'' Mrs. Amaral said.

She added for future dances, the organisation now has a Centre of Philanthropy charities book which they will use to select small charities to contribute to.

Mrs. Amaral said the Country Line Steppers teachers teach dance on Monday nights at Mariners Club 7.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.

"There are hundreds of different dances and lots of songs. We also keep up with the new ones which we get from several places like the Internet, and people who have been here on holiday who keep in touch with us and send us information on the new dances.

"We do a package of 12 dances and then we spend time teaching people the dances until that particular package is finished. We are constantly going back over the dances we have already taught to keep them active. People tend to have favourites and those we keep.'' Mrs. Amaral also said: "Whoever teaches will call out the name of the dance that they want us to do like the grapevine, jazz box, quarter turn, half turn shuffle, pigeon toe to name a few.

"Right now we just have women; we have young people in their mid-20s to 60s.

"Now that people have gotten interested it is nice that they have somewhere to go and do the dances.

"There is a big following for country dance in Bermuda and the more people realise that there is something happening on a regular basis the more they want to learn.'' She added: "There is an older generation in Bermuda who don't have a lot of places to go if you want music that is not too loud, you can understand the lyrics and you can dance.'' Mrs. Amaral said if another organisation is having a country night during a particular month, the Country Line Steppers will not have one because "we know people will have somewhere they can go''.

"This month, one organisation is having an oldie goldie country night so some of us will go to that. In May, Mariners Club will have a country night so we will attend that. We would like to be able to have something on a regular basis.'' Mrs. Amaral also said young children are showing an interest in this particular dance. "We also go to places to teach children line dancing and we don't charge to teach the kids. They have a ball.'' If you want to become a Country Line Stepper 232-2791 or 236-7446 for more information or "just come along to Mariner's Club on Monday nights,'' Mrs.

Amaral said.