One of my favorite parts of THON is the review of the last five line dances that THON has done which usually takes places right before Family Hour. There are some that are better than others (cough, 2008, cough), but they all make you remember about the events that happened in those years. Let’s take a journey back in the day and relive these masterpieces of music.

THON 2007 – James Bond

We start off with the first line dance ever to be performed in the Bryce Jordan Center. I was not a student yet, so I had to go to friend Andrew Herbert for his analysis of the 2007 Line Dance:

Say what you want about the THON 2007’s line dance but there is one thing you can never take away from it. That is that it was the first line dance in THON’s current home, the Bryce Jordan Center. For many people this would be the defining trait of this line dance. For me it took on a more significant meaning being that like the BJC it was also my very first line dance. While even I will say that THON 2008’s line dance is the best so far it still doesn’t hold the same nostaliga to THON and to myself that the line dance from THON 2007 does.

Favorite line: “Dancin’ all on the floor until we find a cure!”

THON 2008 – Everybody’s On Strike!

All other THONs, I’mma let you finish, but THON 2008 had the best line dance of all-time! Maybe because it was my first (yeah, I’m that old guy), but nothing has been able to touch this classic. Most people remember it for the reference to the writers of Hollywood going on strike, but I remember it because the morale captain had more energy than I’ve seen in the years following 2008.

Favorite line: “Patriots, what a season! Must be easy when you’re cheatin'”

THON 2009 – HOLD IT! HOOOOOOOOOLD IT!

The most memorable part of this line dance is the end when you had to hold the pose of the knight from the THON logo that year at the end and Larry Moore would never say you could stop until it felt like one of your ankles was about to break. Nevertheless, I give the best chorus award to the 2009 Line Dance. The motions were so fluid and at just the right pace. They fit a whole lot of cultural references into one line dance here as well, going from Sarah Palin and Tina Fey to Miley Cyrus to Subway’s delicious five-dollar footlongs in a four minute span.

Favorite line: “Flood the streets to celebrate (clap clap), Pryor. Winning in the Buckeye State (clap clap), Crier.”

THON 2010 – Do The Stanky Leg

Meh. That’s all I can really say about the 2010 Line Dance. Not that it was bad, but there’s very little to take from it. I remember that I thought we were singing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” at the beginning with the very light piano or chimes or whatever was playing. The Jersey Shore references got the most laughs followed closely by the Stanky Leg in the dance break paying tribute to Michael Jackson and Patrick Swayze.

Favorite Line: “Grab your mask. Here’s the reason. Cough Cough. IT’S SWINE FLU SEASON!”

THON 2011 – Dougie-ing and John Wall-ing All Over The BJC

Definitely the best opening ever. Jump Around, the getting funky and the intense countdown from five brought a fire right from the beginning of this line dance. The only problem was that it carried on for the rest of the dance. It was way too fast for a lot of people to keep up. Even though I danced to this one, it’s probably the one I know the least just because it was so fast. Gets a nine for energy, but a three for lack of execution.

Favorite Line: The whole chorus. Like I said, nothing sticks with me from this one.

Like I said, no one will ever touch the THON 2008 Line Dance, but I can’t wait to see the 2012 Line Dance make their best run at it!