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Carolyn Scott Trips the Light Fantastic
By Kiki Clark
Wet Noodle Posse |
Kiki Clark
There are some phenomena that seem firmly rooted in the realm of
delirium tremens and animated feature films: magic dust that
allows people to fly, dragonfly-winged fairies, and gaily
dancing animals. But animals, specifically dogs, are
dancing, all over the world. They're dancing in competitions
held by the World Canine Freestyle Organization, the Canine
Freestyle Federation, Paws2Dance and, most recently, the Musical
Dog Sport Association, where co-founder Carolyn Scott and her
12-year-old golden retriever, Rookie, are the Rogers and Astaire
of six-footed dance teams.
I first became aware of Scott and Rookie while
idly surfing collections of humorous video clips. "You must see
this!" the description read. The small picture on my Windows
Media Player showed a blonde woman dressed as Olivia
Newton-John's character from Grease - and a dog. They
moved across an outdoor arena to the sounds of "You're the One
that I Want," and I realized they were dancing. It was
funny, in the way that unexpected behavior from animals is
humorous. But above all it was joyous, as the grinning dog and
smiling woman, their eyes locked, whirled and high-stepped
across the trampled grass.
In 1996, Carolyn Scott had 15 years of
experience in training and showing dogs. Her latest dog, Rookie,
was bouncy and easily distracted - an unlikely candidate for the
rigor of timed agility courses. Still, she worked with him on
standard obedience commands, and his sometimes fearful, overly
submissive personality became more confident. Then Scott saw a
video of a new sport called "canine freestyle." Here, she
thought, was a possible creative outlet for her enthusiastic,
wriggly dog.
In those days, dancing classes for you and your
pet weren't easy to find, and there was only one infant
organization dedicated to freestyle: Musical Canine Sports
International (MCSI), in Canada. Scott managed to attend a
seminar by MSCI member Sandra Davis (widely considered the best
U.S. freestyler). But for the most part, Scott and Rookie
trained alone. Rookie learned to run backward, weave precisely
between Carolyn's legs as she turned in the opposite direction,
and spin in happy, lolloping circles. Soon they were trying out
their routine at nursing homes and schools.
 In
November of 1996, Scott and Rookie entered their first freestyle
competition, which was also the first in the United States. The
event was held under MSCI rules and sponsored by the Heinz
Pup-Peroni Canine Freestyler Team. Almost 700 people attended,
and hundreds were turned away. When the competition ended, Scott
and Rookie, unknowns in the sport, had won first place in the
Off-Leash Division. Their routine, performed to the theme from
"The Twilight Zone," gained them an invitation to join the
Pup-Peroni Team. They were on the road with the Freestylers the
next month, and they have toured to promote canine freestyling,
with groups and on their own, for almost a decade.
When Carolyn Scott dances, her movements are
precise yet flowing, with no wasted motion. There is no evidence
that one of her legs is weaker and shorter than the other, a
result of polio contracted at age four. She continues to be
challenged by Post Polio Syndrome, a condition which probably
stems from earlier treatments and the overworking of normal
muscles to counteract stricken ones -- a common occurrence in
highly motivated patients.
In the days before canine freestyle, fear of
falling down haunted Scott's performances in obedience trials.
But as she and Rookie competed and taught freestyle across the
country, the response from audiences convinced Scott that
spreading the word was worth the risk of occasional public
discomfiture. There was something about dancing with a
dog that inspired people to seek a deeper relationship with
their companion animals - to see them as partners rather than
pets.
Scott and Rookie's positions as spokesdancers
for the sport solidified. They appeared on The Howie Mandel
Show, Animal Planet, Regis & Kathy Lee, Pet Star (multiple
times), the Jane Pauley Show, and Good Morning America. The
performance video that aired on Good Morning America was the
source for the video clip I saw, and it has gained fame
worldwide.
The person most responsible for the clip's
metamorphosis into legend is Rochelle Lesser, a school
psychologist and advocate for golden retrievers. Lesser's "Land
of Pure Gold" Web site has 800 pages of information about the
golden retriever experience, and covers everything from adoption
to dealing with the death of a beloved pet.
In 2001, Lesser saw a golden-related article
which referenced Scott. She posted a copy to her site and
received a copy of the video clip from Scott shortly afterwards.
Lesser had the clip digitized and put it up along with her other
content. Within days, the number of viewers was so great that
she had to have the clip resized or pay thousands of dollars in
fines for exceeding her bandwidth. E-mails flooded in. Almost
everyone who wrote mentioned crying when they saw the clip.
Some of the people who e-mailed Lesser had a
special reason for wanting to know more about canine freestyle.
Debi Davis, a double-leg amputee, decided to try wheelchair
dancing with her award-winning service dog, Peek, a tiny
Papillon who is trained to load the washer and dryer, make the
bed, and help his owner undress, among other things. Lesser,
Scott and Rookie attended a P.A.W.S. for Service Dogs seminar
and realized these already highly trained companion animals were
ready to dance.
In February of 2005, Rochelle Lesser formed a
non-profit foundation. The Land of PureGold, Inc., is dedicated
to educating people about "responsible dog care and ownership as
well as respectful and consistent training practices." To help
extend the years that people have with their dogs, the
Foundation also funds studies of cancer in golden retrievers.
Cancer is the leading cause of death in goldens older than 10.
The oncology of the disease is similar in humans, meaning that
the studies Lesser helps fund can benefit both dogs and dog
owners. Lesser and Scott have collaborated on a DVD documentary
of Scott's life. Available soon, Gotta Dance! focuses on
"the restorative miracles that can abound through the embodiment
of the human-canine bond." All profits will go toward canine
cancer research.
Carolyn Scott and Rookie will spend part of 2005
in Japan and Australia, teaching people to deepen their
relationships with music and movement, and to communicate where
speech is not the common language. At 12 years old, Rookie still
dances as exuberantly as ever, and one could argue that his name
no longer suits him. He has been grandfathered into the Advanced
Division of the WCFO and is a highly decorated canine
freestyler. He occasionally improvises during routines, adding
extras of his favorite moves. Carolyn Scott gracefully
accommodates him. She knows that the important thing, when
dancing, is to do it for joy.
Web site references:
http://gottadance.landofpuregold.com/ (Information
about the upcoming DVD and a link to the famous Grease video
clip.)
http://www.caninefreestylemagicmatch.com/ (Scott and
Rookie's personal site)
http://landofpuregold.com/ (The homepage of Rochelle
Lesser's extensive site, with the link to support canine cancer
research.)
http://www.clickertales.com/ (Debi Davis's Web site)
http://www.clickertales.com/dancing.html (This page links to
a clip of Davis wheelchair dancing with Peek, her service dog.)
http://www.musicaldogsport.org/
Photo credit: Next Age Photography and
Sara Nugent
To read
last month's SuperHeroine article, click
here
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