One evening in November 1998, as a 16-year-old lad in my bedroom, I wrote a line dance to Dance Above The Rainbow by Ronan Hardiman from the wonderful Irish dance production; Michael Flatley's Feet of Flames. My mum, Jackie, was the first person to see this dance and she told me instantly, "That will be a hit!". I asked Mum to choose a name for the dance, and she settled on its iconic and instantly-recognisable name that night:
She wasn't wrong! It spread across the linedance world like wildfire (long before the days of Facebook and YouTube) and soon enough it was awarded Linedancer Magazine's Dance Of The Year 1999 at the Crystal Boot Awards in Blackpool in February 2000. The dance became a staple classic and one that pretty much everyone knows.
Exactly 27 years later to the month - on 27th November 2025 - Mum sadly but peacefully passed away following a heart-breaking year in hospital, with my sister, Kelly, and I laid by her side.
Throughout her difficult later life, living with Bipolar Affective Disorder (Manic Depression), music spanning so many colourful genres and decades was her calming peace and serenity. In 2014, she discovered Coldplay with their anthem A Sky Full Of Stars. Mum instantly became an avid fan and that song; her absolute favourite. She saw them in concert with my sister three times, and was meant to see them again at Wembley in August 2025 but was too ill to attend. I still went with my wife, sister, and her partner; hearing the band and the whole stadium sing that song live, as well as all their other hits that Mum loved, was an experience I'll never forget.
I honestly don’t know why I never tried the two together before now, but as I sat listening to her favourite song recently, I realised that the original Pot of Gold choreography fits that song like a glove. It feels like a final gift from her to me.
I have a very special request for the linedance community. I would like everyone to collectively create a viral tribute for her.
A Sky Full Of Stars is a euphoric, stadium anthem that I am sure will sound incredible blasting out in a large hall, with everyone dancing in unison in my Mum's memory.
📍 Start 31 seconds in after 64 counts
Start when the tambourine starts and when Chris Martin sings the lyric 'Cause you're a sky... for the SECOND time. This will ensure that the mambo rocks hit exactly where the strong downbeats hit in the song, and the dance ends with the song perfectly on the final step.
Dancers: Please request A Sky Full Of Stars by Coldplay to dance Pot of Gold at your next class, social, workshop, or event. Please make sure you start at the right place.
DJs: Please play this for Pot of Gold, letting your crowd know it's a tribute to my Mum and her favourite Coldplay song. Please ensure the crowd are counted in to start at the right place.