Line Dancersize, every Wednesday, 6-7:30 p.m., $6, Hawthorne Cultural Center, 1200 Carpenter St., 215-685-1848

Despite the laughs and snickers I got from friends when I told them I was taking a line dancing class, I found Line Dancersize to be a hairy chest-making, scrotum-thickening manly workout. Martina Martinas, line dancer extraordinaire, has been teaching losers like me for 36 years now.

The class focuses on "soulful" line dancing, i.e. less stomp and romp and more hip throwing. And what better to line dance to than soul, hip-hop, house and R&B favorites like Mary J. Blige?

The ever-patient Martinas started the all-male course because guys would come to her other classes with their wives and stand in the back. Martinas welcomes couples to Line Dancersize so long as the guys don't pussy out. On the night I went, there was a thirtysomething woman and an older couple in attendance — not exactly single-guy cruising grounds. No one banished me to Dance Hell for screwing up the left-foot-behind-the-right-foot side step; then again, Blige wasn't there to see me butcher her song with country dance moves.