What is line dancing?

Line dancing is a formation dance that has origins reaching back into traditional folk dancing. Since the latter part of the 20th century, line dancing has been more closely identified with country and western music, although there are examples of the group dance found with pop music as well. Many country music clubs today regularly hold line dances for their customers, with all patrons invited to participate.

The basics of line dancing are very simple. Participants stand in either a single line or a succession of parallel lines if the number of people and the amount of floor space require this arrangement. While the dancers will move without touching one another, they will execute the same moves at the same time. This gives line dancing a strong sense of cohesiveness, even though there is no physical interaction between the participants. 

With line dancing, the movement that takes place is normally queued off what is known as the count. Generally, one count is equal to one musical beat. Movements take place at each beat. While the basics of line dancing address movements of the feet and legs, more complicated dance routines will also include hand movements and even facial expressions as part of the overall effect.

Often a staple with folk music and dancing around the world, the concept of line dancing began to take hold in other genres during the 1960’s and 1970’s. Country music was the first to embrace line dancing, and remains the foundation for many of the more popular line dances today. However, pop music also has made use of line dancing from time to time. While many musicologists identify line dancing with the disco era of the late 1970’s and the early 1980’s, others note that line dances such as the Hustle were popular as early as 1974.

Today, many different musical genres are compatible with the art of line dancing. Along with folk, country, and pop music, line dancing can also be employed with Swing, Big Band, and Celtic music. The symmetry and graceful movements that are often a part of basic line dancing make it possible for just about anyone to enjoy this form of dancing.

Step descriptions

Descriptions of some dance steps in their typical form are below. They are subject to variations in particular dances, where a stomp or a point may occur instead of a touch, for example, in the grapevine.

Chasse: One foot moves to the side, the other foot is placed next to it, and the first foot moves again to the side. Technically, a chasse' step can move any direction, but lance dance choreographers more often use it as a side movement.

Grapevine: One foot moves to the side, the other moves behind it, the first foot moves again to the side, and the second touches next to the first. There are variations: the final step can consist of a hitch, a scuff, placement of weight on the second foot, and so forth. The name of the step is sometimes abbreviated to vine.

Weave: To the left or the right. This is similar to a grapevine, but starting with a cross in front or a cross behind; it will obviously have another cross either in front or behind. Creates a slight zig zag pattern on the floor.

Triple step: This is 3 steps being taken in only 2 beats of music. Can move forward, backward, left, right or on the spot.

Shuffle step: A triple step to the front or the back, left or right side, starting on either foot. The feet slide rather than being given the staccato (short and sharp) movement of the cha-cha. There is a slight difference in the interpretation of the timing to give the element its distinctive look. It is counted as 1 & 2, 3 & 4, etc. However, the actual amount of time devoted to each of the 3 steps in the shuffle is 3/4 of a beat, 1/4 of a beat, then one full beat of music.

Lock step: A triple step backwards or forwards, starting on either foot, with the second foot slid up to and tightly locked in front of or behind the first foot before the first foot is moved a second time in the same direction as for the first step.

Other steps include applejack, botafogo, butterfly, coaster step, heel grind, hitch, jazz box, kick ball change, kick ball step, lunge, mambo step, military turn, Monterey turn, paddle, pivot turn, rock step, sailor step, scissor step, scuff, spiral turn, stamp, stomp, sugarfoot, swivet and vaudeville

Wall

Each dance is said to consist of a number of walls. A wall is the direction in which the dancers face at any given time: the front (the direction faced at the beginning of the dance), the back or one of the sides. Dancers may change direction many times during a sequence, and may even, at any given point, be facing in a direction half-way between two walls; but at the end of the sequence they will be facing the original wall or any of the other three. Whichever wall that is, the next iteration of the sequence uses that wall as the new frame of reference.

• In a one-wall dance, the dancers face the same direction at the end of the sequence as at the beginning.
• In a two-wall dance, repetitions of the sequence end alternately at the back and front walls. In other words, the dancers have effectively turned through 180 degrees during one set. The samba line dance is an example of a two-wall dance. While doing the "volte" step, the dancers turn 180 degrees to face a new wall.
• In a four-wall dance, the direction faced at the end of the sequence is 90 degrees to the right or left from the direction in which they faced at the beginning. As a result, the dancers face each of the four walls in turn at the end of four consecutive repetitions of the sequence, before returning to the original wall. The hustle line dance is an example of a four-wall dance because in the final figure they turn 90 degrees to the left to face a new wall. In some dances, they turn 270 degrees, a "three-quarter turn," to face the new wall.

THE BENEFITS OF LINE DANCING

Exercise Doctors regularly recommend line dancing as an excellent way to keep fit. Dancing doesn’t just exercise your body – having to remember all the dances and steps keep your brain active too!    Make New Friends Line dancing is a good ice breaker. You can’t help but talk to the people that you (may) bump into on the dance floor! We all make mistakes and these are often the cause for amusement. (We prefer to call these mistakes variations!) All classes are friendly and welcoming, as are our line dance disco social evenings when we entertain like minded dancers from other clubs for the evening.    Music    There are many different styles of dance incorporated into line dancing. There is salsa, rumba, cha cha cha, waltz etc to name a few. When line dancing started it was almost all country music but now most styles of music is catered for including rock & roll, swing, pop and chart music.