Line Dance Classes

Line dancing is the earliest form of dance there is. It is any dance that is done in lines regardless of gender or any other consideration. It is a choreographed set of steps that is repeated with all dancers facing the same direction and doing the steps at the same time. It is often associated with country western dancing, but is done in my styles of dance. A line dance can also be done with a leader whom the dancers follow in step and direction of movement. The conga line is an example of this.

Before the rules of society allowed men and women to touch each other, there were line dances. This allowed everyone to dance while still maintaining standards of modesty. A close look at folk dances reveals that there are many line dance elements present in historical and national dances. It is a versatile form that is suited to many occasions and situations. Beyond folk dancing, line dancing did not enjoy much popularity outside the country western sphere until 1992's release of 'Achy Breaky Heart' by Billy Ray Cyrus. This launched line dance from strictly country to mainstream.

The 90's were filled with popular line dances. They even brought forward older line dances into the mainstream. 1990's 'Boot Scootin' Boogie' was revived as a result of the Cyrus song success. Line dance influenced the production of country music so much that many country artists complained that it brought the quality of music down and mixed in too much pop. Soon youth from across the country were creating line dances for music other than country. The Macarena and Chicken Dance are the result of this. It even made a debut on international ballroom floors. Line dancing reached across the world into all forms of dance and is taught on all kinds of dance floors.

The steps of line dancing are fairly simple as to accommodate all levels of dancers. The basic elements include chasse, grapevine, weave, triple step, shuffle step, lock step, and others. One key term in line dance jargon is 'wall'. The wall is the direction that the line dancers are facing. This can change throughout the dance if the line dance switches directions on the repeat. A one wall dance never changes direction. A two wall dance repeats the dance sequence in two directions 180 degrees apart from one another. A four wall dance makes 90 degree turns at every repeat.