Country Line Dance Steps

On any given night in bars across the nation, happy people are moving their polished boots through country line dance steps. The dance's popularity may lie in part in the fact that unlike most other social dances, country line dancing does not require the partners to learn how to dance in pairs. Instead, the dancers are independently moving while also synchronized to the music.

The roots of line dancing are not, as many think, rooted in cowboy culture or Western dancing. Most of the original steps are drawn from disco line dances from the 70's such as the Electric Slide. While disco eventually died, the culture of country western music continued to develop.

With a lack of contact between the dancers, country line dance steps lend themselves to an atmosphere of flirtation and coquettish teasing. Several examples of these dances include:

• Cotton-Eye Joe
• El Paso
• Barn Dance-- a mixer where partners switch as the dance progresses.
• Indian Outlaw
• Cowboy Cha-Cha-- dancers in "sweetheart" position, moving together
• Walkin Wazi
• Cowboy Boogie
• Achy Breaky Heart

While the dancing itself has become very popular, not all country musicians are happy with the repetitive and simplistic structure of the music. Chet Atkins even went so far as to say "The music has gotten pretty bad, I think. It's all that damn line dancing."

This is not to suggest that country line dancing is not complex – in fact, in some ways it is more complex, as "phrased" dances are created to go along with specific songs. Perhaps the most readily recognizable is the famous Boot Scootin' Boogie.

Phrased dances use several different tools to create choreography that fits the phrasing of the music, such as

• Tags
• Bridges
• Skipping or repeating phrases
• Alternating the moves between genders of dancers

These techniques force dancers to pay attention to the melodic structure and lyrics to cue the changes in the choreography of the country line dance steps. Occasionally DJ's will even combine songs or genres, such as interspersing a popular country line dance with some well-known disco piece such as The Electric Slide. Mixing songs such as Obsession Tango by Shakira with Dancing Queen by ABBA can lead to a very interesting experience on the dance floor.

It was only a matter of time before the popular form of dance became codified and brought into the competitive sphere. Many organizations have sprung up all around the world to encourage the development of line dancing as dance sport. These include:

• United Country Western Dance Council
• Masters in Line
• World Country Dance Federation
• Australian Line Dancing Championships
• Tamworth Bootscooters (Australia)
• Country Line Dance Association of Ireland
• All-Ireland Line Dance

Borrowing from many different dance traditions, a comprehensive list of the dance steps in country line dancing is literally impossible, as the form is being added to constantly. However, some are common enough to be useful as a curriculum. Usually the steps are taught in variations that are easily-remembered combinations mixed and repeated throughout each phrased dance.

1. Chasse: A common ballet term meaning "chase", one foot moves to the side, the other follows it, then the first flees again as the move repeats.
2. Grapevine: Also called "vine", this is the most well-known dance step. Walking to the side the feet are passed in front of and behind each other. This move is also used by football teams to increase their physical dexterity.
3. Weave: Combining the grapevine with a cross in front as well as a cross behind, this move will let the dancer travel in zig zag on the floor.
4. Triple Step: This is 3 steps in a musical triplet during 2 beats of music traveling in any direction.
5. Shuffle step: A sliding triple step counted as 1 & 2, 3 & 4, also used extensively in the popular "Two-Step" dance.
6. Lock step: A backwards or forwards triple step, with the second foot "locked" in front of or behind the first before it moves in the same direction.

Other steps include the applejack, butterfly, coaster step, hitch, jazz box, kick ball change, lunge (often performed by men with a tip of their cowboy hats), mambo step, paddle, pivot turn, rock step. sugarfoot, vaudeville, and many more. The choreographers borrow freely from all other dance genres.

Country line dancing shows no signs of decreasing in popularity, along with other popular dances such as swing dance and Latin dance. Easy to learn and fun to perform with groups, it is a great testament to the evolution of dance in American culture.

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