Line Dancing Instructions

What Makes Quality Line Dancing Instructions?

The first thing to realize is that there is a definite set of structures to any line dance, the largest of which is called the "count." This is the number of beats in a dance before the entire dance starts over again from the beginning. Sometimes this will coincide with the length of the song the dance is performed to, but usually it is the duration of a verse and chorus.

Within the count there will be several "patterns," or groups of steps strung together. These steps will be described in the dance instructions by phrases such as "do a grapevine to the left for 8 beats," or "two jazz squares, starting with the left foot, then a ball change and step-hop on the left." If a person already knows the meaning of these steps, then written dance instructions from a web page such as the Line Dance List may work perfectly well to get people moving.

Within the "patterns" – which usually repeat the same sequences of moves, or close to it – are variations, sections of the dance where a single section - for example, turning in a circle to the left - is changed (turning to the right, or doing a step-touch, or some other move). Usually there are verbal or musical cues when a variation is about to be done.

However, often it's easier to show a step than to describe it – a principle that goes back to the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case, a moving picture is probably worth a lot more than that. By learning line dancing instructions from a video, whether online at a site like LineDanceLessons.com or a video bought in the local supermarket, people can get a better grasp of the timing and technique involved. There's also the added advantage of being able to rewind and go back to learn more difficult steps, or even advance in slow motion frame-by-frame if necessary.

With the advent of the internet, finding hundreds of videos both instructing and demonstrating line dancing is just a google search away. This means that the world of line dance changes that much more quickly, as new moves, patterns, and counts spread around the world along with the popular country songs that accompany them.

Ain't Nuthin' Like the Real thing

This is why the best place to get line dancing instruction is from a live teacher. Some line dance classes are offered in dance studios along with hip hop, ballet, and social dances, but it is more common to get good line dancing help at the bars where the music is playing. Usually a night will be designated for country line dancing (unless it is a country bar, in which case every night may be line dancing night). Sometimes the line dance teaching has a fee for participants, but more often it's free in the hopes that the students will stay and drink and dance afterwards.

About an hour or two before the DJ starts playing music for just dancing, usually an instructor or a couple of instructors will guide interested students through the basic steps of line dancing and then teach the patterns and variations necessary to do a complete line dance. The group will run through it a few times, with individual attention available – questions that can be asked, the instructor can see where things are being mis-stepped – is a much better way to learn.

A lot of people will wear casual street clothes for the lessons, saving the more fancy dance attire for after they have a chance to freshen up. It is important to wear the same shoes to learn the dance as one does to dance it. One of the advantages to these kinds of instructions is that the learning of the steps will translate into more easily learning other dances, and the odds are that the students will help each other – and dance with each other – for many songs to come.