Line dance is always a fun and non-stressful way to get everyone onto the dance floor. It’s easy to get and follow through, and doing it with other people makes it even more entertaining. If you’re not familiar with the dance, it’s basically what its name implies: people dancing to music while in a line.
So, if you’re interested in starting out and learning line dance, then here’s a beginner’s guide of everything you need to know about it.
How Does Line Dancing Work?
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In a longer and more detailed description, line dancing is a choreography with a repeated sequence of steps performed in unison by a group of people who are arranged in lines or rows. All of the dancers will face the same direction and will perform all of the steps at the same time. The basic skills needed for this kind of dance is memorization of steps and counting rhythms.
There are different levels in line dancing: Beginner, Improver, Intermediate, and Advanced. But note that it is the content of the choreography that determines the level of a dance and not the experience or ability of a dancer.
As the level increases, step patterns will be more complicated, and more different combinations will be introduced. A range of turns, direction changes, varied rhythm counts will also be featured and will require good technique and coordination.
Quick Guide on How to Line Dance for Beginners
For beginners, the choreography is designed to suit individuals who have no previous dance experience. It is at this level that dancers are introduced to the basic steps and rhythm counts, correct dance terminologies, and dance floor etiquettes. The routines are composed of short sequences of easy steps at a moderate pace, usually a 4/4 beat or ¾ beat so that it’s easy to follow. Ideally, the routine would have no more than 16 counts.
Usually, instructors put new students in the middle of the group so that they will always have support. You will be first taught the basics as mentioned above before starting and incorporating them into a dance.
For beginners, there are a number of easy dances to familiarize with, like The Electric Slide, The Cha-Cha Slide, and of course the famous Boot Scootin’ Boogie. When you have mastered those, you can also try the following:
- Cotton-Eyed Joe
- Chicken Dance
- Hokey Pokey
- Macarena
- The Hustle
- Hoedown Throwdown
