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Line Dance Tips
- Line dancing is great exercise.
- Line dancing is not always to country music.
- It is easier to learn the dances without music first.
- Start slow until you get the moves down, then speed it up.
- Sometimes line dances are written for specific songs, other times they can be performed to a variety of songs.
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Introduction
- If you think cowboy boots and hats whenever you hear the words "line dancing", then you're only partially right. Although country music has more than its fair share of line dances, it is not limited to country music. But line dancing is not just about the music. Line dancing is an excellent way to stay fit no matter what your age.ABC7 Chicago News: Line Dancing Brings All Ages Together (October 7, 2008) If you're interested in learning line dances, this page will not only help you learn some of the basic steps used in many line dances, but also walk you through five of the more popular line dances: The Electric Slide, the Electric, the Cha Cha Slide, Boot Scootin' Boogie and the Tush Push.
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Line Dance Steps
- Before you get started learning the dances, you may want to review some of the basic steps. These steps may be mentioned in the explanations of some of the dances.
- Grapevine or Vine is a three count step that can be either to the left or right.Country Stars by Paula: Basic Terms & Step Definitions For Beginners
- To do the left grapevine:
- Start with your feet together.
- With your left foot, take a step to the left side.
- Cross your right foot behind your left.
- Take a step to the left, moving your left foot over your right.
- To do the right grapevine, take the same steps with the opposite feet:
- Start with your right foot, take a step to the right side.
- Cross your left foot behind your right.
- Take a step to the right, moving your right foot over your left.
- Hitch is when you raise your knee straight up so that the upper leg is parallel to the floor and the lower leg is at a 90 degree angle.World Line Dance Newsletter: Basic Line Dance Steps
- A Lock is a tight cross of the feet.CopperKnob: Line Dance Terminology
- A Scuff is done by gently swinging or kicking your leg forward past the foot you are standing on and allowing the sole of your shoe to make contact with the floor. Similar to the brush, but with more force on the heel.CopperKnob: Line Dance Terminology
- A Twist is done by placing the feet together and moving the heels either left or right.World Line Dance Newsletter: Basic Line Dance Steps
- A Shuffle is a three step pattern that can be either forward, back or to the side. It is also called Cha-cha-cha, Cha Cha Step, Triple Step, Promenade or Polka.The Line Dance FAQ Home Page: Line/C&W Glossary of Line Dance Terms
- Stroll is a forward diagonal step followed by a lock and another step forward.Country Time Dance Lines: Line Dance Glossary Of Terms
- These are only a few of the different line dance steps. As you progress, you will want to learn more advance dances which will include other steps. To learn some of these steps, you can check out any of the following links:
- Blazing Boots: Introduction to Line Dancing
- CopperKnob: Line Dance Terminology
- Country Stars by Paula: Basic Terms & Step Definitions For Beginners
- Country Time Dance Lines: Line Dance Glossary Of Terms
- The Line Dance FAQ Home Page: Line/C&W Glossary of Line Dance Terms
- OwzitStart? Line Dancing: Basic Line Dance Terminology
- World Line Dance Newsletter: Basic Line Dance Steps
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The Electric Slide and The Electric
- The Electric Slide is not only one of the oldest and most popular line dances, it is also the only one that has ever gone to court. Back in 2004, Ric Silver began demanding compensation from shows such as The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show that used the dance. He also insisted that YouTube remove all videos of the dance. According to Silver, the Electric Slide is a variation of the dance he choreographed in 1976, the Electric.CNET News: 'Electric Slide' on Slippery DMCA Slope (February 3, 2007) The Electronic Frontier Foundation fought his claim, and according to the settlement, the dance is now registered under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 license.Electronic Frontier Foundation: Electric Slide Litigation Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported However, there are still some sites that claim that these are two separate dances.Kickit: Electric Slide
- For clarity, the Electric will be used to refer to the dance Silver claims to have choreographed and the Electric Slide will refer to similar dances. Both dances have four major parts which are repeated:
- Move to the right.
- Move to the left.
- Move back.
- Rock and turn.
- Traditionally, both dances are danced to "Electric Boogie" by Marcia Griffiths.Kickit: Electric Slide
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The Electric Slide
- Move to the Right
- Step to the right with your right foot, slide your left foot to the right. However, some dancers opt to do a full turn as part of a vine step.Kickit: Electric Slide
- Repeat step one.
- Step to the right (with right foot) and either:
- Move to the Left
- Moving to the left is the same as moving to the right but in the opposite direction with opposite feet.
- Step to the left with your left foot, slide your right foot to the left. However, some dancers opt to do a full turn as part of a vine step.Kickit: Electric Slide
- Repeat step 1.
- Step to the left (with left foot) and either:
- Move Back
- Step backward by stepping right foot, left foot, right foot.
- Touch your left heel forward.Kickit: Electric Slide
- Clap. You may opt to lift your left heel slightly.Kickit: Electric Slide
- A variation of this step has dancers take two steps back with feet coming together after each step (right foot back, left together, right foot back and left together).
- Rock Forward and Back
- There are a couple of different ways you can do these steps. For one variation, do the following steps:
- Step in place with your left foot.
- Touch your right toe in place and rock forward. You can dip down and touch your the floor with your right hand, shake your shoulder and hips, or make a similar movement.
- Left your toe slightly off the floor.
- Step in place with your right foot.
- Touch left heel in place.
- Clap. You may lift your left heel slightly.
- Step in place with your left foot. Hitch your right knee, using the momentum of the hitch, turn 90 degrees (1/4 turn) to the left.Kickit: Electric Slide
- Another variation has these steps:
- Step forward with your left.
- Touch your right foot beside your left.
- Step backward with your right foot
- Touch your left foot beside your right.
- Step forward with your left foot, scuff your right foot forward and, using the momentum of the moves, turn 90 degrees (1/4 turn) to the left.Yipee: Electric Slide
- YouTube Video: Electric Slide (Time: 3:15)
- Move to the Right
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The Electric
- Move to the Right: Grapevine to the right and clap on the the last step (when your feet come together).The Electric: The Complete Choreography
- Move to the Left: Grapevine to the left and clap on the the last step (when your feet come together).The Electric: The Complete Choreography
- Move Back: Step backward by stepping right foot, left foot, right foot. Touch your left foot beside your right foot and clap.The Electric: The Complete Choreography
- Rock Forward and Back
- Step forward on your left foot, touch right toe to your left heel, and clap.The Electric: The Complete Choreography
- Step back on the right foot, touch your left toe to to your right toe, and snap.The Electric: The Complete Choreography
- Repeat steps 1 and 2.
- Then step forward on your left foot, make a 90 degree turn to your left, and hop.The Electric: The Complete Choreography
- YouTube Video: The Electric (Time: 1:24)
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The Basic Steps
- These steps are in all versions of the song:
- To the Right: Grapevine to the right. This phrase is not always specifically stated in the songs and it sometimes stated as "slide to the right."
- To the Left: Grapevine to the left. Again, this phrase is not always specifically stated in the songs. It sometimes stated as "slide to the right."
- Take it Back: Take three steps back (left foot, right foot, left foot). Then, bright your right foot even with the left foot. Once you've moved back, you need to wait for the song to direct you to the next move. You can also do mashed potato steps back or a rolling turn.Yipee: Cha Cha Slide To see an example of the mashed potato, check out The Mashed Potato.YouTube Video: The Mashed Potato(Time: 0:32)
- Turn it Out: This phrase is almost always said. The phrase indicates that the right-left-back pattern should begin again. One couple of times it is absent Casper says "Let's go to work." or "Now it's time to get funky." instead.
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Other Moves
- Hop: This step is only done when told. You need to listen for how many hops are directed, it can be anywhere from one to six. You can opt to scooting forward instead of hoping.CopperKnob: Cha Cha Slide
- Right/Left Foot or Stomp: This step is only done when told. Sometimes it says, "Right/Left foot let's stomp." Other times it simply says, "right/left foot." It may also tell you how many time to stomp and even repeat this step.
- Cha Cha: This step is repeated until a new instruction is given (which is sometimes to repeat the cha cha. Also, the song may say "Get busy one time" instead of "cha cha." There are four steps in the cha cha:
- Cross your right foot over your left foot.
- Step back with your left foot.
- Step the right with your right foot.
- Step a step forward with your left foot.
- Criss Cross: This is a series of four jumps:
- Feet apart.
- Feet crossed (right over left)
- Feet apart
- Feet together.
- Slide to the left/right: Slide one foot over (in the direction indicated) and the slide the other foot over next to it.
- Reverse: Do a slide in the opposite direction.
- How low can you go: Think limbo. Lean back an bend down as far as you can. You can also twist down.Yipee: Cha Cha Slide
- Bring it to the top: This come after the "low" part. Bring yourself back up while waving your arms over your head.
- Hands on your knees: Cross your arms and place your hands on your knees, bounce to the beat and knock your knees together.About.com: How to Do the Cha-Cha Slide CopperKnob: Cha Cha Slide
- Freeze: Strike a pose and freeze.
- Charlie Brown: Rock forward on your right foot while kicking your left foot (the running man step).About.com: How to Do the Cha-Cha Slide
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Boot Scootin' Boogie
- Although variations of this dance occur, this section covers the original Boot Scootin' Boogie choreographed by Bill Bader in 1990.Bill Bader: Boot Scootin' (Vancouver) Boogie It is named after a song of the same title that was first performed by Asleep At The Wheel and later (more famously) by Brooks & Dunn. The dance steps are broken into five parts. The numbers in front of the steps indicate the beat.
- Grapevines
- 1-3: Grapevine to the right.
- 4: Touch left heel at a 45 degree angle forward to the left and clap.
- 5-7: Grapevine to the left.
- 8: Touch right heel at a 45 degree angle forward to the right and clap.
- Heel Steps
- 9: Move your right foot back beside the left.
- 10: Touch left heel diagonally forward to the left, push hips to the right, and clap.Sharon's Cool Country Corner: Boot Scootin Boogie
- 11: Move your left foot back beside the right.
- 12: Touch right heel diagonally forward to the right and clap.
- Swivel
- 13: Move your right foot back and push hips to the right.Sharon's Cool Country Corner: Boot Scootin Boogie
- 14-16: Swivel your heels to the right, the left, the right and then center.Bill Bader: Boot Scootin' (Vancouver) Boogie You can opt to push your hips in the opposite directions (left, right, left).Sharon's Cool Country Corner: Boot Scootin Boogie
- Stomp and Kick
- 17-18: Stomp (touch) right heel twice beside the left foot.Kickit: Boot Scootin' Boogie
- 19-20: Kick right foot twice with a forward and downward pumping action.Bill Bader: Boot Scootin' (Vancouver) Boogie
- &21: Step right foot together beside the left. Then, step the left foot in place.
- 22: Repeat beats 17-18 but only stomp/touch your right heel one time.
- 23-24: Repeat beats 19-20 (with the right foot again).
- Step Back and Hitches
- 25-26: Step right foot forward. Press (hook) your left shin into the back of your right knee so it bends.Bill Bader: Boot Scootin' (Vancouver) Boogie You can also simply rock forward on your right foot and pause.Sharon's Cool Country Corner: Boot Scootin Boogie
- 27-28: Step left foot back, raise/hitch right knee.
- 29-30: Step right foot back, raise/hitch your left knee.
- 31-32: Step left foot forward. Scuff right heel and make a quarter (90 degree) turn to the left (counterclockwise).Bill Bader: Boot Scootin' (Vancouver) Boogie
- YouTube Video: Line Dance Dancing Lessons How to do the Boot Scoot Boogie (Time: 1:03)
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Alternate Versions
- As stated earlier, a number of different dances call themselves the "Boot Scootin' Boogie." If you are looking for a different version of this dance, check out the following links:
- Kickit Dance Search "Boot Scootin' Boogie"
- CopperKnob: Boot Scootin' Boogie | Boot Scootin' Boogie (Two person version)
- Yipee!: Boot Scootin' Boogie
- Partydirectory.com: Country Line Dance - Boot Scootin' Boogie
- YouTube Video: Boot Scootin' Boogie (Time: 2:11)
- YouTube Video: Line Dancing Lessons 4: Boot Scoot Boogie (Time: 7:33)
- As stated earlier, a number of different dances call themselves the "Boot Scootin' Boogie." If you are looking for a different version of this dance, check out the following links:
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The Tush Push or Push Tush
- The Tush Push was choreographed by Jim Ferrazzano and Kenneth Engel.CopperKnob: Tush Push It can be danced to a variety of different songs including "Chattahoochee" by Alan Jackson, "Born to Boogie" by Hank Williams Jr. or "Cowboy Love" by John Michael Montgomery.CopperKnob: Tush Push Kickit: Tush Push IAGLCWDC Line Dance Competitions: Tush Push Step Sheet The dance has 40 beats. The numbers before the steps indicate the beat.
- Right and Left Heel Taps
- 1-4: Tap your right heel forward once, bring feet together, then tap your right heel forward two times.CopperKnob: Tush Push
- Or Tap right heel forward four times.IAGLCWDC Line Dance Competitions: Tush Push Step Sheet
- Or Hop feet apart. Hop and cross right foot over left. Make a full turn to the left.Kickit: Tush Push
- Or (1) Cross right foot over left. (2) Step left to the side and touch your right heel forward. (3) Drop right toe and step left foot over the right. (4) Step right to side and touch left heel forward.CopperKnob: Tush Push
- &: Switch your weight to the right foot.
- 5-8: Tap your left heel forward once, bring feet together, then tap your left heel forward two times.CopperKnob: Tush Push
- Or Tap left heel forward four times.IAGLCWDC Line Dance Competitions: Tush Push Step Sheet
- Or Hop feet apart. Hop and cross left foot over right . Make a full turn to the right.You can do it in the opposite direction instead.Kickit: Tush Push
- Or (5) Drop left toe and step right foot over the left. (6) Move your left foot to the side and touch your right heel forward. (7) Drop your right toe and step your left foot over your right. (8) Step right to side and touch your left heel forward.CopperKnob: Tush Push
- 1-4: Tap your right heel forward once, bring feet together, then tap your right heel forward two times.CopperKnob: Tush Push
- Heel Switches
- 9: Touch right heel forward and bring it back.
- 10: Touch left heel forward and bring it back.
- 11-12: Touch right heel forward, bring it back and clap.
- Bump Your Hips
- 13-14: Shift your weight forward (over the right foot) while keeping your feet in place (although some dancers appear to move their right foot slightly forward).YouTube Video: Tush Push Linedance (Time: 2:02) Then, bump or rock your right hip forward twice.
- 15-16: Shift your weight back (over the left foot) and bump or rock your left hip twice.
- 17-18: Bump (as you did in beat 13-14) your right hip forward. Then, bump (as you did in beat 15-16) your left hip back.
- 19-20: Repeat beats 17-18.
- Basic Cha-Cha Series
- 21&22: Shuffle forward right.IAGLCWDC Line Dance Competitions: Tush Push Step Sheet To shuffle, you are going to step forward with your right foot, bring your left foot even with your right, and then step forward with your right.38 Step Line Dancing and Country Life: Tush Push Line Dance Video & Step Sheet (You're feet will not be together at the end of this beat.)
- 23-24: Step forward with your left foot and rock forward onto it. Then, rock back onto your right foot and recover to right.
- 25&26:Shuffle back left.IAGLCWDC Line Dance Competitions: Tush Push Step Sheet This time you will step back with your left foot, bring your right foot so it is even with your left, then step back with your left.
- 27-28: Step back with your right foot and rock back onto it. Then, rock forward onto the left and recover to left.
- Step-turn Cha-Cha Series
- 29&30: Shuffle forward right (see beats 21&22).
- 31-32: Step forward with your left foot. Then, pivot 180 degrees (1/2 turn) to the right (with your weight on the right).CopperKnob: Tush Push This is also known as a military pivot.Yipee: Tush Push
- 33&34: Shuffle forward left by stepping forward with your left foot, bringing your right foot even with your left and stepping forward with your left foot.
- 35-36: Step forward with your right foot. Then, pivot 180 degrees (1/2 turn) to the left (with your weight on the left).CopperKnob: Tush Push
- Step, Turn, Stomp and Clap
- 37-38: Step forward with your right foot. Make a quarter (90 degree) turn to your left.
- 39-40: Stomp your right foot forward and clap.
- Expert Village: Slow Run Through of Line Dance (Time: 1:50)
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Other Favorite Line Dances
- Line dancing can be an addictive activity. Luckily, it is a healthy one. Once you've mastered the dances above, it's natural that you will want to learn other line dances. Here are some popular dances that you might try. You can also check out the section on step sheets to find instructions on how to do almost any dance you can dream of.
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Watermelon Crawl
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YouTube Video: Linedance - Watermelon Crawl (WB Instructions) (Time: 2:18)
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38 Step Line Dancing and Country Life: Watermelon Crawl Line Dance Video & Step Sheet
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YouTube Video: You Can Linedance: Watermelon Crawl (Time: 3:23)
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CopperKnob Linedance Stepsheets: Watermelon Crawl
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Boots & Boogie Line Dance Club: Watermelon Crawl
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Watermelon Crawl 2
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Watermelon Crawl 3
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YouTube Video: Linedance - Watermelon Crawl (WB Instructions) (Time: 2:18)
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Line Dance Step Sheets
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CopperKnob: Linedance Stepsheets
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Yipee!: Dance Sheets
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38 Step Line Dancing and Country Life: NJ Line Dances - Current & Nostalgic Dances
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Bill Bader's Linedance Choreography: Line Dances at All Levels
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Partydirectory.com: Dance Steps
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Kickit: Search Page
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IAGLCWDC Dance Competitions Committee: Sanctioned Line Dances & Music - Archive List
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CopperKnob: Linedance Stepsheets
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Conclusion
- Now that you've learned a few line dances, don't be afraid to go out and practice them in public. Line dancing can be a great way to socialize. Since new line dances are coming out all the time, you will discover that beginners are always welcome. You might also want to go back and learn some classic line dances such as "The Time Warp" from The Rocky Horror Picture Show which really is "just a step to the left...".Google Video: Let's Do The Time Warp Again (Time: 4:16)
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How to Line Dance with Mahalo Daily
- YouTube Video: Learn the Tush Push on Mahalo Daily! (Time: 5:27)
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