How to Line Dance

Line dancing is a popular activity in nightclubs and at weddings. However, it is also becoming popular as a form of exercise. If you've been scared to try for fear of looking like an idiot, don't worry. You can easily learn how to line dance in the safety (and privacy) of your home.

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.http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/someone_you_should_know&id=6437337 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.

• 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.http://www.countrystarsbypaula.com/basicterms_forbeg.htm

• To do the left grapevine:

1. Start with your feet together.
2. With your left foot, take a step to the left side.
3. Cross your right foot behind your left.
4. 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:

1. Start with your right foot, take a step to the right side.
2. Cross your left foot behind your right.
3. Take a step to the right, moving your right foot over your left.

• Other Dance Steps

1. 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.http://www.worldlinedancenewsletter.com/TipsBeg_BasicLDS.html
2. A Lock is a tight cross of the feet.http://www.copperknob.co.uk/article2.aspx
3. 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.http://www.owzitstart.co.uk/dances/_terminology.htm Similar to the brush, but with more force on the heel.http://www.copperknob.co.uk/article2.aspx
4. A Twist is done by placing the feet together and moving the heels either left or right.http://www.worldlinedancenewsletter.com/TipsBeg_BasicLDS.html
5. 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.http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jgothard/SECT5B.HTM#SHUFF
6. Stroll is a forward diagonal step followed by a lock and another step forward.http://www.country-time.com/ldinfo/glossary.htm

• 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. You can learn more advanced techniques by visiting one of these websites

• www.blazingboots.comhttp://www.blazingboots.com/html/newdancers.html
• www.copperknob.co.ukhttp://www.copperknob.co.uk/article2.aspx
• www.countrystarsbypaula.comhttp://www.countrystarsbypaula.com/basicterms_forbeg.htm
• www.country-time.comhttp://www.country-time.com/ldinfo/glossary.htm
• www.owzitstart.co.ukhttp://www.owzitstart.co.uk/dances/_terminology.htm
• www.worldlinedancenewsletter.comhttp://www.worldlinedancenewsletter.com/TipsBeg_BasicLDS.html

• 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.http://news.cnet.com/2100-1030_3-6156021.html According to Silver, the Electric Slide is a variation of the dance he choreographed in 1976, the Electric. 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.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

• 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:

• 1. Move to the right.
  2. Move to the left.
  3. Move back.
  4. Rock and turn.

• Move to the Righthttp://www.kickit.to/ld/List.html?PHPSESSID=bb7ab8088a8bb2648b2a81f5ab63ad3b&rt=0&t=1&n=10702
  1. 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.
  2. Repeat step one.
  3. Step to the right (with right foot) and either:
     1. Scuff your left foot beside the right.http://www.yipee.per.sg/DisplayStep.asp?unique_id=743 Electric Slide
     2. Touch your left foot to your right.

• Move to the Lefthttp://www.kickit.to/ld/List.html?PHPSESSID=bb7ab8088a8bb2648b2a81f5ab63ad3b&rt=0&t=1&n=10702
• Moving to the left is the same as moving to the right but in the opposite direction with opposite feet.
  1. 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.
  2. Repeat step 1.
  3. Step to the left (with left foot) and either:
     1. Scuff your right foot beside the left. Touch your right foot to your left.http://www.yipee.per.sg/DisplayStep.asp?unique_id=743 Electric Slide

• Move Back
  1. Step backward by stepping right foot, left foot, right foot.
  2. Touch your left heel forward.
  3. Clap. You may opt to lift your left heel slightly.
• 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 Backhttp://www.kickit.to/ld/List.html?PHPSESSID=bb7ab8088a8bb2648b2a81f5ab63ad3b&rt=0&t=1&n=10702
• There are a couple of different ways you can do these steps. For one variation, do the following steps:
  1. Step in place with your left foot.
  2. 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.
  3. Left your toe slightly off the floor.
  4. Step in place with your right foot.
  5. Touch left heel in place.
  6. Clap. You may lift your left heel slightly.
  7. 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.

• Another variation has these steps:
  1. Step forward with your left.
  2. Touch your right foot beside your left.
  3. Step backward with your right foot
  4. Touch your left foot beside your right.
  5. 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.

• Move to the Right: http://the-electricslidedance.com/id3.html

Grapevine to the right and clap on the the last step (when your feet come together).

• Move to the Left:

Grapevine to the left and clap on the the last step (when your feet come together).

• Move Back:

Step backward by stepping right foot, left foot, right foot. Touch your left foot beside your right foot and clap.

• Rock Forward and Back

• 1. Step forward on your left foot, touch right toe to your left heel, and clap.
  2. Step back on the right foot, touch your left toe to to your right toe, and snap.
  3. Repeat steps 1 and 2.
  4. Then step forward on your left foot, make a 90 degree turn to your left, and hop.

• 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.http://www.copperknob.co.uk/viewsheet.aspx?StepSheetID=60617

• 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:

• 1. Cross your right foot over your left foot.
  2. Step back with your left foot.
  3. Step the right with your right foot.
  4. Step a step forward with your left foot.

• Criss Cross: This is a series of four jumps:
  1. Feet apart.
  2. Feet crossed (right over left)
  3. Feet apart
  4. 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.

• 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.

• Freeze: Strike a pose and freeze.

• Charlie Brown: Rock forward on your right foot while kicking your left foot (the running man step),http://dance.about.com/od/stepsandmoves/ht/Cha_Cha_Slide.htm

• Although variations of this dance occur, this section covers the original Boot Scootin' Boogie choreographed by Bill Bader in 1990. 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.

• • 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.

• • 14-16: Swivel your heels to the right, the left, the right and then center. You can opt to push your hips in the opposite directions (left, right, left).

• • • Alternative to beats 13-16 can be twists right-left-right-left.

• Stomp and Kick

• • 17-18: Stomp (touch) right heel twice beside the left foot.

• • 19-20: Kick right foot twice with a forward and downward pumping action.

• • &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.

• • • Alternative to beats &21-22 is to just do two right stomps.

• • 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. You can also simply rock forward on your right foot and pause.

• • 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).

• The Tush Push was choreographed by Jim Ferrazzano and Kenneth Engel.http://www.copperknob.co.uk/viewsheet.aspx?StepSheetID=44229 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. 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.

• • • • Or Tap right heel forward four times.

• • • • Or Hop feet apart. Hop and cross right foot over left. Make a full turn to the left.

• • • • 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.

• • &: 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.

• • • • Or Tap left heel forward four times.

• • • • 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.

• • • • 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.

• 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). 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. 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. (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. 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). This is also known as a military pivot. 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).

• 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.

• 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...".