What is line dancing?
Line dancing is a choreographed sequence repeated in rows facing the same direction — no partner needed. Each dance has a count (32, 48, 64...) and a number of walls (the directions the sequence faces), and new dances appear every year for new songs.
History
Disco-era dances such as the Electric Slide (created by Ric Silver in 1976) and country dances like the Cotton-Eyed Joe paved the way. Achy Breaky Heart (1992) and Boot Scootin' Boogie (1992) made line dancing a national craze; the Cupid Shuffle (2007) and the Wobble keep it alive at weddings and parties.
Basic technique
- Grapevine, vine, shuffle and kick-ball-change
- Jazz box and pivot turn
- Counting 8s and knowing the wall
Music & tempo
Country, pop and R&B party songs, usually 100–140 BPM.
Songs for line dancing
| Song | Artist | BPM | Key | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Give a Little | Maggie Rogers | 100 | G major | 2018 |
| Tango | Jaci Velasquez | 100 | G minor | 2008 |
| It Just Comes Natural | George Strait | 100 | A# major | 2006 |
| Brown Skinned Gal | Merle Haggard | 100 | F# major | 1970 |
| Corrine Corrina | Merle Haggard | 100 | A# major | 1970 |
| Waiting All My Life | Rascal Flatts | 100 | C# major | 2000 |
| You’re On | Madeon feat. Kyan | 100 | A# major | 2014 |
| Trouble in Mind | Merle Haggard | 100 | A major | 2008 |
| Quit While I’m Ahead | Turnpike Troubadours | 100 | E major | 2012 |
| Cindai | Siti Nurhaliza | 100 | C minor | 2006 |
BPM as measured by audio analysis; some tracks read at half or double the danced tempo.
All 1,326 line dancing songs by BPM →
What to wear
Comfortable shoes; boots in country bars.
How to get started
Community centers, country bars and senior centers run weekly line-dance classes.
We list 22 studios that teach line dancing, or browse all dance studios by state.
Recent research
- The effectiveness of dance movement interventions for older adults with mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and dementia: A systematic scoping review and meta-analysis. — Ageing research reviews, 2023
- Dance movement therapy for dementia. — The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2023
- Strength and conditioning in dance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. — European journal of sport science, 2024
- Creative experiences and brain clocks. — Nature communications, 2025
- Effectiveness of dance interventions for falls prevention in older adults: systematic review and meta-analysis. — Age and ageing, 2024
Books about line dancing
- Works [37 plays, 6 poems, sonnets] by William Shakespeare (1730)
- Line dancing by Rita Storey (2005)
- Line Dancing by Maggy Halliday (1998)
- Complete book of line dancing by Lane, Christy., Christy Lane (1995)
- Encyclopedia of line dances by Ollie M. Ray (1992)
- Line Dancing by Aine Quinn (1997)
Encyclopedia summary
A line dance is a choreographed dance in which a group of people dance along to a repeating sequence of steps while arranged in one or more lines or rows. These lines usually face all in the same direction, or less commonly face each other. Unlike circle dancing, line dancers are not in physical contact with each other. Each dance is usually associated with, and named for, a specific song, such as the Macarena or the Electric Slide (associated with the 1982 single "Electric Boogie") which are a few of the line dances that have consistently remained part of modern American culture for years.
Line dancing is practiced and learned in country-western dance bars, social clubs, dance clubs and ballrooms. It is sometimes combined on dance programs with other forms of country-western dance, such as two-step, western promenade dances, as well as western-style variants of the waltz, polka and swing. Line dances have accompanied many popular music styles since the early 1970s including pop, swing, rock and roll, disco, Latin (salsa suelta), rhythm and blues and jazz.
The term "modern line dance" is now used in many line dance clubs around the world to indicate dance styles that combine many genres, including pop, Latin, Irish, big band and country. Rather than wearing Western-style clothing or boots, participants dress in casual clothing and often wear dance trainers.
Frequently asked questions
What is a "wall" in line dancing?
The direction dancers face; a 4-wall dance turns 90° each time the sequence repeats.
Is line dancing good exercise?
Yes — research on older adults links line dancing to better balance and fitness.
What BPM is Line Dancing?
Line Dancing is usually danced to music between 100 and 140 beats per minute. Browse 1,326 songs that fit on our Line Dancing music page.
How many calories does line dancing burn?
About 368 calories per hour for a 155-lb (70 kg) person, based on a MET value of 5 from the Compendium of Physical Activities. See calories burned line dancing for every body weight.
Related styles
Texas Two-Step
Texas dance halls
Country, Folk & Community DanceSquare Dance
British, French and American folk dances; modern Western style in the US
Swing & Vintage Jazz DanceHustle
New York City discos
Country, Folk & Community DanceContra Dance
New England (from English country dance)
Country, Folk & Community DanceClogging
Appalachian Mountains
Country, Folk & Community DancePolka
Bohemia (today's Czech Republic)
Last reviewed October 2026 · Editorial policy