What is texas two-step?
The Texas Two-Step is the classic country partner dance: couples travel counterclockwise around the floor with a quick-quick-slow-slow rhythm, adding turns, wraps and shadow positions. It is the default dance in honky-tonks and Western dance halls.
History
The two-step developed in Texas dance halls out of earlier fox-trot and polka steps danced to country and Western swing. The Country Western Dance Council and later competition circuits standardized "progressive" two-step patterns.
Basic technique
- Quick-quick-slow-slow travelling forward (leader)
- Closed position and promenade
- Inside and outside turns, cuddle and wrap
- Following the line of dance counterclockwise
Music & tempo
Country songs roughly 150–200 BPM — George Strait, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan.
Songs for texas two-step
| Song | Artist | BPM | Key | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eden’s Gate | Pat Green | 150 | D major | 2003 |
| Even If I Wanted To | Jason Aldean | 150 | D major | 2005 |
| Please Man | Big & Rich feat. Wyclef Jean | 150 | A major | 2007 |
| Wrong Side of the Tracks | Guy Clark | 150 | E minor | 2009 |
| Let Me Call You Sweetheart | Scooter Lee | 150 | E major | 2002 |
| Hellbent for a Heartache | Kevin Fowler | 150 | A major | 2000 |
| Billy, Boney and Ma | Townes Van Zandt | 150 | G# major | 1994 |
| Country Sunshine | Dottie West | 150 | C major | 1973 |
| Molly and Tenbrooks | Tony Trischka | 150 | B major | 2008 |
| What’s Forever For | Michael Martin Murphey | 150 | D# major | 1982 |
BPM as measured by audio analysis; some tracks read at half or double the danced tempo.
All 674 texas two-step songs by BPM →
What to wear
Western boots with smooth leather soles or dance sneakers.
How to get started
Many country bars offer free two-step lessons early in the evening.
We list 1 studios that teach texas two-step, or browse all dance studios by state.
Key partner-dance terms
Recent research
- Exercise for preventing falls in older people living in the community. — The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2019
- The path to healthy ageing in China: a Peking University-Lancet Commission. — Lancet (London, England), 2022
- Dance movement therapy for dementia. — The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2023
- Definition, acronyms, nomenclature, and classification of angioedema (DANCE): AAAAI, ACAAI, ACARE, and APAAACI DANCE consensus. — The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology, 2024
- Recreational nitrous oxide use: Prevalence and risks. — Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP, 2015
More texas two-step research →
Books about texas two-step
- English dancing master by Playford, John (1653)
- Murder on a girls' night out by Anne George (1996)
- American country-dances by Elizabeth Burchenal (1918)
- A time to dance by Richard Nevell (1977)
- The Whetherly book of Scottish country dances by Mitchell, John W. (1979)
- Researching Secular Music and Dance in the Early United States by Kate Van Winkle Keller, Laura Lohman (2021)
Frequently asked questions
What songs can you two-step to?
Mid- to up-tempo country songs in 4/4, typically 150–200 BPM. See our country BPM list for examples.
What BPM is Texas Two-Step?
Texas Two-Step is usually danced to music between 150 and 200 beats per minute. Browse 674 songs that fit on our Texas Two-Step music page.
How many calories does texas two-step burn?
About 404 calories per hour for a 155-lb (70 kg) person, based on a MET value of 5.5 from the Compendium of Physical Activities. See calories burned texas two-step for every body weight.
Related styles
Line Dancing
United States (country, disco and pop)
Swing & Vintage Jazz DanceEast Coast Swing
United States (simplified from Lindy Hop by dance studios)
Country, Folk & Community DancePolka
Bohemia (today's Czech Republic)
Swing & Vintage Jazz DanceWest Coast Swing
California
Country, Folk & Community DanceSquare Dance
British, French and American folk dances; modern Western style in the US
Country, Folk & Community DanceContra Dance
New England (from English country dance)
Country, Folk & Community DanceClogging
Appalachian Mountains
Last reviewed October 2026 · Editorial policy