Where Did Line Dance Instructions Start?

Hula dancing is a form of line dancing many centuries old.

Many people agree that line dancing, as we know it, originated in Europe as Folk Dancing, which was also called Tribal Dancing in many other cultures and countries. Other people believe that the English Country,  or Contra Dances, are the basis for our line dancing. The origins of our form of Country line dancing are not always easy to pin down.

However it started, line dancing, by definition, is a participatory form of dancing. Everyone dances together for their own enjoyment, repeating a pattern of steps in sequence to the beat of the music. These patterns of steps were fixed and easy to learn so everyone could participate.

Emigrants to America from many countries brought their dance traditions with them. By the middle 1800s, Country and Western dance was becoming popular from the Midwest of America all the way to the West Coast. There were some line dances at that time, but the majority were couples dances that followed set steps.

In New England, around the same time, most of the dancing resembled the Contra Dances of Europe. These  were directly related to the English Country Dances that can be traced back to a 1650 book of dance sheets, the first instance of step sheets.

Contra dancing was performed by two lines facing each other, males in one line and females in the other. The head couple came together and “strolled” down the middle between the two lines, separated at the end of the line, and returned to their own lines. Then the next couple began. The “Stroll” is an example of this.

Line dancing, as we know it today, was probably born in the 1980s, in Nashville, Tennessee, when Jim Ferrazano supposedly wrote the choreography for “Tush Push” on a napkin. It was then tested on the dance floor by Melanie Greenwood, a now-famous choreographer, who would later write the step sheet for Achy Breaky Heart, to the song of the same name, performed by Billy Ray Cyrus.

Pretty Line Dancing Outfit

Around the same time, Miss Jimmie Ruth White, from Texas, choreographed  “The Traveling Four Corners” and the “J.R. Hustle”, originally as square dances, but changed into line dances.

Country Western music wasn’t always the music of choice for line dancing. Many  dances were done to popular music, such as the  “Cruisin’” done to a Beach Boys song called “Still Cruisin’”, and a big favorite, “Mustang Sally” danced to the music of the R&B group, The Commitments. One very beautiful line dance, choreographed by Sal Gonzales, called “Dancin’ With You” can be danced to the song “Volcano” by Jimmy Buffet.

1992 is the date many people believe that line dancing came into it’s own when Billy Ray Cyrus released “Achy Breaky Heart” and asked the aforementioned Melanie Greenwood to choreograph the line dance instructions. This song and dance were a great success and finally put line dancing into it’s own niche.

As a result, many classes  sprang up and most line dance songs were Country Western. Country line dance videos and DVDs were created to teach people how to learn to dance in the privacy of their own homes. It’s even possible today to find aerobic line dance videos to your favorite Country music.

One especially good series of Line Dance DVDs are from Shawn Trautman, one of the best line dance instructors around. It’s called Line Dance 101 and is part of his new Dance 101 Series. I wrote a post about it recently and you can check it out at this link and watch his free video on how to do the 2 Step: Shawn Trautman – FREE 2-Step Video

Nowadays, line dancing is popular for both Country Western music and contemporary music. Many people, especially in England, prefer non-Country music for their dancing. However, line dance songs remain predominately County Western in the United States, Australia, and other places and line dance history marches on, ever changing.

Click here: “I love LINE DANCING!” to buy great line dance DVDs and videos for YOURSELF or your friends!

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