Fancy Boots for Line Dance Steps!

There are many forms of line dancing, practiced by different cultures all around the world.  Our focus will be on Country Western line dance instructions.

The first line dance I learned was BAR ROOM ROMEO, choreographed by Ron Holiday.  I was living in Hawai’i with my daughter, Nicolette, and we started going to classes in Kealakekua taught by Darhla Andrews.  She had a line dance company called DoubleD Dancers and they put on performances all over the Big Island for residents and tourists alike, as well as having classes once a week.

Darhla had some handouts with the line dance steps, which I retyped and printed in huge letters.  Nicolette and I would tape them on the wall of our living room and practice day and night.  The biggest problem we had was trying to look back over our shoulders to read the instructions when we ended up facing the other wall.

I can still remember one advanced step that continued to elude me, Apple Jacks.  I was determined to learn how to do it, but I just couldn’t get it!  I would practically trip over my own feet and fall whenever I tried.  However, one night I had one of those “ah ha” moments at 3:00 a.m.  I jumped out of bed, poured a bunch of Johnson’s Baby Powder on the kitchen floor, and I got it!

Line Dance Songs

There are so many great line dance songs and everyone has their favorite for any particular line dance.  For instance, I love Collin Raye’s “Dreamin’ My Dreams with You” for dancing “Waltz Across Texas,” and the only song for “Watermelon Crawl” is, well, “Watermelon Crawl” by Tracy Byrd. There are a lot of good line dance videos and DVDs available also, which can help you learn the steps. One of the best is from Shawn Trautman’s Dance 101 Series entitled Line Dance 101 and you can read about it in this blog post: Shawn Trautman FREE 2-Step Line Dance Instructions.

After line dancing for a while, I got to the point where I could listen to a song and say, “Oh, that’s a good song for Go Go Stomp (or whatever)” Go Go Stomp is one of my favorites!  Everyone would laugh and say I had a talent, which was good, because my talent on the dance floor left a little bit to be desired!

By this time, I had been retyping and standardizing all of the line dance step sheets we used in class.  Not only to help me learn the steps, but to pass out to new members so they could take them home to practice.  This helped everyone learn quicker so they could participate in class.

Boots and Other Things

The boots you wear to class are special.  They’re not the same as the boots you wear when you rope cattle or muck around in the horse stalls of your barn.  They’re much lighter and the soles are thinner.  This is because your feet would turn into lead if you wore your Justin or Tony Lama boots to class!  You also want to be sure not to wear your boots outdoors, because they won’t last very long if you do.

The boots can also be very fancy and colorful, with fringe running down the sides, that swings around as you dance.  We also wore a boot bracelet on the outside of one of our boots.  The ones we wore were made of beads that glittered when we danced.  I’ve also seen some beautiful hand-beaded boot bracelets that are incredible.

The guys usually wore jeans, western shirts, and wide belts, with their George Strait look-alike hats.  Or sometimes they would show up wearing Aloha shirts and shorts, which looked kind of strange with their boots, but, oh well, to each his own!

Out and About in Hawai’i

Sometimes, after class, a group of us would go to one of the local night spots on the Big Island and “show off.”  I’m sure the tourists didn’t come to Hawai’i to hear a Hawaiian Band play “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” or “God Blessed Texas”, but the local bands did have a small repertoire of our songs and indulged us whenever we showed up.

Under the Hood

Oh, by the way, I tried my hand at choreography and wrote a line dance to Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Under the Hood.”  It’s a bit fast, but it was fun.  You can find the step sheet here in the line dance steps section.  Let me know what you think, if you give it a try.

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

Line Dance Instructions – Join the Line Dancin’ Fun! is a post from: Line Dance Instructions blog where you can get information on line dancing, step sheets, terminology, and more!

Most people pay attention to where they are on the dance floor, no matter what kind of dancing they’re doing, or how experienced they are.  As a rule, when you are in a class receiving line dance instructions, everything moves kind of slow, as you count through the steps, one group at a time, and practice them over and over until they become second nature. However, once you’ve learned the dances and the lights go down and the music starts, that’s another story!

Line dancers tend to really put their hearts and souls, and bodies, into their dancing.  Sometimes they get so “into” the dancing and the music, that they just close their eyes and go with the flow.  And since most line dances are performed singly, there isn’t another person attached to you to keep an eye on where you’re going.

Oh, the things I’ve seen!  Each week after our class, we would have “open dancing”, where the instructor would play the line dance songs for the line dances we knew and we could just dance – sort of pretend we knew what we were doing!  This class was mainly beginners, but there were some intermediate and advanced people there who came just for the open dancing because they just couldn’t get enough line dancing.

One man, who was at the intermediate level, absolutely loved the line dance “Walkin’ Wazzi.”  Whenever the music started, usually “Redneck Rhythm & Blues” by Brooks & Dunn, he would become SO excited and run onto the dance floor, jumping around like a little kid, warming up his line dance moves, waiting to get started!  Then he would ROCK!  He would be right in front, dancing his heart out with his eyes closed and the most enraptured look on his face!  But, he never ran into anyone.  I think the rest of the dancers knew to give him his space!

The List

Well, here is a little list of some common sense line dance etiquette whether you’re at a class, a club, a church social, or in a barn taking line dancing instructions:

• DON’T bring your drinks, glasses or cans onto the dance floor.  They make a big mess if spilled.
• WALK around the outside edge of the dance floor; don’t walk through the lines of dancers.
• IF you have to talk to someone, go off the dance floor.  Don’t just stand there and talk!
• DON’T be tempted to show off when you’re dancing next to new dancers just trying to learn.  You will only intimidate them.  You definitely won’t impress them.
• WHEN you’re in a class, or group, and new people come to join, give them a big welcome and see if they have any questions about how to sign in, or where to put their things, or whatever.  Make them feel welcome.
• It’s easy to collide with someone when the dance floor is crowded.   Take smaller steps if this is the case.  AND, if you collide with someone AND spill their drink, clean up the mess and buy them another drink.
• APOLOGIZE if you collide with someone, even if it’s not your fault.
• IF you have a DJ playing your music, be polite and respectful when you make a request.  They’re human, too.  And if they can’t play your song, don’t be a brat about it.
• REMEMBER the magic words: Please and thank you.
• DON’T  stop dancing to teach someone the steps right in the middle of the dance floor. Find an empty place somewhere to teach them.
• IF you’re starting a dance, go to the front of the dancers so the others can fall in behind you.
• LEAVE the outside edge of the dance floor clear for couple dancers.  Dancers dancing around the edge have the right of way.  Be careful not to block their progress.
• IF the lines are long and you will block the outside edge of the dance floor if you join a line, start another line instead.
• THE line of dance (LOD) is always anti-clockwise.

November 16, 2010 update:
I had a very good comment from a reader, Nelson Wong, that suggested this point of etiquette:
One line dance etiquette that seems to be missed but it’s rather important – Unless you are the lead dancer/instructor of the party, do not say it loud the count/cue of the dance. It’s annoying to those who dance near you, and it’s disrespect of the lead dancer/instructor.

This is a very good point!

Have FUN!

Above all else, have a good time, smile often, and give the Instructor a big THANK YOU for all the line dancin’ fun!

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

Line Dance Instructions – Etiquette for the Dance Floor is a post from: Line Dance Instructions blog where you can get information on line dancing, step sheets, terminology, and more!

Line dancing is very popular among Senior Citizens. It’s fun, there is great camaraderie among the Seniors, and you don’t need a partner.

An Activity Director at a Retirement/Convalescent Home in California told me that line dancing is only second in popularity to square dancing and only because square dancing is an older form of dancing and more Seniors are familiar with it. Also, many Seniors were in square dance clubs and went to meetings each week when they were younger.

Line Dancin' Fun!

At almost any class in line dance instructions, you will see many Seniors. There are several dances suitable for people with limited mobility, such as  “Tush Push”, “Electric Slide”, “Country Walkin’”, “Dancin’ with You” and the ever beautiful, “Waltz Across Texas”, which I love to do to Collin Raye’s “Dreamin’ My Dreams of You.” There is even a “sit down” tongue-in-cheek line dance by Knox Rhine called “Take A Break” which doesn’t even need music! Most classes feature easy line dances as well as more advanced.

Health Benefits

The health benefits of line dancing are obvious. Everyone benefits from exercise and line dancing is so much fun, it doesn’t seem like exercise. I read a report that said that people who line dance could possibly live an extra ten years. This may or may not be true, but it’s certainly something to consider.

Here is a list of some of the health benefits you will enjoy if you line dance on a regular basis:

* Cardiovascular and muscular strength and flexibility become better;

* High blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and high triglyceride levels, as well as high blood sugar levels can all improve;

* Coordination improves as you work through the different movements;

* Lung capacity can increase;

* Bone strength can increase; bone loss can be stopped or slowed down

* Help with weight control – half an hour of continuous line dancing can burn an average of 300 calories

* The social aspects of  line dancing are obvious. Your sense of well-being and the camaraderie you have with the other dancers is wonderful for your health.

Line Dance Videos & DVDs are available everywhere

There are many line dance DVDs and videos that Seniors can purchase and use to practice  in the privacy of their homes. This is especially good if they are shy about going to a regular class or don’t have a class in their community that teaches line dancing for seniors.

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

Scooter Lee and Jo Thompson

The lovely and talented singer/songwriter Scooter Lee has many classes targeted towards Seniors through her non-profit organization, Dancing for the Dream®, which she started with choreographer Jo Thompson.

As popular as her music was for line dancing, at first Scooter Lee didn’t line dance herself, even after being diagnosed with numerous health issues and being overweight.  Finally, after learning to eat right, exercise, and create good habits in her life with positive thinking and positive people, she included line dancing in her routine for good health.  Though the damage to her joints and organs was not reversible, Lee started to pay attention to her own health, eventually losing approximately 150 pounds in five years.

Where to Find Classes for Line Dancin’ Fun

You can find many classes for line dance instructions just for Senior Citizens at Community Centers, Parks and Recreation Departments, and Church Groups all over America, as well as at classes at dance studios.

If you live in the Eastern part of America, check out the classes available through Step In the Name of Life™.  They have classes in at least 32 cities.  Jamie Gant started the first group in Florida so his grandmother would have a place to go to line dance for her health.  After going with her, he was ready to start classes for everyone.  Their goal:  Stepping Away Diabetes, High Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure & More™.

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

Line Dance Instructions for Seniors is a post from: Line Dance Instructions blog where you can get information on line dancing, step sheets, terminology, and more!

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!

Where Did Line Dance Instructions Start? is a post from: Line Dance Instructions blog where you can get information on line dancing, step sheets, terminology, and more!

The building in Hawaii where we had our line dance instructions was a warehouse that was open to the elements on one side, as are many buildings in Hawaii. It was old and had a parking lot downhill from the building, but the exercise was good.  We were warmed up by the time we got to the dance room.

Wooden Floors and Mirrors

The main attraction to the site was that the floors were wooden and the instructor had installed a whole wall of mirrors so we could see ourselves (not always a good thing!) and she could watch us even when she was facing the front. This made it easier for us to follow her since she would be moving in the same direction we were.

photo credit: anemoneprojectors

Camaraderie

People would start drifting in a little before the class was ready to start and the instructor would be adjusting the sound. Most people would limber up a little, visit  with each other, and practice a step they were having trouble with. There was a room off to the side where people could go for personal instruction, and there was always a lot of that going on. The experienced people were always eager to help the newcomers.

The Class Begins

When the class began, the instructor would play some slower line dances to get everyone warmed up, and then progress to faster ones. These were usually dances that we had learned recently and needed a “refresher” course on. Then she would begin to teach the weeks new dance. This was done without music, and by teaching one pattern of the steps at a time. She would go over and over each group of steps until she could see that we understood the pattern.

When she had finished teaching all the patterns, she would walk us through the whole dance, counting out the steps, until we were comfortable with the steps. Then she would put it to music, a section at a time, but the song she chose for this part of the teaching was not usually the main song for the dance. She would use one that fit the dance but had a slower beat per minute (bpm) than the actual song. Finally, we would get to dance the whole dance to the original music. We would do this several times until it was natural. She would remind us that there were line dance step sheets by the door and to be sure to take one home so we could practice for the next week.

Line Dancin’ FUN!

Then would come the fun! We would have about an hour or so of “open dancing.” She would play our favorite line dance songs, both for the beginners and the more advanced dancers, so we could just dance. When she played an intermediate dance that the beginners didn’t know, it gave them a chance to watch the experienced dancers and get pointers on how to do certain steps.

Out and About After Class

Sometimes, if enough people were available, and in the mood, we would go to one of the night spots where the band knew a few good line dance songs and we would do our dances. This always amazed the tourists who were surprised that the band knew Country and Western music and that there were actually people in Hawaii who didn’t Hula!

Our classes were only $5.00 and that was a bargain for all the fun and camaraderie we had!

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

A Typical Line Dance Instructions Class is a post from: Line Dance Instructions blog where you can get information on line dancing, step sheets, terminology, and more!

Jamie Gant was not only interested in the fun of line dancing, but also the health aspects, and the story of how  and why he started Step In the Name of Life™ caught my interest.

Jamie’s grandmother was tired visiting a gym, walking, or doing other forms of exercise to stay healthy.  When she was at a Miami party, she saw a group of people line dancing and decided that she wished to attend a class to take some line dance instructions for the exercise.  She asked Jamie to accompany  her.

So they went to the classes and learned  to dance, but wanted a class nearer to their Carol City/Miami Gardens neighborhood. Since there wasn’t one, Jamie decided to start one and bring the residents of the area an interesting way keep active, have fun,  and get exercise.

But, he didn’t stop there.  He made it his mission to provide this style of dancing to as many cities and people as possible.   He wanted people to live longer, have fun,  and be healthier, so Step In The Name of Life™  was born.  Their goal:  Stepping Away Diabetes, High Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure & More™.

When I last looked at their website, there were more than 32 cities listed. Jamie Gant is no doubt doing his part to bring line dancin’ fun and good health to many people.

Below you will find the step sheet of the first line dance that Jamie’s grandmother saw at that party in Miami called “Homey Twist.”  It’s easy to learn and very addicting.  I do it all the time around my home.  It’s so much fun!!

I’ve also included a video with the music and a group from  Step In The Name of Life™ performing the dance.  Enjoy!!

Here’s the step sheet: HOMEY TWIST

And here’s the video:

Make sure to visit their website at:   Step In the Name Of Life™

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

Homey Twist – More Line Dancin’ Fun! is a post from: Line Dance Instructions blog where you can get information on line dancing, step sheets, terminology, and more!

Here is the STEP SHEET for Country Walkin’ and here is the YouTube Video for “Lord of the Dance.”  Don’t worry – you don’t have to learn to dance like the dancers in the video!

What I do is download the line dance videos to Real Player – you can use your favorite player – to which I’ve made a playlist for line dancing songs. Then I can play them whenever I want.

OK, for this song, you don’t actually start dancing until after the first 52 seconds. You can just stand there and look entranced by the beautiful flute sounds.  Also, as you dance, the song becomes faster and faster, which makes for a lot of line dancin’ fun!

Let me know how you do and if this is a good way to get line dance step sheets with the appropriate music to you. If it works out, I will do different dances from time to time. I’m in the process of putting together a FREE eBook for you with line dance terminology and about 30 line dance step sheets.

My personal line dancing instructions playlist has 14 songs and I have types up the step sheets for each one. When I want to teach or practice, or just have a good workout, I play the playlist, minimizing the video so I don’t get distracted by Billy Ray Cyrus singing “Acky Breaky Heart”, and dance ’til I drop!

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

Line Dance Instructions & RIVERDANCE! is a post from: Line Dance Instructions blog where you can get information on line dancing, step sheets, terminology, and more!

The Ultimate Line Dance Reference Video teaches 49 common line-dancing components, plus four easy line dances.

Award-winning choreographer Jo Thompson teaches line dance steps like brush, kick, and stomp, and more complex moves like applejack, coaster, and sailor shuffle, presented in alphabetical order, not in order of difficulty. Close-ups of her feet, facing the same way you’re facing, make her easy to follow.

Next she shows how these steps might be combined, a few at a time. Then she teaches four easy line dances: Electric Slide, Cowboy Charleston, Rita’s Waltz, and Twist Em, all using the line dance songs of Scooter Lee.
If you’ve tried line dance instructions that seem to go too fast for you, or line dance videos that didn’t make sense, then this 90-minute video is like having a series of private lessons in your own home.

And remember – keep on having that line dancin’ fun!!

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

The BEST of the Line Dance Videos! is a post from: Line Dance Instructions blog where you can get information on line dancing, step sheets, terminology, and more!