Different Kinds of Line Dances

Line dancing has become a popular recreational activity for a wide range of age groups and ability levels. There are line dances available for beginning, intermediate and advanced dancers. What makes a dance more advanced is the complexity of skills, the number of walls a dancer faces in the dance and the number of counts for the entire dance. Some dances require the dancer to face forward and never turn to face another wall. Other dances require the dancer to face one or both of the side walls or the back wall, at some point during the dance. Turning to face another wall adds difficulty. Some dances are simple (one wall, 12 counts), whereas others are more difficult (four walls, 128 or more counts).

  1. 12-Count Dances -- Ultra Beginner Dances

    • A cowboy hat can put you in the line dancing mood.

      The Elvira Freeze Waltz and the Twelve Step Waltz are beginner dances that consist of only 12 counts and one wall. Line dance can also be enjoyed by the disabled. The Two Steppin' line dance, consisting of 12 counts, is also a beginning line dance, but is choreographed for one partner to be seated. Keeping the number of counts low, but increasing the number of walls a dancer faces, helps to move a dancer to the next level. The 64 Mustang and the Wheel are 12-count, four-wall beginner dances.

    Beginner Dances/Intermediate

    • Boot Scoot and Boogie your way to fun.

      Little Country, Hoedown, Boot Scootin' or Electric Slide, Amnesia, Another Song, Are You Lookin' at Me, After the Lovin' and American Dream are all 24- to 32-count, one-wall line dances that are fun and can be used to help the beginning dancer gain some competency in line dancing and move closer to an intermediate level. These dances have repeating skills that help to teach basic line-dance concepts, such as which foot to move first and shifting weight. Also, these dances introduce the dancer to very basic movements such as the vine.

    Intermediate/Advanced Dances

    • Some line dances can be done with a partner.

      Crying in the Rain, All Fixed Up and Airplane Ride are intermediate dances that use at least 40 counts and up to four walls. The Abracadabra, In The Zone, Be My Guest and Falling are intermediate dances that are performed to 64 counts, using a two-wall format. These dances are good dances to help the intermediate dancer begin to make the transition to the advanced level. Some skills that are included in this level introduce the dancer to more complex movements that will be used in advanced dancing.

    Advanced Dances

    • Aces High is a two-wall dance that is danced to 128 counts, forcing the dancer to remember a large set of skills to be repeated throughout the dance. The Fishin' Dance is performed to 88 counts and four walls. These dances keep the dancer turning around, facing different walls, making quarter, half, three-quarter and full turns during the dance. Sometimes the dancer is expected to turn a quarter right, three-quarters left and half right in immediate succession, while performing scoots, hitches, hops or other supplemental movements.