While commonly associated with country music, line dancing is much more than meets the eyes. In fact, it has a very long history indeed according to many historians in the field of dance and even today encompasses more than just the country music charts with a fair following in the soul music or rhythm and blues community. Many even find this particular form of dancing a rather simple, and fun method for working out and getting some much needed exercise that somehow is not as painful (at least on a mental level) as going to the gym.

During the 1970’s it was very simple to attribute much of the popularity of line dancing to The Hustle, which was a dance in and of itself that stands alone among dances. The 1980’s ushered in a new era of music and dancing styles that seemed to leave The Hustle behind however though there were still a few line dances lingering in the shadows, nothing new came along to take the dancing community by storm until a country music singer released a song and a dance to go with it at the same time.

That singer was Billy Ray Cyrus and Achy Breaky Heart would launch not only a musical career but also a resurgence of line dancing that shows few signs of slowing decades later as new and more complicated dances and steps are added to an already overflowing list of line dancing options. While it may be losing some degree of popularity in the United States, line dancing is growing even more popular in other countries throughout the world providing not only new moves for those that have not experience line dancing before but new venues for country music performers who had not previously ventured very far outside of the United States to perform.

Soul line dancing is another story all together. The roots of this dance form are often traced back to Africa where dancing in a line was often used in ceremonial as well as celebratory rites. These line dances included the same clapping and stomping that are even seen in the modern country music line dances but often incorporate more of the body into the dance than other popular forms of line dancing today.

African line dancing generally included one of four formations: group team routine, group freestyle, solo dancing, and group routine with a lead dancer. These African dancers are believed to be the forefathers of what would later become the Cowboy Style of line dancing, which would someday lead to the modern country music form of line dancing. Motown was the home of the modern soul line dancing movement with dances like the “Stroll,” the “Twist,” the “Jerk,” and the “Swim” performed to music by artists like Marvin Gaye and the Temptations. There have been others since and will continue to be still others as line dancing has become a worldwide phenomenon. We definitely hope to see an even greater variety of line dancing options available in the future for fun, fitness, and competition.

Very few dances invite the participation of all that are interested in quite the way that line dancing does. Most clubs and bars that offer line dancing also offer a session of lessons before the evening dancing begins. This allows beginners or those seeking to improve their line dancing skills the opportunity to learn the steps at a slower pace than simply jumping in and going with the music. Very few other styles of dancing offer this opportunity. Take the time to watch the videos and see for yourself why line dancing is taking the dancing world by storm.