Dance Safari is a blog that promotes partner dancing. So what’s this business about line dancing? You’ll be interested to know that there are a lot of ways that line dancing helps your ballroom dancing. The bottom line is, line dancing will make you a better ballroom dancer. Who knew!
What is line dancing?
A line dance is a choreographed routine that’s performed in a line. There’s no partner in a line dance. Most people associate line dancing with country music, but any kind of music will work.
By the way, check out this Dance Safari post, “New Vogue Style Dancing” which is also called Sequence Dancing. It’s kind of a combination of ballroom and line dancing.
A line dance typically consists of:
- The repetition of a sequence of steps commencing with the right foot.
- The sequence consists of 32 beats broken down into 4 counts of 8.
- Each 8 count is a pattern or step.
- The last 8 steps will probably have you making a 1/4 turn to the left so that you face a new wall, and…
- Repeat
Sounds fun and easy. Exactly how does it help?
That’s a good question. To begin with, think about it, you don’t have a partner. No partner means you’re responsible for holding yourself up. So, you’ve got to have good posture. Indeed, good posture means better dancing balance.
Second, once you feel balanced, you’re free to express the music. Consequently, line dancing allows you to develop your own style which will easily enhance your ballroom dancing.
Third, joining in a line dance is a great way to socialize. You’ll be part of a happy group that’s moving and loving the music. To be sure, there’s nothing wrong with that!
Finally, the biggest way that learning line dancing is going to help your ballroom dancing is by training you to memorize sequences. It’s just like learning steps. So, if you feel like you have a hard time remembering steps, give line dancing a try. If you do, you’re sure to get better results.
If line dancing is so helpful, why don’t more ballroom dance studios offer it?
Actually, it’s becoming more common. Some studios begin their practice party with a line dance as a way to get everyone up and moving around. It’s a clever warm-up that gets all of the students and guests involved.
There’s a studio in Vermont called Ballroom Nights. They offer this type of class as a way to teach the basics of a variety of ballroom dances. Their website states, “After mastering the footwork of the steps you will have an easier time adapting the patterns you have learned with your partner, along with applying the fundamentals of leading and following.”
Whatever style of dancing you like to do, here’s hoping you get to do it often and with the people you love.
Thanks!
Lots of fun, Barbara!
I’ve only been to a few nights of Line Dancing long time past. It was fabulous fun.
At our Sunday Social, for those who don’t do the Samba or Cha with a partner, we have a sequence of steps that most can join in, on their own, and have lots of fun. I really love the camaraderie this develops. And, as you say, this enhances so many aspects of partnered dancing as well; balance being one, and confidence.
Yay to dance of whatever type we do. It’s all fabulous! 🙂
Thank you, Carolyn, I agree. How are we to backwards age if we don’t keep moving?
I included the link to the New Vogue post because I feel like it’s a mash-up of ballroom and line dancing. That’s because of the sequences and the repetition. It really makes it easier for beginners to get up on the floor and enjoy themselves.
[…] “Line Dancing and Ballroom Dancing Help Each Other” is a Dance Safari post about another popular way to express the music that makes you dance. […]