Line Dance 411, What is Line Dancing?
Line Dance
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
A line dance is a formation dance in which a group of people dance in one or more lines
executing the same movements.
Description
In a small group there may be only one line, but usually there are several parallel lines, one behind the other. In this parallel line formation, the dancers dance in a synchronized manner, but independently of each other. There are usually no moves that require any interaction between the dancers, other than they
execute the maneuvers at the same time.
Although line dances can be fairly simple, as with the 18 count 4 wall beginner "Electric Slide," increasing complexity can be created through several means. In general, higher-count sequences are more difficult. (One "count" corresponds to one musical beat.) The inclusion of unusual or unfamiliar sequences of steps also makes a dance more challenging. Body movements other than steps, such as hand gestures, can add complexity. "Phrased" line dances are written to go with specific versions of songs. Tags, bridges, and skipping over, or repeating portions of the dance, are all devices that are used to follow the phrasing in the music. These phrased dances require dancers to be more conscious of the music and not simply repeat the same sequence of steps for an entire song.
There are several variations to the parallel lines set-up. There may, for example, be two sets of lines where the dancers face in directly towards each other. In larger groups these will become several sets of in-facing parallel lines. In these "contra" line dances, the dancers will dance with the others in the facing lines. The dancers often weave in and out, exchanging places, or dance up to each other, and make momentary contact, such as a hand clap, or a swing, or take hold in Promenade position for a few counts, and then move on. This has it roots in Square or Round Dancing.
These contact maneuvers are more likely in the variation where line dancing takes place in two concentric rings with dancers facing either down the line of dance, such as Cotton-Eye Joe or El Paso or each other, such as a Barn Dance or Indian Outlaw. The Barn Dance exemplifies the mixer type of dance, where after each iteration of the routine, each dancer moves one partner to the left or right before beginning again.
In some paired line dances, such as the El Paso or the couple's version of the Cowboy Cha-cha, the lead and follow stand in sweetheart or cape position, each of the lead's hands holding the follow's corresponding hands, with his right arm over her shoulder.
Music
Line dancing has had a cowboy image, and it was danced predominantly to country-western music. This has been changing since the 1970's, when the hustle line dance became popular. Line dancing became even more popular with a wider range of music in the 1990s, as more young people took up line dancing (largely due to several pop bands releasing songs with videos featuring what later became line dances). Today, country music may make up the minority of a line dance DJ's playlist, with the balance spread over a variety of musical styles both new and old. Genres including Celtic, Swing, Pop, Rock, Big Band, Folk, and almost anything else that has a regular beat.
History and Culture
Line dance is sometimes thought of as originating in the Wild West. In fact, it has a much more diverse background and there is a popular saying that "real cowboys don't line dance". Many folk dances are danced in unison in a single, nonlinear "line", and often with a connection between dancers. The absence of a physical connection between dancers is a distinguishing feature of country western line dance. Line dances have accompanied many popular music styles since the early 1900s, including swing, rock and roll, and disco. The variety and popularity of line dances in the late 20th, and early 21st century is, however, noteworthy.
Line dancing's current popularity grew out of the disco period, when the country-western dance and music communities continued to explore and develop this form of dancing.
..................
In 1994 choreographer Max Perry had a worldwide dance hit with "Swamp Thang" for the song of the same name by The Grid. This was a techno song that fused banjo sounds in the melody line and helped to start a trend of dancing to forms of music other than country. Max Perry, along with Jo Thompson, Scott Blevins and several others, began to use ballroom rhythms and technique to take line dancing to the next level. In 1998, the band Steps created further interest outside of the U.S. with the techno dance song 5,6,7,8. In 1999 the Gap retailer debuted the "Khaki Country" ad on the Academy Awards ceremony. [6] Line dancers performed to the 1999 version of Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Dwight Yoakum.
Line dancing is a popular recreation activity and is practiced and learned in country-western dance bars, social clubs, dance clubs and ballrooms worldwide. It avoids the problem of imbalance of male/female partners that plagues ballroom/swing/salsa dancing clubs. It is sometimes combined on dance programs with other forms of country-western dance, such as two-step, shuffle, and western promenade dances, as well as western-style variants of the waltz, polka and swing.
Two popular dances that technically classify as line dances are the Nutbush (performed to "Nutbush City Limits" by Tina Turner) and the Macarena.The Chicken Dance, although danced in a circle, may be considered to be a line dance.
Line dancing in the late 1990's, and so far through the 2000's, has changed in some line dance clubs with the main bulk of the dancing done to pop music. This has brought with it a renewed interest in this form of dancing.
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
A line dance is a formation dance in which a group of people dance in one or more lines
executing the same movements.
Description
In a small group there may be only one line, but usually there are several parallel lines, one behind the other. In this parallel line formation, the dancers dance in a synchronized manner, but independently of each other. There are usually no moves that require any interaction between the dancers, other than they
execute the maneuvers at the same time.
Although line dances can be fairly simple, as with the 18 count 4 wall beginner "Electric Slide," increasing complexity can be created through several means. In general, higher-count sequences are more difficult. (One "count" corresponds to one musical beat.) The inclusion of unusual or unfamiliar sequences of steps also makes a dance more challenging. Body movements other than steps, such as hand gestures, can add complexity. "Phrased" line dances are written to go with specific versions of songs. Tags, bridges, and skipping over, or repeating portions of the dance, are all devices that are used to follow the phrasing in the music. These phrased dances require dancers to be more conscious of the music and not simply repeat the same sequence of steps for an entire song.
There are several variations to the parallel lines set-up. There may, for example, be two sets of lines where the dancers face in directly towards each other. In larger groups these will become several sets of in-facing parallel lines. In these "contra" line dances, the dancers will dance with the others in the facing lines. The dancers often weave in and out, exchanging places, or dance up to each other, and make momentary contact, such as a hand clap, or a swing, or take hold in Promenade position for a few counts, and then move on. This has it roots in Square or Round Dancing.
These contact maneuvers are more likely in the variation where line dancing takes place in two concentric rings with dancers facing either down the line of dance, such as Cotton-Eye Joe or El Paso or each other, such as a Barn Dance or Indian Outlaw. The Barn Dance exemplifies the mixer type of dance, where after each iteration of the routine, each dancer moves one partner to the left or right before beginning again.
In some paired line dances, such as the El Paso or the couple's version of the Cowboy Cha-cha, the lead and follow stand in sweetheart or cape position, each of the lead's hands holding the follow's corresponding hands, with his right arm over her shoulder.
Music
Line dancing has had a cowboy image, and it was danced predominantly to country-western music. This has been changing since the 1970's, when the hustle line dance became popular. Line dancing became even more popular with a wider range of music in the 1990s, as more young people took up line dancing (largely due to several pop bands releasing songs with videos featuring what later became line dances). Today, country music may make up the minority of a line dance DJ's playlist, with the balance spread over a variety of musical styles both new and old. Genres including Celtic, Swing, Pop, Rock, Big Band, Folk, and almost anything else that has a regular beat.
History and Culture
Line dance is sometimes thought of as originating in the Wild West. In fact, it has a much more diverse background and there is a popular saying that "real cowboys don't line dance". Many folk dances are danced in unison in a single, nonlinear "line", and often with a connection between dancers. The absence of a physical connection between dancers is a distinguishing feature of country western line dance. Line dances have accompanied many popular music styles since the early 1900s, including swing, rock and roll, and disco. The variety and popularity of line dances in the late 20th, and early 21st century is, however, noteworthy.
Line dancing's current popularity grew out of the disco period, when the country-western dance and music communities continued to explore and develop this form of dancing.
..................
In 1994 choreographer Max Perry had a worldwide dance hit with "Swamp Thang" for the song of the same name by The Grid. This was a techno song that fused banjo sounds in the melody line and helped to start a trend of dancing to forms of music other than country. Max Perry, along with Jo Thompson, Scott Blevins and several others, began to use ballroom rhythms and technique to take line dancing to the next level. In 1998, the band Steps created further interest outside of the U.S. with the techno dance song 5,6,7,8. In 1999 the Gap retailer debuted the "Khaki Country" ad on the Academy Awards ceremony. [6] Line dancers performed to the 1999 version of Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Dwight Yoakum.
Line dancing is a popular recreation activity and is practiced and learned in country-western dance bars, social clubs, dance clubs and ballrooms worldwide. It avoids the problem of imbalance of male/female partners that plagues ballroom/swing/salsa dancing clubs. It is sometimes combined on dance programs with other forms of country-western dance, such as two-step, shuffle, and western promenade dances, as well as western-style variants of the waltz, polka and swing.
Two popular dances that technically classify as line dances are the Nutbush (performed to "Nutbush City Limits" by Tina Turner) and the Macarena.The Chicken Dance, although danced in a circle, may be considered to be a line dance.
Line dancing in the late 1990's, and so far through the 2000's, has changed in some line dance clubs with the main bulk of the dancing done to pop music. This has brought with it a renewed interest in this form of dancing.
