United States, 1970s-1990s
COUNTRY LINE DANCE
The American line that turns the whole room
Country Line Dance took shape in the United States from the 1970s onward, in the wake of Texan honky-tonk culture, before exploding worldwide in the 1990s with hits like Billy Ray Cyrus's "Achy Breaky Heart." It draws its roots from circle dances and Appalachian jigs — themselves heirs of Irish, Scottish, and English immigration — and then from the 1960s Madison, which gave it its modern skeleton: numbered choreographies, over 32 or 48 counts, with a quarter turn at each wall.
Danced without a partner, in parallel lines or a circle, modern Country stands out for the liveliness of its heel steps, points, coaster steps, jazz boxes, and clean turns. Each choreography has a name (Cowboy Cha Cha, Tush Push, Electric Slide…) and is passed on worldwide through videos and "step sheets" that precisely codify the sequence.
Far from being mere American folklore, Country Line Dance today is a genuine global culture, with clubs, festivals, and star choreographers — France, for that matter, is one of the most active countries in the European scene.
How it's danced
Technique & figures
Country Line Dance is danced in a line, without a partner, to country or pop-country tracks between 90 and 140 bpm. Each choreography has 32, 48, or 64 counts, and ends with a quarter, half, or three-quarter turn that rotates the line. Step sheets provide the vocabulary and exact order.
Styles and fundamentals
The vocabulary is built around highly codified named steps: grapevine, coaster step, shuffle, kick-ball-change, jazz box, monterey turn, pivot turn. The arms remain natural or sometimes emphasize a country accent (hat, belt). The grounding comes from the heels, with a light bounce on the strong beats.
Main figures
- 01
Grapevine
Three lateral steps (side – behind – side) finished with a touch or a kick. The most universal building block of line dance.
- 02
Coaster step
A "back – together – forward" (or the reverse) sequence in three counts. Directly inherited from Irish and Scottish jigs.
- 03
Jazz box
A small square on the floor made of four steps: cross-back-side-forward. Borrowed from American modern jazz vocabulary.
- 04
Kick-ball-change
A kick followed by a quick weight change on the ball of the foot. Gives modern Country its characteristic bounce.
- 05
Pivot turn
A half turn pivoted on both feet, used notably to start the wall change at the end of a wall.
- 06
Monterey turn
A side point followed by a pulled half turn, very characteristic of the intermediate country repertoire.
Reading the music
The repertoire ranges from traditional country (Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn) to contemporary country-pop (Shania Twain, Blake Shelton), including crossover hits like "Achy Breaky Heart" or "Copperhead Road." Each iconic hit has its own associated choreography.
Did you know?
Explore the rhythms
Cross connections
Styles from other families that share a common language with Country Line Dance.