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Line Dance Choreography for Beginners

Line dancing is used both as exercise and in social settings. Those who are unable to bend, twirl and leap under the commands of a rigid ballet class or overly agile modern dance session are often able to successfully and confidently learn line dancing. For line dance instructors or choreographers who work with beginners, the choreography should be geared toward such novice dancers, equipping them to succeed at learning a new dance skill.
  1. Mastering the Basics

    • When choreographing or teaching already established line dance choreography to a beginner, keep in mind that your student may or may not have a foundational knowledge of dance. Encourage the growth of these green students by starting with the basics -- counts, rhythm and style. Teach students to move to counts, or if that is a struggle, words of selected song, and establish the basic concept of moving to a rhythm. Split students into small groups to work on this, and create long lines only when the smaller clusters have shown they understand the importance of letting the counts and rhythm lead.

    Repetition

    • Complex line dances should be reserved for professional dancers or at least those who frequent country line dancing halls on a regular basis. For the beginner, choreography should be fun, and yet somewhat repetitive. 5 to 10 different moves is plenty for the novice dancer, and can be "remixed" to bring variety to a dance. Be sure to teach the dance one section at a time, and repeat until the majority of the class is on the same page.

    Popular Music

    • Using popular, relevant Country Western songs will make it easier for beginners to learn your choreography. When they are not concentrating hard on learning the beats and counts of an unfamiliar song, then the work becomes easier for the novice dancer as they can focus more on the footwork and less on the tempo. Familiar Country Western songs that are used for beginning line dance combinations are abundant, or you can select your own if you plan on coming up with your own choreography. You may even place a suggestion box in your studio to allow beginner students to request songs if you are able to create your own moves for the class.

    Appropriate Attire

    • Line dance choreography is best learned in a safe and appropriate environment. For this reason, educate beginning dance students on what should be worn during line dancing - clothes that allow for movement, hard soled shoes, etc. Whatever your dress code is, alert all new students before the first day of class so they are aware and arrive best equipped to learn efficiently.

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