20 Beginner Line Dances Great to Know! (2024 Update)

From the Author: I live in Southern California and have been country dancing for over 6 years. I have spent many nights out both line dancing and partner dancing and like to travel to find all the good places to dance. I still really enjoy dancing the Electric Slide! Author bio here. If you have any questions I respond quickly to comments!

20BeginnerLineDance

So many new people are discovering line dancing lately and joining in and having fun. If you are one of them and new to it, you may be wondering “Where do I start?” This article will introduce you to some beginner line dances you need to know!

These beginner line dances, like Cupid Shuffle, The Electric Slide, and Cowboy Hustle, to name a few, are easy to learn and will be a good place to start and slowly build your confidence over time. Learning these can help you lay the foundation for all the fun awaiting you with this new pastime!

Here’s my list of 20 beginner & popular line dances to learn: (click on them to pop down to each one).

20 Beginner Line Dances To Know:

  1. Cupid Shuffle
  2. Wobble
  3. Electric Slide
  4. Power Jam
  5. Cowboy Hustle
  6. House Party
  7. Rocket to the Sun
  8. Black Velvet
  9. Boot Scootin’ Boogie
  10. Two-Step (the line dance-not the partner dance!)
  11. Cowboy Up
  12. Copperhead Road
  13. Ah Si
  14. Rock Me
  15. A Little Bit Lit
  16. Baby Likes to Rock It
  17. The Outlaw
  18. Bang Bang (EZ)
  19. K is For Kicks
  20. Ten Step (this is actually not done in lines!)

At first, it can be a little overwhelming when you step into a country bar with all the dancing that is going on–I know how you feel! It can be both exciting and terrifying! But don’t worry it will all work out! If you need to, start with some very beginner dances and work your way down. Enjoy this good round-up of the popular easy beginner line dances out there!

Learn some of these and you’ll be set to get out on the dance floor every time you go out! Starting with the most common and easiest. But all these are fairly easy line dances. Also, for some tips about starting as a beginner check out Some Beginning Line Dancing Basics below! Also, check out my post on the steps that line dancing is made of. These are the building blocks for line dancing: 53 Line Dancing Steps You Need to Know!


1. Cupid Shuffle

Count: 32Wall: 4Level: Very Beginner Line Dance

Choreography: Bernard Bryson (Cupid)
Music: Cupid Shuffle by Cupid

Step Sheet: Click here to download.

copperknob cupidShuffle

Cupid Shuffle was choreographed by the singer Cupid and created simultaneously with his song The Cupid Shuffle which was recorded in 2006. When he set out to create it, it was with the exact intention of creating a line dance classic without genre, that everyone could dance to. He came up with the dance in the studio while making up the song.

That is all history! While the song isn’t a country song, this line dance has to be my lead-off, since it’s arguably the most popular and one everyone has danced to (at bars, weddings, schools). It is particularly easy since the lyrics tell you what to do next! “To the right, to the right, to the right, to the right… To the left, to the left, to the left, to the left… Now kick…” So, no excuses, you can do this! It for sure belongs on the list of beginner line dances. Download the step sheet if you are still nervous!

Demo & Teach Video

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2. Wobble

Count: 32 Wall: 4 Level: Beginner Line Dance

Choreography: V.I.C. Brentnell
Music: Wobble by V.I.C.

Step Sheet: Click here to download.

copperknob wobble

The Wobble is another non-country line dance that is about as popular as the Cupid Shuffle. And another line dance created by the musical artist! It’s an easy line dance that is very fun and always a crowd-pleaser. It is very common to see people doing the Wobble at weddings and parties as well as a local country bar where it is sure to get everyone out on the dance floor. The Wobble can get a little long though with the song lasting over 5 minutes. A lot of jumping!

Demo & Teach Video

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3. Electric Slide

Count: 18 Wall: 4 Level: Beginner Line Dance

Choreography: Ric Silver (1976)
Music: Electric Boogie by Marcia Griffiths
(with scores of alternates, including Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus and Fast As You by Dwight Yoakam)
Step Sheet: Click here to download.

copperknob electricSlide

While the Electric Slide was originally choreographed in 1976, it was Marcia Griffiths’s song Electric Boogie that gave it popularity. It was in 1989 when it took off and for ten years was listed as the number-one dance in the world! Today there are many songs used to dance the Electric Slide. Achy Breaky Heart is a popular go-to at a country bar, but so many others work great. To have other options for songs the Electric Slide works for go here! It is simple enough here are the steps:

1. Grapevine right. Take one step right with your right foot.
2. Grapevine left. Take one step left with your left foot.
3. Rock forward and back with a toe touch. Step back with your right foot, then bring your left foot to meet it.
4. Quarter-turn left and begin again…

It’s pretty easy (once you know it!). For beginner line dances, this one has to be on the list! The Electric slide was actually the first line dance I learned about 7 years ago, and I did need a video to get that rock, toe touch, and quarter-turn all timed right. Another great thing about line dancing, especially with an easy one like the Electric Slide is that, as you get good, you can “play” adding in turns, etc. to have fun, make it your own, and show off a little on the dance floor.

Demo & Teach Video

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4. Power Jam (San Diego Version)

Count: 24 Wall: 4 Level: Beginner Line Dance

Choreographer: Lynn Bryant
Music: American Muscle by Canaan Smith
(and countless others!)
Step Sheet: Click here to download.

copperknob PowerJam

Power Jam is a pretty common call-out and is aptly named. It’s pretty fast-paced and the slides and heal taps and then the hop at the end that most people do is all great fun. This is a good one to get under your belt and a live band is for sure going to have some songs for it. For sure add this to your list of beginner line dances to learn!

There are a couple of slight variations I’ve noticed with Power Jam. Firstly, for the first two heel-taps to the front and toe-taps to the back, most people just do one tap and hold it for the extra beat. Secondly, at the end of the dance instead of the little hop, you can also just stomp the left foot.

Demo & Teach Video

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5. Cowboy Hustle

Count: 32 Wall: 4 Level: Beginner Line Dance

Choreographer: Unknown
Music: What the Cowgirls Do by Vince Gill

Step Sheet: Click here to download.

copperknob CowboyHustle

Cowboy Hustle is another fun, fast, and easy line dance similar to the Power Jam. I have confused and switched these for each other at times. They both tap the right heel forward and behind, so watch out for that! Like the Power Jam, Cowboy Hustle can go with many songs and will get called out commonly. Cowboy Hustle is a good dance to include on your list of beginner line dances to know!

Demo & Teach Video

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6. House Party

Count: 24 Wall: 4 Level: Beginner Line Dance

Choreographer: Jessica Short and Kerry Kick (2014)
Music: House Party by Sam Hunt

Step Sheet: Click here to download.

copperknob houseParty

The next good one of beginner line dances to know is House Party! House Party is a favorite one at THE RANCH Saloon in Anaheim and after all, it is co-choreographed by Kerry Kick one of the weekly instructors there. It has a very current feel, danced to Sam Hunt’s song House Party. It may feel like a lot of spinning to people new to dancing since besides two step-turns there are 4 turns and shuffles (to make the four walls of the house!) But it’s always a fun one with a full floor. During those 4 turns and shuffles people hold up and touch their hands to look like a house!

Another thing about House Party is its continuing popularity even though now 10 years old! This puts it in the category of Classic Line Dance to me. See my full list of the classics here!

Demo & Teach Video

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7. Rocket to the Sun

Count: 32 Wall: 4 Level: Absolute Beginner Line Dance

Choreographer: Maddison Glover
Music: You’ve Done To Me by Samantha Jade

Step Sheet: Click here to download

copperknob RocketToTheSun

Rocket To The Sun is a great one for this round-up of beginner line dances. Rocket To The Sun is a classic line dance from one of the best: Maddison Glover. See my blog post on Classic Line Dances to see some other great classics!

In Rocket To The Sun, I love the transition. The 3/4 walk around at the end of the dance is a simple, but brilliant way to transition to the next wall! Also, it’s an absolute beginner dance, so for sure take a moment and add to your dance list!

One more bit of news about Rocket to the Sun: very recently a new dance was added to Copperknob called Rocket to the Sun (Chair Dance). The choreographer credit says: Maddison Glover & Jennifer Jones. Jennifer took Maddison’s classic line dance and modified it to be accessible to folks who are not able to stand and dance easily. I love that she did this, and it ended up being very popular for a bit, reaching as high as #5 in Copperknob’s top 10! She adds this note to her step sheet about it:

Thank you, Maddison Glover, for blessing this dance. Her wonderful dance was modified to a chair dance, so the residents of Keystone Commons, an assisted living community could “dance”. It’s better to dance in your chair than not at all. Go here to check that out!

Exciting demo from Maddison Glover at her first workshop in Sweden.
Tutorial for Rocket to the Sun from Dancezing.

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8. Black Velvet

Count: 40 Wall: 1 Level: Improver Line Dance

Choreographer: Linda De Ford
Music: Black Velvet by Robin Lee

Step Sheet: Click here to download.

copperknob blackVelvet

Admittedly this is listed as an “improver” level line dance. I’m keeping it since I think it is fairly easy to pick up for beginners. It is generally danced as a “contra” dance, and this is perhaps why it is an improver since that adds some challenge to it. But it can be a lot of fun since typically there are a lot of high-fives happening as you glide past your friends.

The contra aspect of this dance for the beginner may look pretty messed up! Who do you follow? The people in front of you are faced opposite you! Just be sure to look to the folks at your side who are going in your direction and follow them! This ends up being fun and it is fairly easy! Check out the video or download the step sheet to give it a try.

Note: I’ve noticed that where I dance (The Ranch, Anaheim CA), we just do the the shuffling to go back and forth (instead of the traveling kick-ball changes). This simplifies the dance. Check out my video below of me dancing this in my living room to see how that looks!

Demo & Teach Videoan accurate tutorial from West Coast Country that includes the traveling kick-ball changes.
My own demo for the simplified Black Velvet line dance!

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9. Boot Scootin’ Boogie

Count: 32 Wall: 4 Level: Beginner Line Dance

Choreographer: Tom Mattox & Skippy Blair
Music: Boot Scootin’ Boogie by Brooks & Dunn

Step Sheet: Click here to download.

copperknob bootscootinBoogie 1

Boot Scootin’ Boogie is a line dance not often seen in So. Cal. but it is one I wish was. Soon after I became a convert to the country dance scene, as a long-time country music fan I wondered, “Hey, what about Brooks & Dunn’s Boot Scootin’ Boogie?” I wondered if there was a line dance for a great classic that talks about line dancing! Well, sure enough, there is! In fact on the Copperknob website, there are 3 pages of step sheets to different versions of dances to the song!

If you love Brooks & Dunn as much as me and you want to have this one under your belt. On YouTube Bill Bader’s version is pretty common but in So. Cal. I’ve only seen people dance the Tom Mattox & Skippy Blair version. They both are 32 counts, but this one’s more of a beginner-line dance. You’ll see above this one doesn’t have much love in the voting. I think it deserves way more!

Demo & Teach Video for Bootscootin’ Boogie.

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10. Two Step (line dance)

Count: 16 Wall: 4 Level: Very Beginner Line Dance

Choreographer: Robert Royston – Dance Y’All Crew (2013)
Music: Two Step by Laura Bell Bundy featuring Colt Ford

Step Sheet: Click here to download.

copperknob twoStepLineDance

The Two Step line dance is not to be confused with the Two Step partner dance! As explained in the video below from “Dancin’ with Patti” this is from the music video by Laura Bell Bundy found on YouTube. With only 16 counts this is a very beginner line dance. Reminds me a little of the Cupid Shuffle.

Fun fact: Robert Royston also more recently choreographed the line dance seen in Midland’s Mr. Lonely music video. So, another music video that people have now learned a line dance from.

Demo & Teach Video

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11. Cowboy Up

Count: 32 Wall: 4 Level: Beginner Line Dance

Choreographer: Barbara Hile – 2008
Music: Cowboy Up by Jill Johnson

Step Sheet: Click here to download.

copperknob cowboyUp

Cowboy Up was a line dance I learned early on when I first started line dancing. Even if I don’t dance it much it is always very easy to pick up again if I see it called.

Demo & Teach Video

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12. Copperhead Road

Count: 24 Wall: 4 Level: Ultra Beginner Line Dance

Choreographer: Steve Smith
Music: Copperhead Road by Steve Earle

Step Sheet: Click here to download.

copperknob copperheadRoad

Copperhead Road, I would say is a true country western classic line dance that is very common to see at your local country dance hall. It has fewer steps than a typical line dance (24 vs. 32), so it’s that much easier to learn and master quickly. The fun part of this dance of course is the great classic song from Steve Earle, but also the fun hops and hitch in the dance!

Demo & Teach Video

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13. Ah Si

Count: 32 Wall: 4 Level: Ultra Beginner Line Dance

Choreographer: Rita Masur
Music: Levantando las Manos by El Simbolo

Step Sheet: Click here to download.

copperknob AhSi

Ah Si is a great line dance for new dancers. It is an Ultra Beginner Line Dance. While it is a very easy line dance to learn, I thought the first 8 steps with the touch steps forward and then back were a little different and a lot of fun. And then there are even more step touches. It’s pretty much all step touches!

Demo & Teach Video for the Beginner Line Dance Ah Si.

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14. Rock Me

Count: 32 Wall: 4 Level: Beginner/Intermediate Line Dance

Choreographer: Donna Manning & LeAnne Lesmeister (Mar 2013)
Music: Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker

Step Sheet: Click here to download.

Rock Me is a great favorite line dance of mine! I am a big Darius Rucker fan and his song Wagon Wheel is a great song. The rocking steps choreographed to “Rock Me” throughout the dance fit so well. I don’t see it called every night but it should be!

Demo & Teach Video

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15. A Little Bit Lit

Count: 32 Wall: 4 Level: Beginner Line Dance

Choreographer: Rob Fowler (2017)
Music: Lit by Trace Adkins

Step Sheet: Click here to download.

copperknob LittleBitLit

A Little Bit Lit is a beginner line dance that is taught a lot on the weekends at the Ranch Saloon where I dance. It is a good one for beginners. And like some other line dances on this list just a great country song to dance to. Lyrically the song Lit is a lot of fun–a fast and fun song. Included below is the lyric video!

Demo & Teach Video
Trace Adkins Lyric Video for Lit.

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16. Baby Likes to Rock It

Count: 48 Wall: 2 Level: Beginner/Improver Line Dance

Choreographer: Hillbilly Rick (USA) – April 2009
Music: Baby Likes to Rock It by The Tractors
Step Sheet: Click here to download.

copperknob RockIt

This beginner line dance is a lot of fun. It’s a little fast, but try it out and stick with it. I love the grapevine and turn to then do another grapevine.

Rock It is also a line dance used around Christmas, danced to the song Santa Claus is Coming (in a boogie-woogie choo-choo train). Check out more information about that here!

Demo & Teach Video for the beginner line dance Baby Likes to Rock It.

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17. The Outlaw

Count: 32 Wall: 4 Level: Beginner Line Dance

Choreographer: Suzanne Wilson (Norco, CA Style)
Music: Whiskey Drinkin’ S.O.B. by Mikel Knight

Step Sheet: Click here to download.

copperknob Outlaw

The Outlaw is a pretty popular dance but is one of the line dances out there that isn’t to a country song. Country rapper Mikel Knight doesn’t fit at all in my opinion of what country music and country dancing is about, but people love the dance!

Demo & Teach Video

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18. Bang Bang (EZ)

Count: 32 Wall: 4 Level: Basic Beginner Line Dance

Choreographer: Annemaree Sleeth (AUS) – September 2014
Music: Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj

Step Sheet: Click here to download.

copperknob bangbang

Bang Bang is another really easy line dance that should be simple for you to learn and add to your list. It is seen sometimes at the bars being taught to give people new to line dancing a good opportunity to get involved. Check out Philip’s video below as he walks us through it.

Teach Video for Bang Bang (EZ) from Philip of the Boot Scootin’ YouTube channel.

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19. K is for Kicks

Count: 32 Wall: 4 Level: Absolute Beginner Line Dance

Choreographer: Christopher Gonzalez (USA) – April 2017
Music: Feel It Still – Portugal. The Man

Step Sheet: Click here to download.

copperknob KIsForKicks

For my 2nd to last choice for a beginner line dance, I chose K is For Kicks, a well-choreographed dance by Christopher Gonzales. This dance, like Rock It above is also a dance that people love to use for Christmas time. Check out the info about that here!

Tutorial for the Absolute Beginner Line Dance K is For Kicks.

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20. Ten Step (L/P)

Count: 18 Wall: 0 Level: Beginner Line DanceLine / Partner

Choreographer: Unknown
Music: Devil Went Down to Georgia by the Charlie Daniels Band

Step Sheet: Click here to download.

copperknob TenStep

The Ten Step is not a line dance! The Ten Step would be considered a partner dance. As such, you can dance it with a partner, but it is commonly danced individually and so much fun that I wanted to include it. It is also easy! So, while it technically isn’t a “Beginner Line Dance,” it is a beginner dance that you’ll see called on any given weekend in many different dance halls! Like most partner dances it is danced in a circle (counter-clockwise) on the dance floor.

One common song to hear when it is called is Devil Went Down to Georgia. The beat is fast and it’s a lot of fun when the band speeds up the tempo toward the end to challenge both the fiddle player and the dancers to keep up, ’til, of course, they can’t!

So, if dancing with a partner, you do so in the sweetheart position or just holding hands. But, if individually you get the fun option to spin during the shuffle steps that occur between the “10-step” part. (altogether it is an 18-count dance).

And if by chance you watch the video below taken at the Cowboy Palace in Chatsworth and are struck by the particular magic and charm of this scene click here to read the recounting of my experience there. It truly is an awesome country dance bar.

Clear walk-through for the Ten Step
Demo of the Ten-Step at the Cowboy Palace in Chatsworth

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2024 Update to 20 Beginner Line Dances Great to Know!

This year I took a closer look at my 20 Beginner Line Dances that I first published back in 2018. I noticed I had some dances that were more advanced than “Beginner.” The dances I’ve removed and the new ones are as follows:

Removed Dances:Added Dances (2024):
Watermelon Crawl (Intermediate)Rocket To The Sun (Absolute Beginner)
Good Time (Improver)Cowboy Up (Beginner)
Linda Lu (Improver)Copperhead Road (Ultra Beginner)
My Maria (Improver)Ah Si (Ultra Beginner)
Slappin’ Leather (Beginner)Rock It (Beginner/Improver)
Tush Push (Beginner/Intermediate)Bang Bang (Basic Beginner)
Country Girl Shake (Improver)K Is for Kicks (Absolute Beginner)

If you want to learn some or all of the more advanced dances removed, see a new blog post that preserves them on the site: 7 Popular Improver Line Dances To Learn and Dance Now!


Some Beginning Line Dancing Basics

So there it is! My list of what I think are 20 of the easiest and most popular line dances out there right now. In addition to the dances themselves here’s a little more information about line dancing if you’re new to all this and a little confused about what is happening out there on the floor–I know I was!

A couple of things to know about if you’re new! Line dances are typically 16, 32, 40, or 48 steps (based on the level of difficulty) You may have noticed these numbers are all divisible by 8! Most popular music has a 4/4 time signature, but dancers count beats in sets of 8, hence line dance choreography is grouped and taught in sets of 8 or with “8-count.”

Next (and the other major thing), line dances are known for having one, two, or four walls. A one-wall dance means everyone will face in the same direction when all steps are performed. A two-wall line dance is when at the end of each sequence of steps everyone has turned 180º and you begin again facing the back — for these dances, you will always just face the “front” and “back” walls. Then, with a four-wall line dance (the most difficult), at the end of the steps, everyone has turned 90º and “begins the dance” again facing one of the “side” walls. As the dance progresses you will keep finishing and starting again facing a new wall.

TIP: When first learning and taking a class it is tempting to hide in the last row! But as you may have already guessed, that’s a bad idea! As soon as the dance has moved on to the back wall, if you were in the back, you are now in the front! You can’t see anyone and everyone is looking at you! So, find a good spot somewhere in the middle and you’ll be able to always watch someone who knows what they are doing!

With 20 line dances to learn and a couple of basics, you are ready to get involved in this fun activity. Like anything else in life, it takes some just plain jumping headlong in and learning as you go!


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Brian Sheridan

I'm the owner of CDT. I live in Fullerton, California, and enjoy country dancing with my friends at least once a week.

11 thoughts on “20 Beginner Line Dances Great to Know! (2024 Update)

  1. I line danced so much back in the 90s as a teen and have needed a refresher course and this source was gold. Thank you so much for the step sheets, explanations, and videos!

  2. This is a great list thank you!! I am trying to find a dance that we used to do to Sawyer Brown’s The Race Is On, about 13 years ago. I will try a few of these out with the song and see if they might work. Have you ever done a dance to that song in Cali? We were dancing in Utah.

  3. I have just begun teaching line dancing at a Senior Citizens’ Center. I am enjoying this very much and really do appreciate your line dances and their step sheets. Thank you.

    1. That is so awesome that you are starting up some lessons. Good luck with the new venture and I’m glad you are finding some of the posts helpful.

  4. I’m going to be teaching a line dance class this week – I’ve only been line dancing once [though, I have lots of other dance experience]. I think the community will enjoy it.

    ~ Thanks for the resource ~

    1. Wow! That’s crazy! Well, I hope all goes well and I hope some of the videos, step sheets, etc. come in handy!

  5. My line dancing friends and I are starting a new venue in Carroll Twp., PA just south of Pittsburgh, PA. We have been in a line dancing group for about 8 years but the dancing was done to music other than country. We have broken away from that group since we prefer country music and we’re excited about the dances. Thank you for sharing this blog. I’m sure that it will be most helpful.

    1. Thanks so much, Denise for sharing! I’m with you on this–I also prefer the dances to country music! Good luck with your new group!

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