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Line Dancing: Tacky or Tactical?

What is line dancing?

Line dancing is a pattern of steps done to a specific song. Popular line dances that most people know include: Cotton-Eye Joe, Electric Slide, and Macarena. These songs have a short and very specific movement pattern that repeats through the duration of the song. There is a list of some popular line dancing songs and links to those songs at the bottom of this post.

Line Dancing Pros:

Line dances are a good way to encourage even the most reluctant of dancers to dance. When was the last time you heard Electric Slide, YMCA, or the Cha-Cha Slide, and thought, “nah, I don’t want to be part of that big group of people having fun on the dance floor.”? There are some new and exciting line dancing songs out there now, so you don’t have to dance to the more typical songs if you don’t want to.

group of dancers on the dance floor-line dancing

Line Dancing Cons:

Line dancing songs tend to be over played. There are many line dancing songs that are considered staples and are used at every event. These songs get old quickly, especially when you go to more than one wedding in a year. The new line dancing songs may be a better alternative if you’re sick of the old ones. You risk people not knowing the new dances, but most of the newer ones have been out long enough that most people know them.

Are line dancing songs right for you event?

When considering your song list for your event, two of your most important lists are your “must plays” and your “do not (under penalty of death) play”. When choosing these songs you’re probably thinking about what you specifically want, which is fine, but don’t forget your audience.

First, think about the songs/artists that make your skin crawl, put them on the “do not play” list.

Next, think about the songs that you could not imagine your event without, put those on the “must play” list.

Group of dancers on the dance floor-line dancingThird, think about your guests. How much encouraging will your guests need to get onto the dance floor? If you answered that question with “a lot”, you may want to consider allowing your DJ to play at least a few line dancing songs.

If you absolutely HATE line dancing and your guests need encouraging, you may want to find a few line dancing songs that you can tolerate; or at the very least make sure you have a few go to songs that you’re sure will pull people onto the dance floor. If you don’t have any go-to songs that are guaranteed to get people dancing, talk to your DJ about what he or she would normally play that isn’t a line dance.

Keep in mind that many of your DJ’s decisions are based on reading the crowd and what has given the best response thus far. While they probably have some go-to songs, they may deviate from that list depending on how your guests respond.

Why your DJ uses line dancing:

A DJ’s goal is to keep the people on the dance floor, well, dancing. If your guests are dancing and having a good time, your DJ knows he or she is accomplishing that goal. Sometimes your guests do need a little bit of encouraging, and when none of the typical songs are doing the trick line dances usually get people dancing.

A slow dance usually attracts a different group of dancers and once that slow dance is over a regular fast song may not cut it to bring back your high-energy dancers. Line dancing is a good way to let your guests know it’s time to kick it up a notch and get dancing. DJ’s will also use line dancing to open the dance floor and let people know it’s okay to start dancing.

Line Dancing Alternatives:

So, you absolutely hate line dancing and don’t want any part of it. No problem! We’ve put together a list of songs that usually pull the crowd onto the dance floor and even separated them by the type of song, just in case your guests don’t fit the typical mold (aren’t we so thoughtful?):

Fast Crowd Pleasers:

For your Slow Dancers:

Line Dancing Songs:

Maybe you love line dancing and want more options. Or maybe you’re willing to give some of them a go in the hopes that you don’t hate them all. Either way, here’s a list of the line dances that most DJs usually have in their arsenal:

Classic Line Dancing Songs:
Newer Line Dancing Songs: