The position of the body with relation to the Line of Dance
FLOOR ALIGNMENT
PARTNER ALIGNMENT: The symmetric alignment of a couple
Line Dances began sometime around BC. As far as I have been able to determine from research, line dancing in one form or another has been around since recorded time.
What we do today evolved from the old "Contra" dances that were very popular in the New Englnad States from the early 1800's. Contra style dances are still popular but in a slightly different form. In the 1800's two lines would form, men on one side, women on the other. The partners would join between the two lines and generally do their own routine down the middle. When they reached the end of the lines, they parted and moved back into their respective lines and the next couple would begin. The "Stroll" from back in the 1940's is a good example of this style of dance. If you saw the movie "Grease", you saw the "Stroll" being done by John Travolta.
In the 1970's, the form of Line Dance we do today was born. I have no data on specific dates but, when I first got into "Country Western" style dance, there weren't that many line dances being done. I was told that "Four Corners" was the second oldest line dance of this sytle but, no one could ever tell me what was the oldest. That is hearsay because I've never been able to find anything in writing to back it up. I have books written by a man who was born in the early 1800's and who gave what I consider to be fairly accurate information on the concept of line dancing. That's where I got most of my information. [Rick did not give me this mans name or any other info. on him]. The "JR Hustle" dating back to 1980 & "The Traveling Four Corners" were choreographed by a gal from Texas by the name of Jimmie Ruth White. The Traveling Four Corners is (in it's original form), a quad dance (square) but choreographed in the general concept of the Line Dance. I've seen some very old film dating back to the beginning of moving pictures and some even older photos of African tribes in line dance formation doing step combinations not that far removed from what we do today. There were similar dances done by the American Indian. I realize that most people, when they think of Indian dances, visualize circles around a fire but, many dances were done in lines, moving left & right in a step, close, step, close series of moves
Until recently, the most common move in line dances was the basic Schottische; step, cross, step, lift (or scoot). This, followed by the Polka and the Cha Cha, both of which play a very large part in the composition of the Line Dance. More recently, still, syncopations of the style normally found in WCS have made a large imprint on the Line Dance choreography.
Looking back at some of the earlier line dances, having the correct number of steps, utilizing the correct number of musical beats, didn't seem all that important. The JR Hustle mentioned earlier, was the only dance for a very long time that actually followed the concept of phrasing to the musical major (32 beats).
Chorus lines, which have been around for a very long time, are not that different in concept when compared with line dances we do today. So, as I said, Line Dancing, in one form or another, has been around for a very long time.
A long time friend of mine, the first I know of to teach CW dance in the public school system, gave me step-descriptions from the 1970's. Back in the 70's & early 80's, teachers from all over the country would get together in what they called "Dance Caravans" similar to the "Dance Camps" that you see today except it was for teachers only.They exchanged dances, ideas and general information on how to improve on what they were doing. Most of these people were professionals who owned their own studios and generally taught in seveal areas of dance, not just CW. Specifics on Line Dancing history is rare and trying to nail down exact dates is impossible. [This is an article written by Rick Bowen, Pine Grove, CA.]
Line Dance Terms
This list was compiled using glossaries form other sources, most notably , Country Dance Lines, R K Publishing, Joyce Warren, and and organization who's President has asked that I remove it's name, since some people think I'm saying it's their glossary. This is MY glossary, meaning, it's the terms I use in my classes and in my step descriptions. - Don Deyne
Please Note: This glossary was taken from Don Deyne's web site at http://www.apci.net/~drdeyne/ . The descriptions, definitions, and comments herein are Don's. The use of Don's glossary is an attempt to help standardize terms among those of us who write the dance steps and who try to interpret dance steps written by others.
ACROSS
Movement across the Line of Dance or
Movement of one leg in front of the other
ALIGNMENT
The position of the body with relation to the Line of Dance
FLOOR ALIGNMENT
PARTNER ALIGNMENT: The symmetric alignment of a couple
AMALGAMATIONS aka CLUSTERS or COMBINATIONS
A group or sequence of dance figures or patterns
AND
1 Half of a Quick count (& 1 or 1 &)
2 A Call such as "ready and"
3 Indicates simultaneous action
Note: In Don's step descriptions, the word "and" notes simultaneous actions,
while the figure "&" indcates movement on a half beat of music
APART
1 Movement away from partner or one foot away from the other
2 Placement of feet apart frome each other (2nd position)
BALANCE STEP
A step in any direction, followed by a Close (no weight) and a Hold
BEHIND
A step with the free foot crossing behind the weighted foot
BODY MOVEMENTS
GESTURE: Any movement not connected with supporting the body weight
STEP: The transfer of weight from one foot to another
LOCOMOTION: Movement of the body from one place to another
JUMPING: Movement without a point of support
TURNING: Changing position in a circular fashion
BOOGIE
The free hip lifts and moves in a circular motion
in the direction of the weighted foot
BOOGIE ROLL
1. Similar to Cuban Motion, using a forward and
backward movement of the pelvis
2. A circular movement starting in the pelvis region,
moving through the diaphragm, chest and shoulders
BOOGIE WALK
To move the free leg by lifting the hip and stepping forward
BREAK
1 A change or reverse of direction
2 See Rhythm Break below
BRUSH aka SCUFF
To brush, sweep or scuff the foot against the floor
BUMP
Dancers bump hips to the side or the buttocks of their partners
CENTER:
Individual: Balance point of the body mass -
located near the diaphragm
Couples: Center point between partners
CHARLESTON aka Black Bottom aka Montana Kick
A 4 count pattern of steps and kicks
(Kelly Gillette (and thus, NTA) advocates that a
Charleston MUST start with a left step)
Step forward left
Kick forward right
Step back right
Point the left toe back
She may be right, but what would we call it when it starts on the right foot. I personally
call it a charleston emphasizing which feet are doing what.
CHAINÉ
A 360 degree turn, feet together in first position, changing weight
CHASE
A figure where one partner pursues the other
CLOSE
To bring the feet together without a change of weight
COUNT
A call used to count the rhythm of foot movements and
weight changes, or to count the beats of music
CONTRA BODY MOVEMENT (CBM)
A movement of the body into or from 3rd or 5th foot position which turns the opposite hip
and shoulder toward the direction of the moving leg
CUBAN MOTION
Hip motion initiated by using the inside edge and
ball of the foot during weight transfer
CUP AND PIN
The man holds his left hand with the palm facing inward,
thumb over the lady's fingertips. The lady curls her right
fingertips over the man's left fingers The hands are held
approximately at the lady's waist level. There is resistance
needed for many changes of positions and turns.
DIAGONAL
45 degrees out from the center of the Line of Dance (direction)
DIG
To touch the ball or heel of the free foot to the floor with a strong emphasis
DRAW aka DRAG aka SLIDE
To bring the free foot slowly together to the weighted foot
EXTENSION
To stretch or extend parts of the body
FAN
Circular motion of the free foot
TOE FAN
Toe swings outward, pivoting on heel, and back
HEEL FAN
Heel swings outward, pivoting on ball of foot, and back
FAN KICK
High, straight leg kick where the extended leg makes a
circular sweep
FLEX
To bend slightly or relax a portion of the body
Example the flex of the knee
FLICK
Sharp, quick kick backwards with a pointed toe and a flexed knee
FOOTWORK
The use of the five positions of the feet in dancing
FIRST POSITION 
Feet together, toes
forward and slightly turned out
CALLS Home, Center, Together
SECOND POSITION 
Feet parallel, shoulder
width apart
THIRD POSITION 
Heel to instep, or ball to
heel
Used in rock steps, shuffles, polkas, triple steps, and basic swing
EXTENDED: Feet apart, heel pointing to instep
FOURTH POSITION
Walking step, forward or
back, and rock steps
FIFTH POSITION
Heel to toe
Often used in a rock-step
FOOT PARTS
Toe
Inside edge of toe
Outside edge of toe
Ball
Inside edge of the ball
Outside edge of the ball
Heel
Inside edge of heel
Outside edge of heel
Flat
Inside edge of the flat foot
Outside edge of the fiat foot
FOLLOW THROUGH
The non-support foot passes by the weighted foot before changing directions
FRAME
Dance posture for the purpose of maintaining balance and appearance
FREEZE
A stop no movement
GRAPEVINE aka
VINE
A continuous traveling step pattern to the side
with crosses behind and/or in front
HEEL SPLIT aka WING SCISSORS PIGEON-TOE BUTTERFLIES ETC ETC ETC
Feet together with weight on balls of both feet.
Move heels apart on count 1, and together on count 2
FAST HEEL SPLIT takes one beat of music and is counted as "& 1"
KNEE POPS aka HEEL STOMPS
Lift both heels off the floor by bending the knees
Return the heels to the floor
Takes one beat of music and counted as "& 1"
HOLD
A count to describe a designated time before taking another step
HOME
Original starting place
HOP
A spring into the air from one foot and landing on the same foot
HOOK aka CROOSS
The free foot moves as a pendulum in front of or in back of the weighted foot and is kept
off the floor The toes pointing downward
HOOK COMBINATION
A 4 count move using (1) heel (2) hook (3) heel and (4) together
ISOLATION
Movement of one part of the body independently of the rest
JAZZ BOX aka JAZZ SQUARE
Well there's plenty of fight over this one, but I call a jazz box several ways (then
explain which one I'm using either in class or in my step description) it may not be
right, but it works for me.
a couple of examples
Step forward left
Step right across left
Step back left
Side step right
or:
Step right over left
Step back left
Side step right
Step forward left
JUMP
Spring into the air off both feet and land on both feet
LEAD
A non-verbal communication that initiates and continues movement
LEAP
A transfer of weight from one foot to the other.
Push off with a spring and land on the ball of the other foot,
letting the heel come down Bend knee to absorb the shock
LEFT
Refers to the left foot, hand, hip or a direction
LOCK
A tight cross of the feet in 1st or 2nd position
LOD - LINE OF DANCE
Counterclockwise around the dance floor
LOOP TURN
An underarm turn to the left for the lady and to the right for the man
LUNGE
A weight transfer to a bent leg with the other leg extended
PIGEON TOED
A pattern traveling sideways bringing the toes together leaving the heels apart, then
bringing the heels together leaving the toes apart
PIVOT
A traveling turn executed with thighs locked and
feet apart in extended fifth position
PREP
A lead-in move or step a set up used as a preparation
for a turn or a change of dance position
QUICK
A step or weight change that takes one beat of music
RESISTANCE
A balanced force and counter force between two bodies
MUSIC: Flow of recurrent heavy and light accents
DANCE: Recurrent flow of foot and body movements
RHYTHM BREAK
To leave the natural rhythm of the pattern
RIGHT
Refers to the right foot, hand, hip or a direction
RISE AND FALL
Coming up on the toes by bracing the ankles and
stretching the spine then lowering to the heels
BODY RISE
The body rises by bracing the leg muscles and
stretching the spine then relaxes to a natural stance
ROLL
The indicated body part circles right or left
ROUND DANCE
All types of social dances were once called round dances.
Today round dance refers to couples or groups of three or more, doing routine patterns
dancing counterclockwise or
clockwise around the dance floor
SAILOR STEP
A triple step dance pattern accomplished by leaning in the
opposite direction of the crossing foot
(weight stays centered over lead foots original position)
EXAMPLE: Leaning toward left
(1) Step left behind right
(&) Side step right
(2) Side step left (to original position)
SCOOT aka SKIP
(NTA) Slide of the weighted foot (or feet) forward,
backward or sideways.
(ME) A hitch with movement of the weighted foot
SHUFFLE
A triple step similar to a Polka step with no lilt (says NTA)
EXAMPLE: SHUFFLE FORWARD LEFT
1 Step forward left
& Bring the right foot up to the heel of the left foot
2 Step forward left
Note: From a technical stand point, a shuffle would be smooth, a polka would
have lilt (bounce), and a cha-cha would have Cuban Motion. This may be of little or
no concern to the social dancer especially the beginner.
SHIMMY
Alternating shoulder movements forward and backward
SLIDE
A movement in any direction
Step on one foot
hen draw or slide the other foot up to the weighted foot
SLOW
A step or weight change that takes two beats of music
SPIN
A 360 degree turn on one foot
SPLIT
The feet move apart with the weight evenly distributed over both feet
SPOT
A step in place that does not progress in any direction
SPOTTING
Focusing on a fixed point through a turn
SYNCOPATED SPLITS
Feet move apart separately and are brought back together
Counted as "& 1, & 2"
STEPS
WALKING - SLOW Usually takes two beats of music
RUNNING - QUICK(Half of a Slow) takes one beat of music
SLIDE (left or right) May be taken to a Slow or Quick coun
PIVOT - A movement of the feet, turning on the ball or balls of the feet
BALANCE - A step, together, hold
STEP
The transfer of weight from one foot to another
STROLL:
A forward diagonal step followed by a cross behind (lock) and another step forward
STRUT
Moving forward, place the heel then the ball of the foot on the floor for counts 1, 2
SUGAR FOOT
Alternating swiveling feet in the direction of the un-weighted foot
Taken in place or traveling
SWAY
A tilt of the chest to the side, without lowering the torso
Stretching from the side upwards
SWING
The free foot is raised and moved forward, backward, sideways or crosswise
SYNCOPATED PATTERN
Any variation of a defined dance pattern
SYNCOPATED RHYTHM
To step between the down beats
Any rhythm pattern which uses accents other than the down beat
TYPES OF TURNS:
OUTSIDE
A turn to the right for the lady and left for the man,
INSIDE
A turn to the left far the lady and right for the man
FREE TURN
To turn independently without any body contact
CHAINÉ
A turn with feet together in 1st position with a weight change
3 STEP TURN aka CONGA
A 360° turn in 2nd dance position, taking three weight changes
and ending with a touch or point. Often called a turning or rolling vine, because of it's
common
usage as a variation within a dance
PADDLE TURN
A turn either left or right, using a series of ball changes
with 3/4 of the weight staying over the turning foot
PIVOT
A 180 degree turn taking two weight changes to complete
Done in extended 3rd or 4th dance position with the thighs locked
TRAVELING PIVOTS
Pivots danced down LOD in extended 5th position
PIVOT TURN aka MILITARY TURN aka BREAK TURN
Transfer weight to the forward foot then turn 180°
in the opposite direction of the forward foot
Return weight to original foot
SPIN
A 360° turn on one foot
TWIRL
A square dance term for turning the lady
VARIATIONS
Any movement of footwork that is different from the original footwork. Personal
note: If you change the count or flow of the dance IMHO it's not a variation. I
won't say it's wrong, Oh what the heck, YES I WILL
WEIGHT CHANGES
BALL CHANGE
A change of weight from the ball of one foot to the other foot
CROSS
To move one foot over the other, either in front or behind
KICK, BALL, CHANGE May also be done as a Heel, Ball, Change. ex:
1 - Kick forward right
& - Step down on ball of right
2 - Change weight to left
IN PLACE, RECOVER
Return the weight to the original supporting weighted foot
ROCK
Two weight changes with the feet apart, taken in any direction
SWITCH
Shifting weight from one foot to the other in a rapid sliding movement
TOGETHER
To bring the feet together with a change of weight
WEIGHTED LEG/FOOT aka SUPPORT LEG/FOOT
The foot/leg bearing the weight of the body.
The foot you're standing on.