One fateful day in the summer of 24’ I watched the 2011 remake of the iconic Footloose movie, and life was never the same. In this film, a line dance scene so divine crossed the screen and had me controversially thinking I liked Footloose (2011) better than the OG (don’t come at me). Anyway, what I saw was the Fake ID line dance: a lively, not-for-beginners, fine line dance full of stomps, hip swivels, and more. There was no escaping what had to happen next: I needed to go line dancing.

Fake ID line dance in *Footloose (2011)*

If you have ever done the cupid shuffle, electric slide, or similar dances, you have line danced. But I was looking for something a little more advanced and a little more country. Thankfully, I found an organization that offered free lessons and dancing—the amazing Giddy Up Philly. Dances were previously held every Friday at Tavern on Camac and, now, at Voyeur, both located in the iconic Gayborhood. Line dancing has become quite popular amongst the LGBTQ+ community, which was a comfort because I knew I was entering an inclusive, welcoming, and undoubtedly stylish crowd. So, boots on, belt buckled, bolo tie around my neck, I’ve taken myself down to Giddy Up Philly every Friday for the last 10 weeks because one thing is for certain when getting into something like this: consistency is key.

As a dancer of 18 years (ballet, tap, jazz, modern, the works), learning routines and combos is a skill I've acquired, and luckily for me, that's the key factor in learning how to line dance. The dances rely mostly on counts and muscle memory; when you get comfortable, you can add your own flair. The other aspect of learning these dances is that line dancing has staple moves in many dances, such as the shuffle step, pivot turn, coaster step, toe touch, jazz square, and grapevine. I’ve found that once you understand those singular moves, mixing them up and putting them together for different dances gets easier. Some dances are straight-up country-style line-dancing in steps and music, while others take influence from Latin, Hip-Hop, Swing, Jazz, Disco, and more dance styles, which makes every dance unique and allows you to explore your favorite style. And with these dances, come a wide array of songs, such as the ‘Burn It to the Ground’ dance that goes to “Burn It to the Ground” by Nickelback, the jazzy number “Voodoo to ‘Voodoo’” by Street Corner Symphony, or the ‘Hi, Barbie!’ dance that, of course, goes to “Dance The Night” by Duo Lipa and of course some country classics for dances, like ‘American Kids’ which goes to “American Kids” by Kenny Chesney. As a former dancer, one of my favorite parts about picking up line dancing is that it fills a hole in my heart. I love learning combos, dancing them with other people, sharing a love for an activity with a community, and the physical exertion and performance of it all. I don’t know if I could ever describe the feeling entirely, but the serotonin boost that comes from being a part of a little synchronized dance where everyone is stomping and clapping together is just something! It’s also great fun to see the many levels of expertise when line dancing. Watching fellow beginners is comforting, and watching the advanced line dancers is inspiring. It’s a welcoming, wholesome scene where people come together to dance, and you never know who you might meet or two-step with.

“I love line dancing so much because it's something that anyone can do and get better at, you don't have to have dance experience. Of course, having previous experience helps in picking up choreography from watching, but if you have a teacher or just watch the dances enough, anyone can pick it up. It's an amazing way for me and my friends to just dance together!!!”

- Maggie Stillman (fellow dancer)

Now, I can’t talk about line dancing without talking about two-stepping. Two-stepping is a little partner dance containing a few counts with steps that essentially go quick-quick, slow (to be honest I’m still a little confused on that). You can do the bare minimum or get advanced with additional spins, arm-work, and even small lifts. One night, a man approached me asking if I knew how to two-step, but unfortunately, I did not. He then made me his partner-in-crime in finding two other strangers who could teach us, which was a success! Typically, the DJ plays two songs for two-stepping every 5- or 6-line dances.

I began dragging several of my friends with me, and even those who had trouble picking up the dances would still admit the wholesome fun of the experience. That’s not just because of the dancing but because of the diverse social crowd and change from the usual sitting-at-a-dive-bar or aimless-sweaty-dancing-club scene. In general, line dancing brings people together to share love and enjoyment in an activity that encourages community building, especially in a world that can be so isolating.

“When else do you get to have just pure wholesome fun. It's a good time, it's a fun time, and we are all learning together”

- Kyd Kacani

As my passion for line dancing grew, I wanted my friends to be able to get in on the fun and catch them up on some dances. Hence, one random Thursday night, ‘Molly’s Line Dancing Bootcamp’ commenced, and not only was it a joyous time with friends but one hell of a workout. Popular line dance tutorials are typically pretty easy to find whether on YouTube or TikTok (YouTube is preferred for proper lessons). Giddy Up Philly also graciously teaches two dances from 7-8 pm to help a first-timer get started. Once I laid my foundation with these lessons, picking them up at home started to get easier, and I kept wanting to learn more—safe to say I’m fully addicted. After those lessons, either at home or the bar, you are ready to participate in line dancing from 8 pm to 10 pm on Friday nights. And, you can even request your favorite dances through their QR code! If I want something full country and fast, I often request Lightning Polka to the song “Sin Wagon” by The Chicks, and if I’m leaning more toward pop, I like Take it Off to “Take it Off” by Ke$ha.

“My favorite part about line dancing is probably the people because even if I can’t dance, I still have fun mingling and watching people dance. What surprised me was how easy it is to get into it. I am by no means a dancer, but you don’t need much skill to understand the lesson and pick up the steps.”

- Sadie Patterson

Of course, fashion can’t be glazed over here. While dancing might be my favorite thing about the experience, dressing up for it might be the second. Now, you don’t have to go western. The attendees always show fantastic style, from grunge to classic t-shirt and jeans, or nightclub attire, but I love dressing the part. My cowboy boots are my favorite shoes, and when I started going, those boots were at the cobbler. I had to wear my backup boots, which I ended up splitting in half (Rest-In-Peace, I kept dancing though) because I guess I danced too hard, but man when I got my favorite boots back, I was ready to take em’ dancin'. But for someone like me who often has an element of country in their style, it’s just extra fun to give the outfits a proper setting, and if you don’t often dress a little country, it’s always a blast to try something new. You’ll often see a lovely display of cool cowboy boots, bolo ties, plaid button-ups, hats, and more, all mixed in with the crowds' personal style, making it another enjoyable and immersing element of the whole experience.

Upon my 9th time attending, Giddy Up Philly motioned to the packed upstairs of Tavern and announced that they had outgrown the space and we were to await an exciting update. The next day it was announced that Giddy Up Philly was moving to Voyeur, another well-known club in the Gayborhood. March 7th marked the grand launch of this new partnership, “boots and hats encouraged.” Even though I’ve only been attending for 10 weeks, it was exciting to feel part of a growing and inclusive community that’s all about enjoying dancing and having a good time. Thank you, Giddy Up Philly! My ultimate goal is still to live out my Julianne Hough dream and do that damn Fake ID line dance.

So, in conclusion, here is why you should go line dancing:

It’s so fun
The people are so fun
You can dress like a cowboy
Yeehaw!

And here are some of my favorite dances I’ve learned and ones you can learn too!

Dances Learned

Lightning Polka
Redneck Angel
Take it Off
Tush Push
Something in the Water
Voodoo
Honey, I’m Good
American Kids
Hi Barbie!
Burn it to the Ground
Shotgun Jennie
Country Walkin’

Disclaimer: MUST BE 21+

Kickin’ it Country: My Journey into Line Dancing

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