This list of dance terms was put together as a guideline for line dance teachers & choreographers. It will assist choreographers in assigning a level to their dances, and help teachers determine the level of a dance that has no level assigned to it.

Please keep in mind this is a guideline only. All dancers, teachers and classes are different, and what’s intermediate for one group may be advanced for another. The important thing to keep in mind is that a natural progression should take place. As with anything you learn…you need the basic information before you can move forward with more intricate details.

The terms listed are, by no means, every dance term available. They are, however, some of the more common terms used in line dancing. Once you see the categories, you will have a better idea of where other terms would fit as well.

The breakdown is as follows:

Beginner:		For dancers who are new to any form of dance.
Easy Intermediate:		Also known as Improver or Advanced Beginner levels. For dancers who have a basic knowledge of dance terminology and who are coping well with Beginner material and wish to move to the next level but aren’t ready for the full Intermediate level. This is a good bridge between the Beginner and Intermediate platforms, where steps may crossover from one level to another.
Intermediate:		For dancers with a solid knowledge of dance terminology, who are not new to dancing.
Advanced:		For dancers who not only have a solid grasp on dance terminology, but can also execute more complex steps and patterns with ease, and are able to perform more style-specific technique.

 

BEGINNER Apart Back Recover Balance Beats Behind Brush Bump Centre Charleston Count Cross Cross Recover Fan (Heel/Toe) Foot Positions Forward Recover Grapevine (Vine) Hitch Hook Kick Knee Pops Point Rock Step Recover Rocking Chair Scuff Side Recover Splits (Heel / Toe) Start Position Step Step Quarter Turn Stomp Strut (Heel / Toe) Sway Timing Together Touch (Tap) Walk Waltz Basic Waltz Turn Weight Change

IMPROVER Ball Change Ball Step Ball Cross Chasse (Side Triple/shuffle) Clap(s) Coaster Coaster Cross Count “&” Cross Unwind Cross Shuffle Drag Heel Grind Hold Hop Jazz Box Jazz Box Turn Jump Paddle Quarter Turn Pivot Half Turn Restart Rolling Vine Rhumba Box Shimmy Shuffle (Forward, Back) Skate Slide Swivel Tag Twinkle (Cross Waltz) Twist Weave

INTERMEDIATE Arm Movements Boogie Walk Cha Cha Timing Chug Diagonal (Steps) Diagonal (Lock) Dorothy Step Heel Ball Change Heel Ball Cross Heel Jacks Hinge Turn Kick Ball Change Kick Ball Cross Lock Step Lunge Mambo Step Mambo Turn Monterey Turn Night Club 2 Step One Eighth Turns Out, Out, In, In Ronde (Sweep) Sailor Step Sailor Step Turn Sailor Step Cross Samba Samba Cross Scoot Spin Spot Turn Switches (Side) Switches (Heel) Swivels Tempo Change Three Step Turn Toe Heel Cross Triple Turn Vaudervilles

ADVANCED Applejacks Body Rolls Corkscrew Turn Count “a” Count “8 & 1” Hat Movements Pencil Turn Reverse Turns Rise & Fall Styling Swivet