Line Dance from the Step Sheet: Learn by Reading

In line dancing, routines are shared on step sheets that use their own vocabulary: vine, rocking chair, jazz box, kick ball change or half pivot. In groups, students decode a step sheet with no demo from the teacher and then teach it to another group.

How to play

1. Show a simple step sheet and its glossary: counts, walls, tags and restarts (4 min).
2. Give each group of five a different 32-count beginner step sheet (1 min).
3. Each group decodes its routine using the glossary and short clips of individual steps on the tablet, without watching the full routine (12 min).
4. Two groups pair up and each teaches its dance to the other for 4 minutes (8 min).
5. The whole class dances the routine that turned out easiest to learn and discusses why (5 min).

Rules

• Only look up clips of individual steps, not the full routine.
• Every group member explains at least one eight-count block.
• Wear sneakers and keep an arm's length between dancers.
• Tablets are checked outside the dance area.

Variations

Adaptations

• Visual impairment: gets the sheet in large print or read aloud and learns with a classmate's hands-on guidance.
• Dyslexia: the sheet includes pictograms for each step.
• Limited mobility: adapts the steps to arm moves and wheelchair turns and can be the one who reads and calls the counts.

Learning goals

• Interpret line dance terminology independently.
• Teach a routine to others clearly.
• Dance a four-wall routine in time with the music.

Equipment for a class of 25

• speaker: 1
• step sheets: 6
• tablets or phones: 6

Teacher tip

Pick absolute beginner step sheets from specialist line dance websites. Circulate only to clear up vocabulary questions.

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