Cut Loose: Line Dancing’s Major Resurgence
My seventh-grade winter formal played the typical middle school classics. After dancing my little 12-year-old heart out to “Low” by Flo Rida, I left the dance floor to find water when something unfamiliar blared through the gym speakers.
All the cool girls in the grade above me filed into rows and broke into a full-blown line dance routine set to “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins. The rest of us crowded around and watched in amazement. Each step, stomp, and twirl was perfectly synchronized, and they never missed a beat. Part of me wanted to join them, but the fear of making a complete fool of myself in front of my classmates left me glued to the floor. Although it was just a small moment in time, I still regret not giving it a try.
Ten years later, line dancing has made its way back into my life.
It's been over 40 years since the original Footloose hit theaters, yet line dancing is having a full-on revival. On my college campus, I constantly overhear people debating which spots are best to go to and where to get good vintage cowboy boots. The trend is most prominent on TikTok, where the hashtag #linedancing has over 250,000 videos and has especially taken off over the past year thanks to the rise of country-pop music. Whether it's at a western-themed bar or from the comfort of their own homes, users are showing off their favorite line dances and creating new ones.
This lighthearted resurgence is filling a gap our generation has been missing out on.
Post-pandemic, it feels like there is a lack of fun spaces to meet new people. Bars are stiff and stuffy. Clubs are expensive or downright dangerous. And if you’re under 21, your options for where to go after 9 pm are next to nothing. We’ve stripped away the casual social spaces that form new connections, and then we wonder why we feel so lonely all the time.
When my grandma was growing up, there was no shortage of dance halls and sock hops. She loved to swing dance and met friends and boyfriends on her nights out. It was a major part of her social life, and this aspect of American culture has been fading over the past few decades.
Why did we stop dancing in the first place? Truly dancing. I’m not talking about a “frat flick” or a head nod, but unashamedly moving your entire body to a song you like. It seems like this behavior is only socially acceptable after everyone has had way too many glasses of champagne at a wedding. Dancing on any other occasion generates judgmental looks.
As with most things, I blame social media. Our fear of failure is amplified by the possibility of someone filming and uploading our embarrassing moments. Playful antics from a night out with friends can now be shared with the entire world in a matter of seconds, creating pressure to behave. Being “nonchalant” is the new norm, which sucks the fun out of so many activities. What's so bad about being chalant? The idea that you have to be perfect at something to enjoy it is holding us back. We only get to be young and dumb once, and I don’t want to spend it on the perimeter of the dance floor.
It's okay to be cringe. It's fine to fall on your ass. No one cares if you line dance for the first time and don’t have the steps down yet. Don’t be like middle school me and miss out on the chance to have a good time. Find a pair of cowboy boots, crack open a couple beers, and let loose.
