Line dancing has its roots in folk dances that European immigrants brought to North America in the 1800s. These dances, like the polka and waltz, merged and developed into round and square dancing. Cowboys on the western frontier in the late 1800s incorporated these dance moves into early country-western style. In the early 1900s, folk dancing was taught in schools, popularizing country-western dance among youth. Others believe line dancing emerged from the disco era of the 1970s, made popular by movies like Saturday Night Fever and Urban Cowboy that blurred pop and country music genres and inspired a new wave of western fashion and dance. Line dancing grew further in the early 1990s with country music's rising mainstream popularity

1. Line dancing is like all of the dance forms, a reflection of history and culture. Dance itself has
been a form of communication and self-expression since prehistoric times. People have enjoyed
dance not only as an art form but as a way to feel good physically, to be mentally stimulated, to
develop self-esteem, and to meet people. For some, dance is even a path to spiritual
enlightenment.
If you were to ask 10 different people with some knowledge of dance when line dancing
began, you would probably get 10 different answers. A popular opinion about line dancing is that
it is not a fad but a tradition. Some believe this style of dancing has strong ties to folk dancing.
IN the 1800s European immigrants traveled west to North America, bringing with them a wealth
of culture in their native dances, such as the polka and waltz, whose movements joined and
evolved into what was called round and square dancing. Cowboys on the western frontier from
the 1860s to the 1890s took these more traditional dance moves and assimilated them into the
country-western style; they are credited with the simple footwork and the country flair reflecting
the culture of the time. IN the early 1900s, folk dancing was brought into the schools through
physical education programs. As large numbers of youth learned country-western dance, its
popularity grew in leisure and social activities.
Other believe line dancing evolved from the disco era. The movie Saturday Night Fever,
Released in 1978, caused a dance sensation. As the lines between pop and country were blurring,
actor and dancer John Travolta did it again in 1980 with the move Urban Cowboy, which spurred
a new wave of western fashion, music, and dance. With the media behind it, country influence
began to sweep through grass-roots America in the early 1990s.