Line dances. You may hate them with the burning passion of a thousand glow sticks, but your guests? They’ll stampede the DJ booth begging for “Wobble” like it’s liquid gold. Whether you consider these participation songs a joyful cultural tradition or the musical equivalent of eating your vegetables, one thing is certain: line dances can save your dance floor — even when they drive you mad.
October 18, 2024
People often talk about Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park— a promotional event held on July 12, 1979, when a bunch of drunken idiots caught the ball park on fire — as if it singlehandedly ended disco’s reign. But Disco Demolition Night is not what killed disco. The disco backlash was much more widespread than that. For starters, Racism and homophobia helped to remove disco from the Hot 100, but the haters were only partly responsible. In reality, disco’s demise was largely the fault of the major record labels. After Saturday Night Fever, the recording industry went all-in on disco. Every artist in the world, from Elton John to Frank Sinatra, was suddenly cutting dance tracks, and the market quickly became oversaturated. Sales started tanking and the record industry panicked and pulled out. Disco was all over the charts in June 1979, then completely gone by December. Seemingly overnight, KC and the Sunshine Band were out, The Commodores transitioned to easy listening, and The Bee Gees became a punchline. No one had any idea what to replace disco with, and the entire recording industry fell into a massive slump until the rise of MTV and its early rotation of videos by new wave artists.
But the mighty pendulum is constantly swinging, and in 1992, dance floors changed once more. The crossover appeal of country music was at an all-time high, and songs like "Achy Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus and "Boot Scootin’ Boogie" by Brooks and Dunn found their way into every event playlist. Whether working weddings, teen dances, birthday parties, or bars, everyone was suddenly side-stepping and shuffling in unison. Country line dances reigned supreme, and soon enough, other songs that had been long silenced also re-entered the zeitgeist. It was the return of disco. Disco classics that had become footnotes in the history of popular music were resurrected. Chief among them were Marcia Griffiths's "Electric Boogie" and The Village People's "YMCA." The line dance craze held illimitable dominion over all.
Not long after, a young DJ named Willie Perry, Jr., created a song for his nephew David Wilson's step aerobics class at Bally Total Fitness in Chicago. He titled the song "Casper Slide, Part 1," after his DJ stage name. The song proved so popular at the gym, Perry soon began selling copies of the song from the trunk of his car in the Bally's parking lot. And then, he struck gold. The Chicago location soon shared the track with the larger Bally's chain, which further helped to grow its popularity. The song was so in demand that Perry recorded a new version called "Casper Slide, Part 2." This new release was quickly picked up by Chicago radio station WGCI-FM on its way to global notoriety. Known today as "The Cha-Cha Slide," it reinforced the lasting power of line dances.
We call them line dances, but, more accurately, they are participation songs. Historians and anthropologists are quick to point out that participation songs are a reflection of a culture's identity. I doubt that many wedding guests equate American line dances with the participation songs found in other cultures foreign to our experience. Whether performed as rites or in rituals, to chants or in popular music, participation songs have a long history and are found in most corners of the world. Some are ethnic, others are religious, but they all foster community and encourage inclusivity in celebration. The Greeks have the Hasapiko, the Indians have the Sangeet, the Jews have the Hora, the Japanese have the Bon. If anything, Americans were late in making group dancing a cultural phenomenon.
Many couples ask that I not play line dances. They are often listed in their Do Not Play lists. If a couple chooses not to include line dances, then I will absolutely respect their wishes, but I do try to explain to them that it is a disservice to their wedding guests. Line dances will always fill your dance floor, and for good reason. Many wedding guests are only comfortable dancing to line dances. Guests who are self-conscious about their dancing ability enjoy line dances for two reasons: first, line dances give instructions, telling dancers what to do; and second, everyone on the dance floor moves in the exact same way. Guests who believe they are not good dancers are very self-conscious. They often feel embarrassed or insecure if they believe others are watching them. But guests do not feel embarrassed when line dancing because they know they are not being judged for their dance moves. When line dancing, even the worst dancers are just as good (or just as bad) as everyone else around them. Line dances are comfortable because they are uniform.
Couples must ask themselves how important it is to them that their guests dance. If it is not a primary concern, that is absolutely fine. But keep in mind that if guests are not dancing, they are more likely to leave early. Couples pay a lot of money to secure their venue until late in the evening. If their guests should leave early and the party comes to an abrupt end, that is money they will not get back.
Like it or not, line dances are here to stay. Your guests will ask for "The Wobble" every fifteen minutes until it is played. And it never fails that as soon as I play one line dance, your guests will invariably come to the DJ booth to ask that I play another line dance next. To that, I tell them no. Line dances need to be spread out. If I play all line dances one after another, I have lost one of the best resources I have to bring guests back to the dance floor when it begins to clear. But their requests to have all line dances play in succession is proof positive that line dances are essential when creating a party atmosphere.
I already mentioned the mighty pendulum. Participation songs did not begin with the country line dances of the 90s. "The Bunny Hop," "The Hokey Pokey," "The Stroll," "The Limbo," "The Hustle," "Apache," and "Thriller" were all party standards in their day. Some of these titles peaked in popularity fifty years before Billy Ray Cyrus grew out his mullet. And, arguably, the conga line has never gone out of fashion. But unlike these fads of the past, line dances as we know them today are here to stay. You are best to include them in your Must Plays. And, if you are not a fan? That's easy. When "Cotton Eye Joe" begins to play, find your way to the bar, hit the rest room, step outside to take a breather. The line dance will end soon enough. It is okay to excuse yourself for the four minutes that it plays.
Make no mistake, your wedding should be uniquely YOU. Your guests are there to support you; it is not your responsibility to cater to their requests. However, you do want them to enjoy themselves. Sometimes, line dances are a necessary evil to extend the life of your party. That should be reason enough to let them work their magic.