Country & Western

The Two-Step family alone encompasses six distinct styles: the UCWDC Two Step (the competition standard), Texas Two Step (the honky-tonk original), Triple Two Step (with its characteristic triple-step rhythm), Arizona Two Step (a smoother, more flowing variation), Progressive Two Step (which travels more aggressively around the floor), and Shadow Two Step (danced in a side-by-side shadow position). Each has its own community, competition circuit, and musical preferences.

Beyond the Two-Step, Country & Western includes Country Waltz (a graceful, traveling waltz danced to country ballads), Country Cha Cha (a country-flavored take on the Latin classic), Country Swing (an energetic, improvisational style with roots in East Coast Swing), and Cowboy Cha Cha (a line dance version of the cha cha pattern). Together they form a comprehensive vocabulary for the country dance floor.

Musically, Country & Western dance has evolved dramatically alongside country music itself. The classic honky-tonk two-step is built for the driving 4/4 of traditional country; modern country dancers have adapted to the pop-influenced production of contemporary Nashville; and the line dance community has embraced everything from classic country to hip-hop to pop crossovers.