How to Country Two Step:

Country two-step is the most popular country dance among partner dancers. It is danced to slow to medium tempo country music in a pattern that progresses around the dance floor.

1. Listen to the rhythm. Put on a country song, and try to find the beat. Country two-step is danced to 4/4 music so the beat is usually heavy and easy to find. You should be able to count 1 and 2 and 3, and 4 or clap your hands with ease.

2. Practice the dance rhythm. The count for country two-step is one, and two, pause, three.

3. Step in place to the music. If you’re a man start by stepping with your left foot, if you’re a woman start with your right. The male footwork is left, (slide right towards left), left (pause), right. (repeat) The female footwork is right, (slide left towards right), right (pause), left. (repeat) Again, just practice saying the rhythm of the country two step.

4. Move to the music. This is just like step 3 but we’re going to move forward and backwards. If you’re a man, go forward, if you’re a woman go backwards.  Step, step, pause, step. Repeat. Every step should move you directly forward or directly back.

5. Take steps with your partner, step, step, pause, step.

6. Adjust your movement so it takes you counter-clockwise around the room.

7. Find a partner who can do the basic (what we’ve just practiced) with you. The man should hold the woman’s right hand in his left hand at her eye level. His right hand should cup her left shoulder blade or lower back and her left hand should cup his right bicep. Make sure the male’s right elbow lines up with the females left elbow so the males can guide his partner with his arms along with his legs.

8. Dancing the country Two Step is just as much in the feet as it is in the arms.  The man’s left hand should go up when the male steps with his left foot and the man’s right elbow should go up when the male steps with his right foot.  Practice in place with using your feet and your shoulders.  This technique will help the male guide this partner around the dance floor by allowing the female feel his arms moving with his feet.  This will prevent the female from looking down at her feet.

9. Get out on the dance floor at try the Country Two Step.