Country/western dance

Country/western dance encompasses many dance forms or styles, which are typically danced to country-western music, and which are stylistically associated with American country and/or western traditions. In this article I use the terms "country/western", "country-western" and "western" interchangeably.

These dance forms or styles fall into two basic categories:

• Partner dances, also known as western couple dancing
• Group dances

Western couple dancing is a form of social dance. There are many specific dance styles, among these are Two Step, Shuffle, Western promenade dances, as well as western-style variants of the Waltz, Polka and Swing. This style of dancing is not recognized within competitive ballroom dancing. There are however separate competitions for this style of dancing.

Western group dances include the following:

• Line dance
• Square dance
  • Traditional square dance
  • Western square dance

Clogging is also a country/western dance which is danced both individually or in groups.

Country/western dance is practiced in country-western dance bars, social clubs, dance clubs and ballrooms worldwide.

The United Country Western Dance Council establishes standards and sanctions dance competitions for this form of dancing.

See also Wikipedia:Dance basic topics, Country dance.