Our teacher is away at the moment, which means instead of learning loads of new dances, we’ve been doing something we probably don’t do enough of when classes are running normally.
Practising.
And I have to admit, I’ve actually been enjoying it.
There’s something quite satisfying about going back over dances you already know — or thought you knew — and realising there are still little bits that somehow never made it properly into your brain.
Of course, when your teacher isn’t there, you suddenly notice exactly how much you rely on them.
The counts.
The reminders.
The “weight should be on your left foot here.”
The little warning before the restart.
The “no, you’re turning the other way” look.
YouTube can do a lot.
But it cannot currently give me that look.
And I miss it.
So… How Do You Practise Line Dancing Without a Teacher?
For me, YouTube has become the obvious stand-in.
If there’s a dance we’re practising and I can’t quite remember a section, I’ll search the dance name and usually find several different walkthroughs, demos and teaching videos.
And this is where it gets interesting.
Because not every YouTube tutorial works for every person.
One instructor might explain something and my brain goes:
Yep. Got it.
Another person can teach exactly the same eight counts and somehow I end up more confused than when I started.
So I’ve stopped assuming that if I don’t understand one video, I don’t understand the dance.
Sometimes you just need a different person explaining it.
That has probably been one of the biggest things I’ve learnt while practising without our teacher.
I Usually Try More Than One Video
I don’t necessarily have one single YouTube instructor I use for everything.
I tend to search the dance, watch a couple of videos, and see who explains it in a way that clicks.
Sometimes I want a proper walkthrough.
Sometimes I just need to see the dance performed with music.
And sometimes I need to watch one tiny section about six times because apparently my feet have decided they’re independent contractors.
A really useful combination is:
- one walkthrough video where somebody breaks down the counts
- one demo video so you can see what the finished dance is meant to look like
- and, if you’re still stuck, another teacher’s walkthrough
That last one can make all the difference.
Why Watching Different Teachers Can Help
People explain movement differently.
One person might say:
“Step right, cross left behind, quarter turn.”
Another might describe the same movement using direction, body position or where your weight should finish.
And suddenly that version makes sense.
That doesn’t mean one teacher is better than another.
It just means our brains aren’t all listening for the same information.
Some dancers respond really well to counts.
Some need to see the feet.
Some need the name of the step.
Some just need somebody to say:
“Your weight ends up on your right foot.”
And then the whole thing falls into place.
Slow It Down
This is probably one of the best things about practising with YouTube.
You can slow the video down.
You can rewind it.
You can pause it.
And nobody gets annoyed because you’ve asked them to demonstrate the same eight counts for the fourth time.
Not that our teachers get annoyed.
Hopefully.
YouTube playback speed is incredibly useful when you’re trying to work out turns, syncopated sections or anything where the instructor’s feet seem to be moving at approximately the speed of light.
Start slowly.
Get the movement right.
Then bring the speed back up.
Trying to learn something badly at full speed usually just means you get very good at doing it badly.
Practise the Bit You Keep Getting Wrong
This sounds obvious, but I think we all do it.
You start the dance from the beginning.
You get through the first 20 or 30 counts beautifully.
Then you reach The Bit.
You know the bit.
The bit where everything falls apart.
So you restart the dance.
And practise the first 30 counts beautifully again.
Eventually I realised that perhaps — radical idea — I should just practise The Bit.
If counts 33–40 are the problem, practise counts 33–40.
Then practise the section immediately before them.
Then join them together.
It’s much more effective than doing the entire dance repeatedly and hoping the troublesome section somehow fixes itself through positive thinking.
Don’t Forget the Music
This is another thing I’ve noticed.
You can practise the steps without music and think:
I KNOW THIS DANCE.
Then the song starts.
And apparently you have never line danced before in your life.
The music itself becomes part of how we remember dances.
Certain lyrics, beats or changes in the music eventually become little cues.
You start recognising:
Oh — this is where the restart happens.
Or:
That chorus means the turn is coming.
That’s why I think it’s important to practise with both walkthroughs and the actual music.
Knowing the steps is one thing.
Knowing where those steps belong in the song is another.
And Then There Are Tags and Restarts…
Nothing keeps you humble quite like confidently dancing straight through a restart.
Everyone else stops.
You continue enthusiastically into your own private choreography.
This is where checking a proper walkthrough or stepsheet can really help.
If I’m unsure about a dance structure, I like being able to confirm whether there’s a tag, restart or unusual sequence instead of relying purely on memory.
If those words still sound slightly mysterious, we’ve already put together a guide explaining line dancing terms like tags, restarts, walls and counts, which is handy when you’re trying to decipher tutorials and stepsheets.
Is YouTube as Good as Having Your Teacher There?
No.
At least, not for me.
YouTube is brilliant.
It fills the gap.
It gives you access to an enormous number of dances and some fantastic instructors.
And I love being able to pause, rewind and try different explanations.
But there is something very different about having your actual teacher standing in front of you.
They know what your class struggles with.
They can see immediately when half the room has their weight on the wrong foot.
They can explain something three different ways because they can see from your face that the first two explanations definitely did not land.
And sometimes they know the exact tiny detail that is causing the problem.
YouTube can show you the steps.
A good teacher can often tell you why you’re not getting them.
There’s a difference.
Still, Practising Has Been Good for Us
With our teacher away, these weeks have turned into a bit of a reset.
Instead of constantly adding new dances, we’ve had time to go back.
Practise.
Clean things up.
Remember dances we haven’t done for a while.
And spend a ridiculous amount of time searching YouTube for the one instructor whose explanation finally makes the dance click.
It has actually reminded me that learning line dancing isn’t only about collecting more and more dances.
Sometimes the best thing you can do is go back and get more comfortable with the ones you already know. If you are still in that stage where every new dance feels like a lot to take in, I’ve also written about how to learn new line dances faster without feeling overwhelmed.
Because there is a very satisfying moment when a dance that used to require enormous concentration suddenly starts to feel automatic.
And then, naturally, somebody teaches you another one.
How Do You Practise?
I’d genuinely love to know this.
When your teacher isn’t around — or when there’s one section of a dance you just cannot get — what’s your go-to?
Do you head straight to YouTube?
Do you have a particular instructor you always search for?
Do you use stepsheets?
Do you practise with friends?
Or do you do what I do and watch three completely different tutorials until one of them finally speaks your language?
Because I’m starting to think that might actually be half the trick.
By the way… we had our very first Step Culture monthly giveaway winner this week, and she was so excited! If you haven’t checked out the September giveaway yet, have a look — this month we’re giving away a LOVE Line Dancing 40 oz Insulated Tumbler with Handle.