Country, Folk & Community Dance: Styles, History & Tempo Guide
Dances made for community floors — square and contra dance, line dancing, two-step, clogging and polka.
T
Texas Two-Step
Texas dance halls
Line Dancing
United States (country, disco and pop)
Square Dance
British, French and American folk dances; modern Western style in the US
Contra Dance
New England (from English country dance)
Clogging
Appalachian Mountains
Polka
Bohemia (today's Czech Republic)
Compare country & folk styles
| Style | Origin | Meter | Tempo (BPM) | Difficulty | Partner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Two-Step | Texas dance halls | 4/4 | 150–200 | Yes | |
| Line Dancing | United States (country, disco and pop) | 4/4 | 100–140 | Solo | |
| Square Dance | British, French and American folk dances; modern Western style in the US | 2/4 or 4/4 | 120–132 | Yes | |
| Contra Dance | New England (from English country dance) | 2/4 or 6/8 (reels and jigs) | 108–124 | Yes | |
| Clogging | Appalachian Mountains | 4/4 | 116–144 | Solo | |
| Polka | Bohemia (today's Czech Republic) | 2/4 | 110–140 | Yes |
Tempo ranges are typical social and competition ranges; ballroom figures follow WDSF/NDCA bars-per-minute standards. Difficulty is our editorial estimate for adult beginners (1 = easiest).