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Couple cozies up on dance floor for smooth first country dance
This was incredibly romantic.
Laura Shallcross
08.06.20

There are many more forms of dancing than most of us ever learn about in our lifetimes. Lots of types of dance in the US are regional, and only practised by a select few in certain parts of the country.

Country swing is a dance that a few more people will have heard of โ€“ or, at least, youโ€™ll be familiar with either country or swing!

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Originating from California, this partnered dance sees couples following a four-step pattern in a high energy, twirling, lifting, jumping, rock-stepping routine.

One couple made country swing their own when they performed a slowed-down version of the dance to Sam Huntโ€™s โ€œBody Like a Backroadโ€.

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The pair, who were celebrating the male dancerโ€™s 21st birthday, had never performed in front of an audience before. According to Robyn Durham, who posted the video, the couple had only practised off the floor until this moment. Knowing that makes their dance all the more impressive.

To the cheers of the crowd, the couple take to the dancefloor, and the DJ introduces the pair and explains that theyโ€™re going to โ€œdo a little danceโ€. As the two join hands, the music begins.

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With their dance slowed down, the audience can really appreciate the fluidity of the dancersโ€™ moves. They rock step from side to side in a circle, then spin, before the male dancer supports the young woman as she falls back towards the floor.

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Thereโ€™s real skill in making their moves seem effortless, and it clearly took a lot of practising. The dance involves lots of crossing paths and back-and-forth spins, all to the four-step rhythm, but the pair move with confidence, never faltering or falling off step.

Between each move, the couple show off their footwork skills, which is an important element of country swing. The classic โ€œrock stepโ€ is the first thing that is taught to country swing dancers, which involves shifting your weight from left to right foot.

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When the couple rock step between their moves, they almost look like theyโ€™re mirroring one another. Itโ€™s mesmerizing to watch.

Though the moves look quite similar, they each have their own intricate detail that make them unique to themselves. It canโ€™t have been easy to remember a full songโ€™s worth of spins, dips and twirls, but the couple pull the whole thing off perfectly.

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โ€œBody Like a Back Roadโ€ is the perfect accompanying tune for the coupleโ€™s laid back dance. Co-written and recorded by Sam Hunt, American country singer, the timeless song is all about Huntโ€™s love for his fiancรฉ, who he had recently proposed to at the time of writing.

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Though it isnโ€™t mentioned in the video, it looks very likely that the dancing couple are romantically involved. The smiles that they share throughout the dance are a little too genuine to be just for show.

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You might assume that country swing is easy enough for anyone to pick up, but this is rarely the case. The moves are a lot more complex than they seem, and take time to master.

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The couple in this video gave thanks to Californiaโ€™s Country Fire Dance Studio in the caption, presumably for helping them to reach the point where they could make their routine look effortless.

If you love dance videos, you canโ€™t miss this one! Click below to give it a watch.

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