It’s a moment in the wedding reception that everyone looks forward to, when all your guests can jump up and get their groove on regardless of age, relation or dancing skill. Yes…it’s the time-honored tradition of the group dance! Also known as line dances, these are great energizers for your party, providing the more reluctant dancers a chance to lose themselves in the crowd while reliving popular moves they’re all familiar with – or learning some new ones with the help of everyone on the floor. With such a wide tradition of group dances, it can be hard choosing which to include. We’ve thrown our favorites together on a list to give you some ideas.
- Chicken Dance—Beloved by young and old and easy to learn as shaking a tailfeather, the Chicken Dance has been enjoyed at weddings for generations. It’s a perfect opportunity for children to dance with their grandparents in a fun, silly way that gets the whole room squawking and rocking!
- Macarena— Just try to keep your head from bobbing when you hear the bouncing rhythm of this 90s classic. The lyrics issue a friendly warning that, while Macarena is showing you how to dance, her interest is fully innocent. Once you’ve learned the moves, it’s hard not to bust them out anytime you hear a snippet of the song—or any song with a similar beat!
- Electric Slide — There’s nothing quite like seeing a room filled with partygoers dancing in unison, and few dances get everyone in sync like the Electric Slide! Just try to stop them all from chanting the “IT’S ELECTRIC…boogie-woogie-woogie” refrain every time it crops up. Interesting facts: the 22-step dance was created in 1976, though it gained popularity as a wedding dance in the 1990s.
- Cha Cha Slide— It’s practically impossible to get this one wrong, since the song literally spells out the dance moves for you—in order! It’s an easy and fun dance for parents of young children to do alongside one another, listening for their instruction of “Two hops one time – two hops two times!” And the freestyling that happens at the break is a spectacle not to be missed.
- Conga Line—The whole room becomes a single snaking chain of celebration, kicking and shuffling around the dance floor when the DJ calls for a conga line! It’s such a doable dance that no one needs to be left out of the good times. Try a classic version of a conga tune to get things rolling, or opt for a more contemporary take, such as —you guessed it—“Conga” by Gloria Estevan and Miami Sound Machine!
There’s no reason not to include a few group dances in your special evening sprinkled among the slow dances and the all-out thumpers. It’s a great way to encourage friends, family and strangers to come together all at once to celebrate your special occasion. And with so many possibilities available, you can make sure everyone gets a chance to hit the floor dancing with a group dance that suits their abilities. In fact, you might have trouble getting them all to stop when it’s time to cut the cake!