Line dancing is dancing in formation with a group of people dancing in one or more lines (these lines are also called "rows" in British English). All the people are making the same dancing movements in line dancing. When the group of people is small then there may only be one line in this form of dancing though most of the times it is common to see several lines in parallel formation, one following the other. The dancers in this parallel line formation dance in a synchronized manner though they are completely independent of each other. Most of the moves in line dancing do not require any interaction among the dancers. The only requirement is that they make the same moves at the same time.

Line dances can be quite simply, as can be seen in the 18 count 4 wall "Electric Slide" for beginners but they can rapidly increase in complexity using many different methods. A general rule with line dancing is that it gets more difficult with high-count sequences. The dance can also be made more challenging by including unfamiliar or unusual steps. Besides steps, the addition of other body movements, such as hand gestures, can also increase the complexity of the dance. "Phrased" line dance sequences are written with specific songs in mind. Moves like tags, skips, bridges, and so on are used in order to keep the dance going with the flow of the music. This makes "phrased" dances more complicated because the dancers need to pay attention to the music and execute the right steps to stay in tune for the duration of the entire song.

There are many ways to set-up the parallel lines in line dancing. For example, there could be two sets of line in which the dancer are facing each other. When the group becomes quite large there could be many sets of parallel lines with dancers facing each other in a pair of lines. In such an arrangement the dancers will move along with those in the line they are facing. Dancers may also move around exchanging places or dancing towards and away from each other. They may be momentary contact, to clap hands for example, or to take a swing, or holding the Promenade Position, and then a resuming of the dance.

The contact moves are more frequent in the dancing variation where the dancers are arranged in two concentric circles and facing down the dancing line. This can be seen in El Paso or Cotton Eye Joe dancers and also in Indian Outlaw and Barn Dance. The last type of line dancing is a good example of the "mixer" form of line dance. After every iteration in the Barn Dance every dancer will move one partner to the right or left and start dancing from the beginning. El Paso is a paired line dance as is Cowboy Cha-Cha that is meant for couples.

It is believed that line dancing emerged in the Wild West though the truth is that its origins are far more diverse as can be realized from the song, "Real cowboys don't line dance." There are many types of folk dances that utilize a single, nonlinear line, while maintaining connection between the dancers. The country western type of line dancing is signified by the total absence of physical connection between the dancers. Line dances have got along quite well with several new music styles like rock and roll, swing, and disco. Even in the 21st century line dancers are popular.

The current popularity of line dancing may be attributed to the disco era when the country-western music and dance communities were exploring and developing in order to fit the new type of music. There are at least 5 types of line dances that have their roots in country-western music and were written in the 1970s. "Walkin' Wazi" and "Cowboy Boogie" were both written in 1972. This took place 5 years before the release of "Saturday Night Fever" really brought about the disco craze that took the world by surprise. The two well remembered non-country line dance numbers in the 1970s are "Nutbush" and "The Bus Stop". The 80s reverted back to country music with many songs being written for line dances. The 1992 hit "Achy Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus brought western music back to the forefront and was also provided additional popularity because of the line dances carried out to its tune. Throughout the 1990s country-western music was heavily influenced by line dancing.