Rock and roll music, if you like it, if you feel it, you can’t help but move to it. That’s what happens to me — I can’t help it.
Elvis Presley
Rock is heavily linked to all the big names in music, like Elvis Presley for example. The King of Rock 'n' Roll quickly rose to fame in the 1950s thanks to his ground-breaking hip moves. So much so, they even earned him the nickname "Elvis the Pelvis". A classic for a reason, rock dancing is still one of the most popular forms of dance today. Knowing how to put some basic steps together always makes an impact on the dance floor! Are you itching to move your feet and finally learn how to dance to rock 'n' roll? If so, here are our tips to make this happen. Whether it's solo, with your partner or as part of a dance class, why not give rock dance a go?
Rock and roll moves have been around for about 70 to 75 years. It began in the early 1950s with the rise of rock music and artists like Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry, and it continues to be enjoyed by dancers around the world today.
Or if you're looking for another rebellious dance form, check out urban dance!
Understanding Rock and Roll Dance
Rock ’n’ roll dance is a lively and energetic style that reflects the excitement of the 1950s music scene. Inspired by rock music and icons like Elvis Presley, this dance combines rhythm, freedom and flair. Known for its fast footwork, spins and expressive movements, rock dancing became a symbol of youth, fun and rebellion.
History and Evolution
Rock ’n’ roll dancing began in the early 1950s, taking inspiration from older swing styles such as the Jitterbug and Lindy Hop. As rock music spread through artists like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard, dancers started to move faster and with more attitude to match the rhythm of electric guitars and strong drumbeats. The dance quickly became a global craze, celebrated for its bold and joyful style. Over time, it developed into several forms, including 4-beat, 6-beat, swing rock, and acrobatic rock, each with its own pace and flair. Rock ’n’ roll remains popular today for its energy and connection to music, blending nostalgia with fun and movement.
When rock music burst onto the scene in the 1950s, it changed not only how people listened to music but how they moved to it. Influenced by the Lindy Hop and Jitterbug, dancers created a new style that matched the electric guitar’s rhythm and the beat of the drums. The result was a dance full of spirit, confidence, and freedom that still inspires performers today.
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Characteristics of Rock and Roll Dance
Rock ’n’ roll dancing is full of energy, rhythm, and teamwork between partners. It includes lively kicks, turns, and footwork that match the strong beat of the music. The dance often follows four-beat or six-beat patterns, allowing smooth movement and coordination. In more advanced styles, dancers perform lifts and spins that make the performance dynamic and exciting. Outfits are usually colorful, adding to the visual appeal of the dance. Above all, rock ’n’ roll is about having fun and expressing yourself, not just following steps. It’s a dance that brings people together, celebrates creativity, and keeps the rhythm of rock music alive.
Rock ’n’ roll dance is all about energy, rhythm and connection. Its quick steps, spins and kicks reflect the excitement of the music itself. Dancers often move in pairs, relying on trust and timing to pull off each move. Beyond technique, what truly defines rock dancing is the sense of fun and freedom, where every beat is an invitation to express yourself.
Essential Rock n Roll Dance Moves
Before we begin, it is important to clarify what we're talking about. Rock actually includes several types of modern dances. Even though rock 'n' roll was born in the 50s, some rock-style dances had existed before. You can see their influence in a lot of rock dances. Rock dancing, born out of the music genre of the same name, is actually four-beat rock. It's actually the first dance for two with a 4-beat rhythm. Either way, rock is a fast dance that requires rhythm. Rock music, traditionally characterized by the sound of the electric guitar, has a very fast tempo. Today, there are essentially 4 types of rock dances.
Basic Six-Step
6-beat Rock: This is the classic style of rock dance that is taught in dance schools. Learning this dance, however, is less straightforward. Legwork is very important. Dance steps are made by counting 6 beats but doing 8 rests. There are plenty of steps involved in rock dancing. It's a pretty technical dance where you need to know the steps inside out so you can dance smoothly to very fast-paced music. Rock requires perfect cohesion between the two partners. It is therefore essential to train as two, as regularly as possible to dance to rock 'n' roll properly. Unlike 4-beat rock where the man leads his partner, to dance 6-beat rock, both partners must know the steps and know how to move together.
Rock Step
4-beat Rock: Also known as four on the floor or four to the floor, this style is easier to learn than 6-beat rock. To dance it, you essentially have to let the arms do all the work. The legwork is relatively simple. You can tap to the beat with your hands and do arcs movements with your arms between two moves. 4-beat rock can be performed to any kind of rhythmic music. If you like to be percussive in your dancing, you might also be interested in tap dancing!
Spins and Turns
Swing Rock: Swing rock is a variation of 6-beat rock. What characterizes it is its energetic leg kicks. We can say that swing rock jump lies somewhere between 6-beat rock and acrobatic rock.
Aerials and Lifts
Acrobatic Rock: Unlike the other, less lively, types of rock, acrobatic rock is a sport in itself, strongly linked to gymnastics. Dance partners perform acrobatics, holds, lifts, etc. They are required to relax their hands depending on the move.
To learn 6-beat rock, currently the most widely practiced, you will have to master the basic steps. This is where you will start at your first rock dance lessons near me. As mentioned before, rock is about dancing to a 6-beat rhythm, but dancers count 8 rests during these 6 beats. To help you find the right rhythm, you should count like this in your head (one, two, three "AND" four, five "AND" six). The "AND" lets you to do the 7th and 8th rests more easily. Another important point is that rock 'n' roll dancers dance within an imaginary line so as not to disturb the other dancers. You must, therefore, bear this in mind and practice dancing in a limited space.
Let's go back to the most fundamental step:
Step 1
During the first 2 beats, dancers simultaneously move apart while moving their left foot back. (this is the rock step),
Step 2
During the 2 following beats, they perform a chassé to the left (taking 3 rests),
Step 3
During the last two beats, they perform one chassé to the right (with also 3 rests).
Once you've got the hang of this, you're on the right track and can progress to the next step:
- Learn the more complex moves,
- Learn how to turn your dance partner,
- Replace steps with your own footwork to add your own style to the dance,
- And much, much more...
Find interesting hip hop dance classes here on Superprof.
What Music Should You Dance to?
Behind that seemingly carefree display, there is a crafty choreography guiding every tuck, slide, and roll that takes tons of time and practice to master. Dance technique is all good and well, but one must have an innate sense of rhythm if there is to be any hope at all of becoming proficient at executing these intricate steps to the music’s fast tempo. The best way to find one’s rhythm is by listening to music but, with all of the selections out there, which would be the best to listen to for either the 6-beat or 4-beat dances?
Songs for 6-Beat Dancing
In the Mood: as its name implies, Glen Miller’s famous tune will put you in the proper mood for dancing – its opening bars feel like a call to get on the dance floor. Do you dare to keep still while it plays? You’ll note that none of the musicians can help but move; even Mr. Miller himself frantically taps his foot as he plays his slide trombone. By contrast, the dancers themselves seem rather tame but then, with the floor so crowded and their clothing so restrictive, who would chance to execute any energetic moves?
Sing, Sing, Sing by Benny Goodman is of a similar vein; it provides a long intro prior to the whole orchestra joining in. Here again, physical restraints may be necessary to keep yourself from moving along, driven by the energy of this ditty.
Note: nice drum solos throughout the tune provides dancers ample opportunity to showcase their special moves individually before joining up again.
Moving ahead a few years, to a time when musical influences were melding and dancers were getting more inventive, more energetic and more daring with their moves. In solidarity with them, you might find that:
- Danny and the Juniors is inviting you to dance At The Hop; their frenzied beat provides an excellent backdrop to showcase dancing talent.
- The Everly Brothers tried to Wake Up Little Susie
- Little Richard enticed us with Tutti Fruitti
- Bill Haley and his Comets challenged us to Rock Around the Clock. They also intoned what could have been an advert for a jalopy: Shake, Rattle and Roll
What is your favorite dance style? As mentioned before, Elvis Presley produced a trove of music to dance to. Jailhouse Rock never fails to cause dancing pairs to pogo their way to the dance floor, flared skirts and beribboned hair flying... for a good reason!
It’s not just the visual of The King swinging his pelvis around in time to the beat that spurs dancers on; the whole song is simply irresistible! In fact, this song is unusual in that the lyrics determine the 6/6 beat rather than the drums so, instead of listening for each downbeat, you should focus on Elvis’ rising and falling tones while he sings to get your timing down.
Another great Elvis song to dance to is All Shook Up. Here again, the lyrics are easier to follow than the beat... possibly because of the greater emphasis given to them than the backing music. Hound Dog, our third Elvis pick could be a bit slower paced, depending on which version you listen to, but it is still a great tune to dance to, especially if you’re just starting to learn how to dance to rock music.
Find interesting ballroom dance lessons here on Superprof.
Tunes to Practice 4-Beat Dancing
Prime among them, some might say that the very voice of the era was projected by the Brothers Gibb, better known as the BeeGees. Saturday Night Fever, superficially a film about how liberating dancing can be is filled with 4/4 beat BeeGee tracks you could learn how to dance and practice your moves to. Get up and start dancing to this lovely tune on YouTube!
Stayin’ Alive is a great song for more reasons than one: not only is it the anthem of the disco era but it maintains the perfect tempo and beat to perform CPR to! Other Bee Gees tunes on that soundtrack include Night Fever and Jive Talking.
That soundtrack being the backdrop to a movie about dance, the type of dance where your footwork is less important than your display, a factor essential to 4-beat dancing, you could practice your moves to just about any cut that record offers.
John Travolta and his dance partner rehearsed one of their dance scenes to a different song altogether but the movie producers could not afford to buy the rights from the original singer so they dubbed in a Bee Gees song that had approximately the same tempo.
The Gibbs brothers rocketed to worldwide fame while the original song’s performer to this day remains relatively unknown outside of America. Boz Scaggs lost potentially millions of dollars in royalties by not licensing the use of his song, Lowdown, in the film. On the other hand, you could benefit from his artistry by working your groove to his music! In fact, his song Billie Jean epitomizes that 4/4 beat as well as the upper body movement with minimal footwork that characterizes this type of rock dancing.
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For more modern and massively fun, songs with a 4/4 beat to dance to, you might try Justin Timberlake’s Can’t Stop the Feeling. If you watch the video to Justin’s song, you will hear a drum intro that acts as a call to the dance floor. You’ll see minimal footwork and lots of upper body movement – in fact, some of the dancers’ feet aren’t even shown! Everyone dances solo until the end, when they all get together for a synchronized dance under the bridge.
By contrast, Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon is shown danced by a couple. Still, it embodies the same characteristics... mellow song intro, minimal footwork, lots of upper body moves and the 'money beat', albeit accelerated. If you were ready to try moving a bit faster, this would be a great song to do it to!
Obviously, there’s lots of music out there you can learn rock dancing to; your dance teacher will most likely introduce you to more great selections! Find interesting online dance classes here on Superprof.
Learn How to Dance to Rock and Roll
You want to learn rock moves, but it's just you? It is, in fact, possible to learn to dance without a partner. For this, you have a number of options, which can also help you in your approach:
- Learning to dance at home has never been easier with online videos and websites. On the internet, it's now so easy to find step-by-step tutorials to learn rock dances. They are available for all levels: beginner, intermediate and expert. You can find free online lessons on websites such as Learn To Dance,
- Downloading mobile apps will also allow you to practice your steps at home or away or, with Map Dance, for example, you can easily find places to go dancing wherever you may be.
- For personalized lessons and one-on-one guidance, try Superprof, where professional dance tutors can help you master rock ’n’ roll techniques, refine your rhythm and build confidence! You can choose from local or online instructors who match your level and learning style. With Superprof, each lesson is tailored to your goals, making learning enjoyable, motivating, and suited to you.
To learn rock dancing, any of the above methods will be helpful. From salsa classes to learning the basics of ballroom dancing, the most important thing is to have fun. Your passion for dance may potentially lead you to try a new style such as the Argentine tango, Zumba, the waltz, or even hip-hop! Or, are you now too tempted by acrobatic rock? Find interesting dance classes for toddlers here on Superprof!
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