10 Easy Dance Moves Anyone Can Master

In this article, we’ll provide 10 easy dance moves anyone can master. We’ll go through a handful of timeless dance moves, as well as some more viral ones like the Floss and the Whip.

So get your dancing shoes on and get ready to bust some shapes.

The Waltz
The Floss
Body Roll
Booty Pop
The Dougie
Two Step
Snap
Grapevine
Whip & Nae Nae
Shoulder Lean

1. The Waltz

What is The Waltz?

The Waltz is a graceful and elegant dance that originated in Europe in the 16th century. It is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by its flowing movements and 3/4 time signature. The Waltz is often considered a foundational dance in the ballroom dance repertoire and is widely recognized for its romantic and sweeping motions.

How to Waltz

To perform the Waltz, dancers typically begin by taking a closed dance position, with the lead’s right hand placed on the follower’s back and the follower’s left hand resting on the lead’s right shoulder. The dancers’ free hands are held clasped together. The basic step of the Waltz involves a box-like pattern, with the dancers moving around the dance floor in a counterclockwise direction.

Here are the basic steps for the traditional ballroom Waltz:

Start in a closed dance position, with the lead’s right hand on the follower’s back and the follower’s left hand on the lead’s right shoulder. The free hands are clasped together.
Begin by stepping forward with the lead’s left foot while the follower steps backward with their right foot.
Next, bring the lead’s right foot next to the left foot, closing the feet together. The follower does the same with their left foot next to the right foot.
Finally, take a side step with the lead’s left foot, moving to the left, while the follower takes a side step with their right foot, moving to the right.

Check out LearnToDance’s Waltz video tutorial

2. The Floss

What is The Floss?

The Floss dance is a popular and energetic dance move that gained widespread attention in recent years, particularly among young people and in various media outlets. It rose to prominence as a cultural phenomenon, often seen in viral videos and social media platforms.

The Floss dance routine involves a distinctive, rapid swaying of the hips and arms, creating a dynamic and visually striking movement. It is characterized by a continuous swinging of the arms from side to side, while simultaneously performing a quick, rhythmic back-and-forth movement with the hips. When executed with speed and precision, the Floss creates an illusion of seamless and effortless motion.

How to do The Floss

Here are the basic steps to perform the Floss dance:

Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and arms relaxed by your sides.
Lift both arms in front of you, keeping them parallel to the ground.
Swing your arms to the right, crossing your right arm over your left arm, while simultaneously swinging your hips to the left. Your hips should move in the opposite direction of your arms.
Quickly reverse the motion by swinging your arms to the left and your hips to the right. Your arms and hips should move in a coordinated, rapid back-and-forth motion.
Repeat these movements in a continuous and rhythmic fashion, maintaining a smooth and coordinated flow between the arm and hip movements.

Check out Deepak Tulsyan’s video tutorial on how to do the Floss

3. Body Roll

What is the Body Roll?

The body roll is a dance move that involves moving your torso in a smooth, rolling motion. It’s a popular move in hip-hop, R&B, and contemporary dance styles.

How to do the Body Roll

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
Start by arching your back slightly and pushing your chest forward, which will initiate the roll.
Tilt your pelvis slightly forward to accentuate the movement.
As you roll your torso forward, contract your abdominal muscles to create a smooth, wave-like motion.
Continue the motion as you roll your chest, midsection, and then your hips forward in a fluid motion.
As you reach the end of the movement, reverse the motion by tucking your pelvis under and rolling your torso back up to an upright position.
Practice the movement slowly at first to get the technique down, then gradually increase the speed as you become more comfortable with it.

Remember to keep the movement smooth and controlled, and use your core muscles to create a seamless roll from your chest to your hips. It’s important to practice and focus on isolating the movement in each section of your torso to achieve a fluid and captivating body roll.

Check out Steezy Studio’s video tutorial on how to do the Body Roll

4. Booty Pop

What is the Booty Pop?

The booty pop is a dance move that involves moving your hips and buttocks in a way that creates a popping or bouncing motion. It’s a popular move in hip-hop, dancehall, and twerking styles

How to do the Booty Pop

Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
Begin by tilting your pelvis forward and pushing your hips back.
As you push your hips back, contract your glute muscles to create a popping or bouncing motion.
To accentuate the movement, you can also add a slight bounce to your knees as your hips pop back.
Focus on isolating the movement in your hips and buttocks, keeping the rest of your body relatively still.
Practice controlling the speed and intensity of the pop, as you can vary the size and speed of the movement based on the style of dance and the music you’re dancing to.
As you become more comfortable with the basic booty pop, you can experiment with adding variations, such as moving your hips from side to side or in circular motions while popping.

It’s important to remember that the booty pop should be performed with control and precision, using your glute and hip muscles to create the popping motion. Practice the movement slowly at first to get the technique down, then gradually increase the speed and intensity as you become more comfortable with it.

5. The Dougie

What is The Dougie?

The Dougie dance move originated from songs by Lil’ Will and Cali Swag District.

How to do The Dougie

Start by standing up straight with your knees partially bent.
On count 1, lean towards your right. When you step and lean, bring your left forearm up.
Finish the movement by bringing your left foot inward to meet your right foot and tapping it on the ground. The Dougie is a foundational move of the Jerking dance style.
You can add your own style to the dance and try out variations of the Dougie.
Additionally, you can pretend your left arm is a block of cheese and your other hand is a cheese grater.

Check out Steezy Studio’s video tutorial on how to do The Dougie

6. Two Step

What is The Two Step?

The Two-Step dance move is a popular country dance style that involves a simple pattern of steps.

How to do The Two Step?

To perform the Two-Step, follow these steps:

Start with your feet together, arms relaxed by your sides.
Step forward with your left foot, shifting your weight onto it.
Bring your right foot to meet your left foot.
Step to the side with your left foot, shifting your weight onto it.
Bring your right foot to meet your left foot.
Repeat the same steps in the opposite direction, starting with your right foot.

The Two-Step can be done with a partner, where the leader typically takes the steps while the follower mirrors the movements. Remember to keep your movements smooth and in rhythm with the music. Practice is key to mastering this dance move. Enjoy dancing!

7. Snap

What is The Snap?

The Snap dance move is a popular hip-hop dance move that involves snapping your fingers in rhythm with the music.

Remember, the key to the Snap dance move is precision and coordination with the music. Practice snapping in time with different songs to improve your timing and groove. Have fun and let the music guide your movements!

How to do The Snap

Start with your arms relaxed by your sides.
As the beat drops, bring your right hand up and curl your fingers into a snapping position.
Snap your fingers by quickly flicking your thumb and middle finger together.
Repeat the snap in rhythm with the music, emphasizing the strong beats.
Add some style by incorporating other movements like stepping or body rolls while snapping.

8. Grapevine

What is The Grapevine?

The Grapevine dance move is a common step in various dance styles, including line dancing and jazz. It involves a series of steps to the side, crossing one foot behind the other.

How to do The Grapevine

Start with your feet together and hands relaxed by your sides.
Step to the side with your right foot.
Cross your left foot behind your right foot.
Step to the side with your right foot again.
Bring your left foot next to your right foot.
Repeat the same sequence in the opposite direction, starting with your left foot.

As you perform the Grapevine, maintain a smooth and flowing motion, keeping your upper body relaxed. You can also add your own style and variations to make it more dynamic and fun.

Check out the Howcast video tutorial on how to do the Grapevine

9. Whip & Nae Nae

What is the Whip & Nae Nae?

The Whip & Nae Nae dance move gained popularity through the song Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) by Silentó. It involves two main steps: The Whip and The Nae Nae.

How to do the Whip & Nae Nae

For The Whip part of the dance, start with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms relaxed by your sides.
Extend your right arm out to the side with your palm facing down.
Quickly swing your right arm diagonally across your body, as if you’re cracking a whip, while simultaneously hopping to the side with your right foot.
Repeat the motion, swinging your arm and hopping to the side with each beat.
Now for The Nae Nae. After the Whip, bring your right hand up to your chest, palm facing in.
Bend your knees slightly and sway your hips side to side.
As you sway, bring your right hand up and down in a wave-like motion.
Coordinate the movement with the rhythm of the music.

Remember to have fun and add your own style to the dance. Watch videos of the Whip & Nae Nae on YouTube for visual references and practice to get comfortable with the moves.

10. Shoulder Lean

What is The Shoulder Lean?

The Shoulder Lean dance move is a popular hip-hop dance step that emphasizes shoulder movements.

How to do The Shoulder Lean?

Start with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms relaxed by your sides.
Bend your knees slightly to get into a comfortable stance.
Begin by shifting your weight to one side, leaning your shoulder in that direction.
As you lean, let your opposite shoulder drop slightly.
Bring your shoulder back up to the centre and shift your weight to the other side, leaning the opposite shoulder.
Continue shifting and leaning your shoulders from side to side, maintaining a smooth and rhythmic motion.

You can add extra style to the Shoulder Lean by incorporating arm movements or stepping patterns. Practice in front of a mirror to refine your technique and coordination. Remember to stay loose and relaxed to achieve that effortless swag.

Check out MahaloDance’s tutorial on how to do the Shoulder Lean

Study BTEC Dance Level 3 at BCE

If you have a passion for dance and want to take your skills to the next level, check out our BTEC Dance Level 3 course page to learn more.

10 Easy Dance Moves Anyone Can Master