Created in the 1970s, the Electric Slide is still performed to various types of music, including pop and country, today. The instructional and performance videos below can help you learn to do this fun line dance.
The Original Electric Slide
Ric Silver claims to have choreographed the Electric Slide dance in the 1970s, and it was originally titled "The Electric." The dance owes its longstanding popularity to the fact that it doesn't take any special training or skill to be able to do. The following video shows Ric Silver teaching his original steps:
Electric Slide Dance Variations
The original Electric Slide was performed with claps and grapevine steps, but some versions eliminate them entirely. Here is an instructional video that doesn't use those two elements. It also shows a few other variations, including the chassé or triple step and touching the floor.
Country and Western
The Electric Slide became popular as a country and western line dance in the 1980s and is still danced to country music today at dances and in bars that play country and western music. The people in the video below are doing the traditional steps without the hand clap, in a variation that involves dancing in lines facing one another and then crossing over and facing a new line of people.
Hip Hop
The dance was performed with a noticeable hip hop flavor in this Electric Boogie video sung by Marcia Griffiths. Note the hops and emphatic arm movements that differentiate the hip hop version from other styles of this dance.
Cha Cha
The simplicity of the Electric Slide makes it easy to adapt to a variety of dance styles. In the following video, the basic Electric Slide steps can be seen with some hops, cha cha steps, turns, and other variations.
Electric Slide Instructions
Watching performance and instructional videos is an excellent way to learn the dance, but written instructions are helpful, too. If you watch these videos and follow the instructions, you'll soon be able to join the others performing the Electric Slide at weddings, dances, and other events.
