Conga line | How to conga line dance at parties in 3 steps

Conga lines have long been a favorite for parties and social gatherings, helping break the ice and getting that party vibe going. If you’ve never experienced a Conga Line, it’s good fun.

In this article  we’ll dive into how to get started – it’s very easy! Then we’ll take a quick look into how this dance came about.

So lets get our conga started….

How to Conga Line Dance

1. Start the conga line

 The conga line, starts, typically in a social setting like a party, where there may already be dancing and games. A small group (at least 3) starts by forming a single file line, all holding the shoulders or the hips of the person in front of them.

2. Add conga line movements

A leader starts the dance, guiding the rest of the dancers through various movements to a 1-2-3 Kick rhythm.

To each beat, the dancers will step and may sway their hips side-to-side, creating a striking synchronized effect down the Conga Line. All the while keeping the line together – you can’t break the line, although that’s always part of the fun as it inevitably happens somewhere, especially after there’s been a few drinks!

3. The line grows and comes ‘alive’

As the dance gains momentum, you will find that more and more people will gravitate to and join the end of the line, until virtually everyone in the vicinity is part of it.

For both the practicalities of limited room size (just like the old video game ‘snake’) and to add some extra fun, the leader, like the head of a snake, will navigate the conga line through various movements and patterns. This could include smooth or sharp turns, zigzags and spirals, all to the beat of the rhythm.

Added flair can come from the leader adding other moves in unison, such as a bunny hop – all making the conga line fun and a little more challenging as the dance progresses.

That is some of what you can do, when you see a Conga Line at a party, it’s pretty simple and looks something like this:

History and Origins of Conga Line

Related to the Latin dance ‘conga’, conga lines have afro-cuban roots, related to carnival tradition. It is said that conga started related to the dancing of slaves, brought over from Africa to the Caribbean and gained popularity in the street dancing of Cuba’s capital Havana.

As time passed, Conga and particularly for the focus of this article, the Conga line travelled to other parts of the world, most notably the US and UK from the 1930’s onward.

In America, Miami, for example has a large Cuban-American population, the conga line became part of celebrations and events.

Apart from it’s fun nature, a major part of the rapid global reach of the conga line is its simplicity – there’s really very little to it, it’s inclusive and it crosses language barriers.

Popular culture and conga lines

Conga lines spread the popular media, music, a period in nightclubs and then ultimately through weddings, parities and social gatherings.

One early example is ‘My Sister Eileen’ a stage play and film with one of the first recorded conga line scenes, where sailors are lead out the door using an impromptu conga line.

In 1984 UK, a popular British band ‘Black Lace reached top ten the charts with a hit ‘Do the Conga’

More recently Conga lines are more often witnessed on social media as conga line flash mobs or crazy world records. More often than not to the Gloria Estefan ‘Conga’ soundtrack.

Conga line world record

June 2023 saw a new world record for ‘the longest distance danced in a conga line’ of 16 by a team of a team of Connecticut high schoolers, with 64 laps around their school stadium, raising money for charity. Watch the video

Amongst the other wacky conga line world records here, there’s even one for ‘most dogs in a conga line’ cute!

Conga Music

Although conga lines have evolved to various gene of music, their roots are traditional Cuban conga music, with its strong, syncopated beats.

The term ‘conga’ refers often relates to the ‘tumbadora’ or ‘conga drum’. In the case of conga line dancing. The beat from the tumbadora provides the basis for the 1-2-3-kick rhythm, which is so contagious.

Other percussion instruments, including cowbells and claves may also get added into the conga music. Together, the resulting music is hard to resist getting on your feet and dancing to.

Give a conga line a go

What this dance lacks in technicality, it makes up for in fun and energy.

So now you know what’s involved in a Conga Line, give it a try. If the opportunity isn’t occurring, why not get a few friends at a party and (in partnership with the DJ) kick one off yourself. Judge the moment right its a lot of fun and good memories.

Happy dancing!

Other articles with some Latino vibe:

• About the Author
• Latest Posts

Professional Dancer, Dance coach. Favorite dance style – Pole Dance. Favorite Move – Sword Simakhina. A graduate of Saint Marys. Former Chief Editor and Owner of DanceBibles.com