Although line dancing looks like so much fun, it can be baffling on your first try. However, after you learn and understand the secrets to the art, line dancing is much less daunting.

A line dance lasts three to five minutes, and you can drop out any time. Among the popular line dances, the Electric Slide is the shortest—lasting two to three minutes—makes a good beginning dance to learn and is the dance that often opens a line dance party, especially as a warmup.

If you are new to line dancing, here are some tips:

The dance starts when the singing starts. Everything before that is the intro.

• Moves usually change after four counts. When you get to four, you'll change direction or make a new move.

• You can make any move plain or fancy, low movement or high. Instead of doing actual stomps, for example, do a tap.

• Notice how many times the dancers turn to face a different direction. These are called walls. A line dance can have up to four walls, but the dance will usually end up facing the same way it started.

Here are some other popular line dances:

Cha-cha slide. You get to make a little cha-cha move and there are some hops, but you can substitute them with tip toes.

Boot scootin' boogie. This one is more difficult because it has a series of hops, including one in which dancers cross their legs. It also has a quick half-beat step.

Cupid shuffle. This modern song has easy steps and kicks, although experienced line dancers usually improvise their steps. Stick with the basics at the beginning.

Cotton-Eyed Joe. If you love that old-fashioned fiddle, this ones for you. It has some turns and toe taps. Dancers usually face one way.