I think El Greko touched on an important aspect of line dancing. It does seem to have evolved out of exercise classes. Who could watch it and not see the similarity? On the one hand, I see it as a prime example of what I don't like about some forms of dancing, i.e., they are more work than fun as well as that they play to the need of some folks to conform. On the other hand, especially with regard to folks who are getting on in years, line dancing stimulates the memory. It involves being able to remember and to perform sequential moves. In addition, it is low-impact aerobic exercise.

I love what Eric said about Morris dancers. One of the primary differences I see between Morris dancing and line dancing is that line dancers seem to take the whole thing much too seriously. Morris dancers always seem to see a bit of humor in what they do. Heck, sometimes they are downright hilarious!