The Stroll line dance is a fun, social way to boogie down and burn calories.
Made popular by dancers on Dick Clark’s iconic TV show American Bandstand, the Stroll line dance became part of pop culture in the 1950s. Today the Stroll is one of the few line dances from the 50s that is still danced.
The Stroll line dance starts with two lines of people: males on one side, females on the other. They face each other and move in place to the music. In the lines, the dancers perform a basic step. Each time the step is complete, the whole line advances.
When they reach the front of the line, each couple pairs off, steps into the lane, and does a more elaborate dance up and down between the two rows of dancers. At the end of the lane, the dancers rejoin their rows. The dance is fairly simple, and it’s easy enough for any beginner.
When it was first on American Bandstand, the Stroll line dance was performed to Chuck Willis’ song “C.C. Ryder.” The song became so popular that Willis was actually dubbed “King of the Stroll.”
While the Stroll can actually be performed to any slow rhythm and blues or swing music, several other songs are notable Stroll favorites. Link Wray’s 1958 instrumental guitar hit “Rumble” and The Diamonds’ “The Stroll” are among these songs. In fact, it was Dick Clark who personally asked The Diamonds—best known for their hit “Little Darlin’” to create a song just for the Stroll line dance after Willis’ “C.C. Ryder” had such success.
Since the stroll line dance is a relatively slow dance, you won’t torch calories doing it. It’s estimated that a 150-pound person can burn about 250 calories and hour doing the Stroll.
While it isn’t the biggest calorie-burner, there are still many benefits to doing the Stroll—or any dance—on a regular basis.
Mayo Clinic researchers have reported that dancing is beneficial way to get fit that reduces stress, increases energy, improves strength, and also develops muscle tone and coordination. As a form of aerobic exercise, dancing regularly can also lower your risk for coronary heart disease and decrease blood pressure.
Dancing is a uniquely beneficial type of exercise because it not only provides physical health benefits since it’s aerobic, but also provides mental health benefits. Social dances like the Stroll line dance can help alleviate the affects of depression, anxiety, stress, and loneliness.
In fact, a 21-year study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested that dancing can be especially good exercise for the elderly. Engaging in social dance activity was linked to reduced that risk for dementia and Alzheimers.
But people of any age can benefit from dancing, both as a fun way to get fit and stimulate the mind.