Two years ago, COVID-19 was still fresh and the need to get out of the house was strong.
In her boredom Jessica Weitz searched “Adult Dance Classes” and three options popped up: hip hop, pole dancing and line dancing. She choose line dancing.
“There’s nothing cooler than getting on the floor, doing a complicated or impressive dance with five or 10 other people and having folks on the outskirts going, ‘wow,’” said Weitz.
The unique dancing style has seen a resurgence in Durham Region with local businesses popping up to meet the growing interest.
Known for its close-knit community, a recent study into line dancing found that the activity is more than just fun— it improves both physical and mental health.
Benefits of line dancing
A 2025 study in Issues in Mental Health Nursing, reviewed the effects line dancing had on mental, physical, social and cognitive health.
The findings suggested the activity improved physical health, enhancing balance, coordination and cardiovascular fitness, while also reducing depression and anxiety symptoms.
For dancers such as Weitz, it’s the people that keep bringing her back.
“It’s just a really warm, welcoming and inclusive community,” she said. “They just want to make sure that you’re having a good time.”
Resurgence of line dancing in Durham
Cheatin’ Hearts, a business that offers line dancing lessons, began out of a small community legion in Claremont, Ont.
Co-owners Sandra Didomenico and Antonietta Botticelli saw there weren’t many places to go dancing, so they decided to open their own company.
Three years later and they’re travelling all over the GTA.
“Our growth has been pretty tremendous.” said Didomenico.
Weitz has taken classes all over the region but her lessons with Botticelli stood out.
“I think Antonietta is hard to miss on the dance floor,” said Weitz. “[Botticelli] just really makes sure that you’re ready to dance or feel included in a song.”
Many people attribute the mainstream popularity of line dancing to the 1980s and 90s, says Hips Don’t Lie, a line dancing company. But Botticelli and Didomenico suggest its recent revival comes down to a change in music.
“You can do it to it to Jason Derulo, you can do it to Pitbull, so they younger generation is enjoying the country line dancing but it’s not really country music,” said Botticelli.
In recent years, traditional hip-hop and R&B artists such as Beyonce and Post Malone have experimented with the genre, producing country albums such as “Cowboy Carter” and “F-1 Trillion.”
Other big pop artists such as Sabrina Carpenter have leaned into the genre by collaborating with Dolly Parton in a new version of her hit song “Please Please Please.”
Now, there are several businesses across the region that offer line dancing: the Trail Hub in Uxbridge, Hampton Community Hall in Bowmanville, and even the Senior Community Centre in Oshawa.
“My favourite part is seeing people excel and feel empowered,” said Didomenico. “They just walk away with the biggest smile, and they feel really good about themselves.”