Dock of The Bay

The Dock of The Bay is most commonly danced to “(Sittin' On The) Dock of the Bay” by Joe Sample & Nils Landgren. Any upbeat track in a similar tempo works once you know the steps.

64 counts across 4 walls. The same sequence repeats, rotating 90° to face a new wall each time until you're back to where you started.

Yes, the Dock of The Bay is rated improver. If you're new to line dancing, get comfortable with basic grapevines and triple steps first, then drill it one 8-count at a time.

No. Like every line dance, the Dock of The Bay is danced solo in rows. Everyone does the same steps facing the same way, so you can join in without a partner.

Slow the tutorial video on this page to 70–75% speed in YouTube's settings and drill one 8-count at a time. Once each section feels automatic, chain two together, then run the whole dance to music.

A line dance is a choreographed sequence danced solo in rows. Everyone does the same steps facing the same way, no partner needed. The Dock of The Bay repeats the same 64-count sequence, turning to face a new wall each time through. Once the counts click, you can join in the moment the song comes on.