Line dance tutorial

Rockin' The Wagon Wheel

Danced to Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker.

Beginner4 wall32 countJamie Marshall

Predicted to play at Jaxson

Tempo — start slow, build up

Run the whole dance to the music, top to bottom — full speed, no stopping. The real test.

Play to the music
Dancing to the track

Full dance, full speed, to the track. The real test.

Built for learning, not watching

Learn an 8-count, then stack it
BUILD UP
two downworking on this one

Get one 8-count down, add the next, run them together.

Loop the hard part
LOOP
full dancerepeating this bit

Pick the part you keep blowing and run it on repeat.

Keep track of what you've got
PROGRESS
3 Tequila Floor
Pieces to the Puzzle
Country Girl Stomp

Every dance sits in one of three buckets. Yours to move.

Bars that play it

Every bar has its go-to setlist

Here's where this one shows up.

Jaxson
San Francisco · Thursdays & Sundays

Also on those floors

The rest of their setlist

Rockin' The Wagon Wheelthis page
After PartyIntermediate
Honkytonk WayIntermediate
High ClassIntermediate
Browse all dances

More on the Rockin' The Wagon Wheel line dance

How to do the Rockin' The Wagon Wheel line dance

Full step sheet — all counts written out+
1-8

Counts 1-8

1-3lock step forward — step right, lock left behind, step right
4scuff left forward
5-7lock step left — step left to side, lock right behind, step left
8scuff right forward
9-16

Counts 9-16

1-2cross right over left on ball, drop to right heel
3-4step back left, drop to left heel
5-6right toe, right heel (turning quarter right)
7-8left toe, left heel (now facing the new wall)
17-24

Counts 17-24

1-2mambo right — rock right out, recover onto left
3-4step right together, clap
5-6mambo left — rock left out, recover onto right
7-8step left together, clap
25-32

Counts 25-32

1-2rock right forward, recover back onto left
3-4rock right back, recover forward onto left
5-6rock right forward, recover back onto left
7-8rock right back, recover forward onto left

Counts written by Walls from the tutorial above. Original choreography by Jamie Marshall.

Questions people ask

What song is the Rockin' The Wagon Wheel line dance danced to?+

The Rockin' The Wagon Wheel is most commonly danced to “Wagon Wheel” by Darius Rucker. It's also danced to “Done Deal” by Fireside Collective.

How many counts is the Rockin' The Wagon Wheel line dance?+

32 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.

Is the Rockin' The Wagon Wheel a beginner line dance?+

Yes, the Rockin' The Wagon Wheel is rated beginner. It's a good early dance to learn. Get the counts down at a slow tempo and the rest follows.

Do you need a partner to dance the Rockin' The Wagon Wheel?+

No. Like every line dance, the Rockin' The Wagon Wheel is danced solo in rows. Everyone does the same steps facing the same way, so you can join in without a partner.

How do I practice the Rockin' The Wagon Wheel at home?+

Slow the tutorial to 70–75% speed and drill one 8-count at a time. Once each section feels automatic, chain two together, then run the whole dance to music. The player on this page lets you loop any 8-count and adjust speed without leaving the page.

What is a line dance?+

A line dance is a choreographed sequence danced solo in rows. Everyone does the same steps facing the same way, no partner needed. The Rockin' The Wagon Wheel repeats the same 32-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.