18 counts is the widely used shortened version
The Electric Slide is often passed on as a simple party dance. However, the name does not refer to the same sequence of steps everywhere. This guide specifically covers the widely used 18-count version, not Ric Silver's original choreography with 22 counts. Silver developed his dance in 1976. The shortened sequence leaves out part of the original, so it should not be presented as the unchanged original version.
Knowing the difference is useful as you get started: if someone dances an extra passage, it does not necessarily mean they have miscounted. Stick to one version while practicing. This one combines side steps, backward steps, forward and backward accents, and a final turn to the left into a single round. If you need to, you can read about the step terminology in Line Dance Steps as Clear Building Blocks.
A round has 18 beats, so it does not end in the same place each time within a musical four- or eight-beat phrase. Keep counting instead of starting over at the next downbeat. “Four walls” means four directions to face, not four actual walls: after each round, you turn 90 degrees to the left. The same works in a dance space. For a comparison with other sequences, see the overview Line Dance Dances from Country to Pop.
