Country Dancing

Before I learned to dance, I thought country dancing was line dancing. After I became more educated, I realized country-western dancing is an entire category just like swing, latin, and ballroom.

In my country learning I first discovered western swing, which incorporates lots of fancy footwork, including square dances step and stomps and taps with steel toed boots (hey…there’s a reason for those metal tips). I love the western look, and Gary and I in the process of transplanting some of their moves into our swing. Country dancing also includes the Texas two step, which we also want to learn someday.

Here’s a vid of country swing; move it up to about 1:43 where the swing dancing starts:



So I knew about those. But at Mikes’ Dance Barn last night in Nashville, In. Gary and I saw some fabulous dances that we’d never seen before. The Smooth Country Band took the stage and were very good. First, we observed, flat out, the BEST Texas two steppers we’d ever seen. The couple was older and it was obvious they’d been doing it a long time. They were smooth as silk and perfectly in time with one another. Wow.

We also witnessed some very cool western tap dancing…I don’t know what else to call it, picture Jed Clampett doing his jig on the front porch. VERY intricate, reminded me also of Irish step dancing. It was done as one of their line dances. We also saw a country polka-like dance (picture below), a samba-ish line dance, and another line dance that almost looked like the lindy. There were some varieties of the two step I’d never seen before either. All dances were expertly done, difficult, and unique.


Here's a picture of three people doing the country polka:



For me, dancing is most fun “in the wild”, as Gary would say; places where dancing occurs as part of a particular culture. Last night at Mike’s Dance Barn was no exception…the music was hard core country twang, the crowd was beer swilling and woo-hooing, paintings of boots and cows rimmed the wall. And if you think that means sticky floors and dirty tables that wasn't the case. The place was very pretty, and the dance floor was huge and well maintained. The dancers were a joy to watch.

We weren't smacked on the back and hugged when we arrived (and I wouldn't have wanted that anyway), but we received polite nods as we made our way to a table. With dancing in the wild we’ve found if you are respectful of their thing and at least try to blend in everyone accepts everyone else. At the first break the leader of the band shook Gary’s hand and welcomed us. Our swing was different from what everyone else was doing, but as I made my way to the ladies room a guy said “hey darlin’, nice swingin’.” As we left a dude (and he really was a dude) on the back step said “you’all have a good night. “

Yakkity Yak; we’ll be back.