But this is my first rodeo! What’s the deal with line dancing?
Written by Edith Manfred. Graphic by Ana Vergara.
A craze has taken over the Hive: line dancing. Ever since winter quarter began, it’s felt like every Friday night I’ve watched throngs of Hive dwellers flock out to Clyde Market to participate in the weekly “Southern Stomps” line dancing event. I ventured out in early March to see for myself what the big deal was. Like so many other SCAD freshmen, I was invited by a friend who’s an avid line dancer and finally caved to put on my best plaid button up and try it out. While the atmosphere was exciting and fun, the line dancing itself was confusing and slightly stressful as an eager first timer. I went into it with little context for learning any dancing in general so the tutorials that the line dancing teachers offer in the first hour of every week’s session are very helpful to rookies like myself. If you’ve never line danced before, never fear, as the first hour of each week is spent teaching specific songs’ dances step by step. After getting over the initial intimidation, I danced the night away with my friends and got to enjoy the electric environment of Clyde’s Southern Stomps.
Upon questioning line dancing fiends Chandler and Avery, it became clear that line dancing was a weekly routine instantly after their first time at Clyde. There’s a rush to learning a new skill and being able to almost instantly see your progress on the dance floor. By learning new dances each week, they’re able to build up a repertoire and participate more each time they go. The feeling of accomplishment Avery gets each time she remembers the last week’s dance and is able to follow along with the teachers gives her a confidence boost and motivation to keep learning and having fun. Clyde Market also offers a unique environment of non-SCAD affiliated events while being in close proximity to the Hive, making it an ideal walkable weekend hang out spot.
At this point, eBay is probably significantly kept afloat by SCAD freshman buying metallic pink cowboy books specifically for these two hours a week. Dressing up for line dancing is half the fun, or at least so it appeared to me as I stood on the sidelines trying to make heads or tails of the choreography in front of me. Clyde often has themes for each weekend’s dances, such as green for St. Patrick’s day and white lies. Both Chandler and Avery admitted to having bought cowboy boots specifically for these line dancing events. Putting on your best southern country attire, whether or not it’s warranted by your home culture, adds an element of fashion and fun to the weekly pilgrimage.
Clyde Market’s weekly Southern Stomps event gave me insight into the unique world of collegiate and post-collegiate line dancing, and who knew it could be so addicting? Whether you’re a rookie buckaroo like myself or a seasoned cattleman, line dancing offers an escape from our regular art school regime and a glimpse into the exciting world of synchronized dancing to the hottest new country tracks.
For more event information: https://www.theclydemarket.com/events
Edith is a Documentary Photography major with a minor in Art History, as well as a part of Cross Country and Track & Field teams. Outside of writing and taking photos for District, you’ll probably find her running long distances on the streets of Savannah, updating her blog, or talking about that new podcast she just listened to… again.
