Page 10 Community Connections, September, 1991
Western Dance
Is a Hit in Asheville
by Barry Ward
"Grab your partner, doe-si-doe. Get
on the floor for Cotton-eyed Joe!"
This call brings dozens of folks to
their feet every Wednesday and Sunday
evening at O.Henry’s. And if you’ve
ever wondered about terms like "San
Antonio Stroll," "Wooden Nickel," "Roll
Up The Rug," and "Tush-Push," maybe
you should drop by one of these evenings
and check out what has emerged as one of
community’s fastest growing outlets for
fun and recreation.
It started as a small group of friends
interested in learning the Texas Two-Step
and western-style line dances. Now
known as Southern Country Asheville, the
group has more than 30 official members
and as many as 150 more people who
have come out on occasion to kick up
their heels to country music and to learn
new and fascinating ways to dance.
The president of Southern Country is
Mark Goldberg, who moved to Asheville
from Miami with his friend Steve
Harrelson early last spring. Both Mark
and Steve have been involved in gay
square dancing for more than eight years.
One of the first things they did after
moving here was to look for country
music and western dancing at all the
clubs. On their first night out, they were
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pretty dismayed, because they found none.
Then, the next night, they walked into
Trax and there were some guys doing
two-step. Mark recalls that "they weren’t
quite doing it right, but they were trying."
Mark and Steve pitched in and the
rest is history. Their arrival in Asheville
was a bit of good fortune, since Mark has
instructed and coached winning teams in
Western Dance competition. As word
spread, the number of regular dancers
grew.
In late May, the group organized as a
non-profit "western dance and social
club," and as an affiliate with Southern
Country, an umbrella organization with
chapters in several cities including
Atlanta, Chattanooga,. Nashville,
Columbia and Charlotte.
Many western dance groups restrict
their membership to men. But Southern
Country Asheville actively encourages
womyn dancers. Several womyn are now
members, and even more occasionally join
the group on dance nights. The policy is
very much open door and everyone who is
interested in learning western dance is
welcome.
One person who has danced with the
group on several occasions, had this to
say: "I’ve never come to any group where
16 All Souls Crescent
Suite 2
Asheville, NC 28803
A popular line dance is the western version of the Waltz.
I have been made to" feel more welcome,
where everyone seemed genuinely
interested in seeing to it that I had a good
time. These people are like a family and
they make you feel a part of everything
that is happening."
According to Mark, the group is
dedicated to the enjoyment of the dance,
to continually learn new dances, and to
take pleasure in each other’s company.
"Since there is already a variety of
organizations in the community devoted to
political issues, we are purely a social
organization," he said. "Of course, we
are interested in and supportive of the
great work that is being done on behalf of
the gay and lesbian community, and one
of our goals is to participate in appropriate
fundraisers for these organizations."
Southern Country Asheville has had a
busy summer. The group’s first public
exhibition occurred during Asheville’s Gay
Pride Festival with a performance at the
SALGA dance held at The Green Door.
Since then, the group has performed at
two benefits for the Western North
Carolina AIDS Project, both held at
O.Henry’s. A "coming out" hoe-down
was held in June with nearly 200 people
attending over the course of the evening.
The group travelled to Charlotte to help
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get that Southern Country chapter off the
ground. And a group trip was made to
Atlanta to help celebrate that chapter’s
anniversary.
Southern Country Asheville is
planning another Hoe-Down and an
official "Beginners’ Night" at O.Henry’s,
starting at 8 PM on September 14. The
free event is open to everyone and will
include entertainment, a "graduation" for
the more advanced dancers, another spicy
buffet, and, as always, free dance lessons.
Special attention will be given to folks
who want to try western dance for the
first time.
An even larger event, with
participation from Southern Country
groups from all over the Southeast, will
be held in October. It is anticipated that
the October event will bring 150 to 200
out-of-town dancers to Asheville.
"Western dance can be done by
anyone," says Mark. "We have dancers
at all levels, from beginners to advanced,
and we dedicate a portion of every
Wednesday evening especially for those
who are coming for the first time or are
fairly new. We don’t want anyone to feel
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