As a longtime lover of dance, I was excited to pick up the Feb. 1 edition of the Mountain Xpress and read “Get Your Groove On: New and Established Dance Studios and Classes Help Locals Stay Fit and Feel Great.” I was then disheartened at the many dance options not included in the write-up.
Appalachian clogging and flatfoot dance are alive and well in Western North Carolina for all ages. I regularly offer adult classes at In His Steps Dance studio downtown.
Swing Asheville offers dance lessons and open dances at the Alley Cat in West Asheville and at LEAF Global Arts.
A welcoming and energetic Latin dance scene exists at One World Brewing West on Wednesday nights with a lesson offered in advance. Club 11 on Grove and Alley Cat have Latin dance lessons and open dances, too.
Contra dances with live music happen at Warren Wilson College on Thursday nights.
Cajun and zydeco bands pass through town and draw a good crowd of dancers at the Cork & Keg Bar.
And there is Argentine tango and African dance and ballroom and ecstatic dance and more. These are all excellent ways to make social connections and for adults to move their bodies in healthy ways. I’d love to see an article that features these hidden parts of our local dance community.
— Linda Block
Fairview
Editor’s response: Thanks so much for your readership and passion about local dance. As you note, WNC’s dance community is extensive, and it wasn’t possible to feature every style in our recent story. In keeping with the focus of our wellness series, our intent was to provide a noncomprehensive sampling of local studios that approach dance with fitness in mind. We encourage you and others in the dance community to submit events to our Community Calendar at Calendar.MountainX.com.
Thanks, Linda! I agree, and would love to learn more.