Dancing Through Bozeman

If you are anything like me, dancing in public is terrifying, but I’m always jealous of the smiles on the people who do it well. Most people won’t hit the floor until late on a Friday night, but with a little bravery you don't have to be the jealous outsider watching from afar.

I talked with Emma Mauritsen, president of the MSU Country Dancing Club which hosts monthly dances in the SUB Ballrooms where over 200 people regularly show up to let loose. "I try to pull together a community that teaches people how to be confident in themselves, being comfortable talking to people they don't know yet and also being respectful," Mauritsen said. "We try to hold the dances on campus so the students who don't have cars can attend a fun drug and alcohol-free event."

"We provide beginner dance lessons for people that come for the first 45 minutes, so people are comfortable asking someone to dance after the lesson," she said. Here, everyone learns different styles of dancing, including West Coast Swing Dancing, Country Waltzes and Two-step and Three step dances. These styles start very basic and are easy to pick up, so you will definitely have fun after the lesson when they let the music play and everyone dances freely.

Most of the events are free unless they are fundraising or it’s necessary to charge people to pay for the venue. "There's nothing else required, not even a pair of boots," Mauritsen said. These events are not on a regular schedule but can be found on the Club Instagram @countrydancemsu.

Bozeman also has some great weekly dancing events. Mauritsen shared her favorite places to dance around town:

Monday

Bar IX holds free Salsa Dancing weekly classes. This week, I went to my first class here. Having never salsa danced before, I felt nervous upon arriving. These nerves quickly faded once the dancing began. Everyone was in the same situation I was in, and we were all learning together. Salsa dancing gets technical, but the basic steps are easy to grasp, so you will always have a move or two in your pocket, and it is okay if you get lost. Partners rotate through the event, so meeting people is part of the fun. Overall, this experience was a blast.

Tuesday

The Jump in Four Corners holds small swing and two-step dances. This is the best place to show off the moves you pick up from the Country Dance Club lessons. I wasn't nervous here at all, even though I was a complete beginner to this type of dancing as well. The atmosphere was laid back and with few attendees there was plenty of room to swing.

Wednesday

This is The Jump’s real swing dancing night. I have never been myself, but Mauritsen said it’s awesome. There are lots of people to dance with, and it seems like a fun event.

Thursday

Downbeat Vintage Swing Society puts on events at Starlite Dance Studio. These include more experienced dancers but are open to beginners as well. Find more information at https://downbeatswing.com.

Saturday

Swing Cats, another dancing club on campus, asks you to "Come and dance with us every Saturday night!” They have a free intro lesson at 7 p.m. and open social dancing from 8-9:30 p.m. No partner or experience is needed.