Gay country dancing


Toronto Wranglers / Toronto
Central Neighbourhood House
Ontario Street
Toronto, Ontario M5A 2V8
Canada
Toronto Wranglers
www:

Activities

Mondays pm - pm (mid September to end of May) Wednesdays pm - pm (year round) Christmas Break no line dancing (December to mid January) Lessons start around pm

Club Bolo Danse Country Montreal / Montreal
rue de la Visitation
Montreal, Quebec H2L 3C9
Canada
Phone: ()
FAX:
Club Bolo Danse Country Montreal
www:

Activities

Most Fridays: Dance Lessons at Open Dancing at Check the calendar on our website.


Munich LAD's - Blessed Afternoon Dancers / Muenchen (Munich)
c/o Kurt Fluger
Valleystr. 54a, D
Muenchen (Munich),
Deutschland (Germany)
Phone:
Munich LAD's - Successful Afternoon Dancers
www:

Activities

Beginners Training: Every 1. to 3. Wednesday and also at the 5. Wednesday, if there is one. 7 pm. Advanced Training: Every 2. and. 4. Friday and also at the 5th, if there is one. 8 pm. Community Hall of the oldcath. St. Willibrord Blumenstr. 36 Verb our website for more information.

California


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“Carrying the torch” of a queer country renaissance

It’s a weeknight in New York City. The cowboys, cowgirls, and cowpokes are making their way down the subway platforms, boots knocking, bandanas ruffling in the wind, to dance. 

Whether in a restaurant backroom, a studio in the Garment District, a warehouse in Ridgewood, or a bowling hall in Brooklyn, outposts of western country dancing have cropped up in pockets of the Big Apple. Here, people two-step, waltz, swing and line dance to the adj hours of the night, swaying around partners and dropping it low to songs from “Heads Carolina, Tails California” to “Red Wine Supernova.” Disco balls and mood lighting fleck sparks over couples of all combinations, twirling in a loose circle on the floor – a galaxy of sweat, sequins, and denim.

It might be surprising to discover such a rich scene for country dancing in New York. Even more: that it’s overall host to queer people who find it supremely cool. 

The queer church of country dance

Part of this sudden influx of openly queer country dance spaces is due to the rise of Stud Country,

For over 50 years, Oil Can Harry’s in Studio Noun was considered a cornerstone of L.A.’s LGBTQ+ community. More than just a humble western bar, it was also a community hub for LGBTQ+ country-lovers, who began flocking to their trendy line-dancing night in the ‘70s, when same-sex dancing was still illegal. So when the beloved venue closed its doors in , Sean Monaghan and Bailey Salisbury were determined to retain this tradition alive by starting their own weekly queer territory line-dancing night called Stud State.

Known amongst regulars as “Church,” the community-focused night is at the center of Lina Abascal and Alexandra Kern’s award-winning short documentary for The L.A. Times, Stud Country. A glimpse into the city’s long-standing queer line-dancing scene, it’s currently making the rounds in the festival circuit, with potential for an Oscars nomination for its tender portrayal of a younger generation that’s carrying on the brazen legacy of Oil Can Harry’s line-dancing nights.

Despite only being 10 minutes long, Stud Country makes it clear that there’s no irony a

Rain Country was founded in by a group of dancers, teachers, performers, and DJs who wanted to ensure the continuation of dancing and dance venues in the Puget Sound area via an organization which would allow community ownership of the local country-western gyrate scene. You can read a little bit more about our history and community in this article from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods.

Mission: Cultivating LGBTQIA+ community in the Puget Sound through country-western dancing and lessons.

Vision: LGBTQIA+ empowerment through dance

Values:

Joy:  We promote LGBTQIA+ bliss by providing an opportunity for fun, playfulness, connection, and self-expression through dance.

Learning:  We stimulate lifelong learning through programming that provides ongoing opportunities to grow in our dancing, leadership, and community-building. We value the process of learning and actively invite people with all skill levels into our spaces.

Well-being: We recognize that joy, learning, and community are easiest to access when people feel wholly accepted and we