I鈥檓 a sixth-generation Texan, and Alexsis is from rural鈥疶exas, so country dancing has always been a natural part of our surroundings.鈥�
But growing up, Alexsis never really felt comfortable dancing with guys.鈥疶hen, lo and behold, she came out as gay鈥� and the awkwardness made a lot鈥痬ore鈥痵ense.鈥�
鈥淚 wanted to give dancing another shot, but there were two problems,鈥� Alexsis said, 鈥淚 have two left feet and鈥痶here鈥痑ren鈥檛鈥痚xactly a lot of dance halls with rainbow flags hanging out front.鈥濃��
Luckily, in the heart of Dallas鈥� Oak Lawn neighborhood,鈥痶here鈥檚鈥痑 western-themed nightclub called . And almost every鈥痭ight of the week, you can pick up a country dance lesson.
Alexsis got to talk to the two Chris's behind it.鈥��
鈥淲e've鈥痓een traveling for a couple of years to the various gay country dance conventions, doing what we call hoedowns. And it got鈥痷s鈥痶hinking; we鈥痙on't鈥痟ave a鈥痟oedown鈥痠n Dallas yet,鈥� said鈥疌hris鈥疨erkic. He鈥檚 the co-founder of alongside Chris Davis.鈥�
The two鈥痓egan with a dance club,鈥痓ut as interest in queer line dancing grew, they wanted to bring people together under one group.鈥�
鈥淭here were folks who were forming groups. We started to break down those cliques and make it more cohesive. We want everyone to be part of this dance community,鈥� Davis said.
Alexsis discovered the Dallas Does Dance classes a few months ago when she was out with friends on the Cedar Springs Strip.
鈥淚鈥痙idn鈥檛鈥痟ave my boots on me then, but I came back later with them and my girlfriend,鈥� Alexsis said.鈥�
As it turns out, she could have skipped the boots. On the night we were there, most of the two dozen participants鈥攁nd the instructors鈥攚ere wearing sneakers.
If you ask the regulars,鈥痶hey鈥檒l鈥痶ell you the whole point is making everyone feel welcome 鈥� even if you show up in sneakers.鈥�
Alex Rodriguez says鈥痟e鈥檚鈥痳elatively new鈥痶o Dallas Does Dance, but鈥痟e鈥檚鈥痓een coming to Round-Up for years.鈥�
鈥淭hey're鈥痝oing to find a very, very鈥痠nclusive鈥痑nd supportive environment with鈥痓oth of鈥痶he Chris's鈥痑nd anybody that鈥痶eaches with鈥疍allas Does Dance,鈥� Rodriguez said. 鈥淭hey will make sure that no matter where you are鈥痠n鈥痽our dancing journey, you feel like鈥痽ou've鈥痑chieved something鈥痑fter every lesson.鈥濃��
While Round-Up offers dance lessons鈥痑lmost every鈥� night, Dallas Does Dance has made Tuesdays and Saturdays its own.鈥� And even for long-time members like鈥疢abo, who preferred to go by just one name, there鈥檚鈥痑lways something new to learn.鈥�
鈥淧articipants can be creative when they want to move to a more鈥痑dvanced level,鈥� Mabo said. 鈥淭here are鈥痭o limitations.鈥�
But for regulars and newcomers alike, the real draw is the people gathered around the dance floor.鈥�
鈥淭his place is welcoming,鈥� Mabo said. 鈥淚 want to鈥痙ance with everybody.鈥疭o,鈥疘'm鈥痩ooking鈥痜or old friends and new friends.鈥疕opefully,鈥痺e can dance together.鈥濃��
鈥淛ust do it,鈥� said Rodriguez. 鈥淭he instructors help every person achieve their level of comfortableness and everybody leaves the lesson feeling that they could do more going out and dancing in the wild."
鈥淚 may still have two left feet, but at least now I know a place where I feel comfortable learning and dancing with鈥痺ho鈥疘 want.鈥� Alexsis said, 鈥淎nd who knows? Maybe one鈥痙ay鈥疘鈥檒l鈥痚ven lead.鈥濃��
