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Line dancing heats up Line dancers kick up their boots to ‘High Horse’ by Kacey Musgraves at Boot Scootin Rodeo on Bourbon Street during a Stomp Shack party. PHOTO BY CHELSEA SHANNON
PHOTO BY CHELSEA SHANNON
Margaret Branson dances at Boot Scootin Rodeo on Bourbon Street during a Stomp Shack party.
Line dancing is drawing crowds in a variety of spaces BY CELESTE TURNER Contributing writer
Line dancing is having a genuine revival, particularly in recent years. Classes and events are popping up in community centers, fitness programs and venues across the New Orleans area, with growing participation among younger adults and LGBTQ+ communities. Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have introduced line dancing to new audiences through viral videos and dance trends. Instructor Haley Rowe-Kadow has seen the resurgence firsthand at the regular events and practices she hosts at dance studios, parks, bars and other locations. She has found new dancers primarily through her Instagram account, @stompshack, since 2025. “It’s a combination of the uptick in popularity of country music and the visibility line dancing now has with social media apps,” Rowe-Kadow said. “It looks fun when you’re watching videos online.” The resurgence also coincides with the growing popularity of country music and Western culture, as seen in fashion trends and artists such as Beyoncé, who brought the Americana sound to new listeners with “Cowboy Carter.” And after the COVID-19 pandemic, more people started seeking out in-person activities, making line dancing an appealing option that combines exercise, community and low-pressure socializing. Studio Shakti owner Karla Marie “Karlita” Cochran, a dance instructor since 2007, has been offering classes at the Faubourg Marigny studio since it opened in February 2025 and noted that line dancing has gained popularity on TikTok and Instagram. “Yes, Beyoncé’s ‘Boots on the Ground’ was a genuine
STAFF PHOTO BY ENAN CHEDIAK
Susan ‘Susie Q’ Bailey, left, leads a line dancing class at the Edward A. Dufresne Community Center in Luling on June 3. cultural flashpoint,” Cochran said. “It introduced line dancing to a whole new audience.” Beyoncé toured in support of her country album “Cowboy Carter” between April and July 2025, and included a routine for “Boots on the Ground” by 803Fresh, Douglas Furtick, that sparked interest in line dancing among many. Cochran, a member of the Krewe of Dolly and an Egyptian belly dance instructor, said the routine sparked her krewe’s interest in line dancing. “For me personally, it started there,” Cochran said. “When we heard that song for the first time in the krewe, everyone immediately wanted to learn it.” Fueled by a strong sense of community, line dancing has grown in popularity and spread to local festivals. Darri Thomas, known as “Lady D,” is an attorney by trade who now works full-time as a line dance instructor and organizes the annual four-day NOLA Line Dance Fest at the Astor Crowne Plaza, scheduled for June 25-28. “I am celebrating my 15th anniversary of teaching
line dancing,” said Thomas, who travels internationally to teach and currently leads line dance classes twice a month at Stonebridge Country Club. “Anyone can come. We have vendors, instructional workshops, fitness classes, health chats, and a health and wellness expo. All ethnicities participate.” With 650 attendees already registered for the NOLA Line Dance Fest, Thomas expects a large crowd ranging in age from 18 to 80. “If you can walk, you can dance,” Thomas said.
‘I’m not a good dancer’ With no partner required, line dancing is an approachable option for beginners and solo participants. Dancers perform synchronized routines based on repeating step patterns. Rowe-Kadow teaches beginner and intermediate classes at Dance Quarter Studio on Toledano Street and offers a free Sunday session at 2 p.m. in Woldenberg Park, City Park, and other locations.
ä See DANCING, page 4G
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ä See HEARTWORM, page 2G
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