Two-Step Therapy
"Town & Country" offers a chance to relax, socialize and learn some fancy footwork
“Dancing is my therapy,” says Patrick DiBattista of the DC Rawhides. “It’s how I stay adjusted. Some people go to the gym and pump iron. I go dancing.”
For DiBattista, a veteran line dancer, there’s also a sense of camaraderie, especially when he and his fellow Rawhides take over Town Danceboutique for a biweekly event on early Saturday evenings known as “Town & Country.” The event seeks to expose a new audience to structured dances like the waltz, the two-step, and west coast swing by teaching novices the basic steps and then letting them experiment.
“It’s a chance to socialize, interact, and have a fun time,” DiBattista says. “We aim to make people comfortable, even if they don’t know how to do anything.”
Each Town & Country event starts with a half-hour practice session, followed by an hour-long lesson. Following the lesson, patrons are expected to try out their new moves. Novices to the event can rely on a roving team of “Dance Angels,” who offer quick tutorials and encourage people to abandon the bar’s outer perimeter for the hardwood dance floor.
“We’re trying to keep the dances alive,” says DiBattista. “It’s very rare to see gay men holding each other while they dance. My parents grew up dancing that way…. I’m 55, but when I see two 23-year-olds dancing and holding hands, that means a lot to me.”
The central group that formed the Rawhides was essentially a collection of refugees from Remington’s, the former Capitol Hill country-western gay bar. The group approached Ed Bailey, co-owner of Town, who agreed to let them use his club as their new stomping grounds.
“Town & Country has been one of the most remarkable additions to what we do at Town,” Bailey says. “It has not only opened up the club to a whole new group of people, but has also opened up a whole new world for some of our customers who had no idea what line dancing was all about. It’s really a fun time that everyone should try at least once.
“When I tell people to try it, they look at me like I’m crazy because it’s ‘not their thing,'” Bailey continues. “But after they stop by, they always say how much fun it is, what a great time they had, and that they had no idea.”
It’s that fun, welcoming atmosphere that DiBattista thinks is one of the selling points of the event.
“We have all types of people from across the spectrum, but no attitude,” he says. “It’s the one event where I look at the pictures that have been taken, and everyone is happy, everyone is smiling.”
The next Town & Country event takes place on Saturday, April 18 at Town Danceboutique. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with lessons starting at 6:45 p.m. and open dance from 8-10:30 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/DcRawhides.
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