As Ernest Tubbs' 1965 country classic "Waltz Across Texas" gently echoes throughout the hall, the shh-shh of cowboy boots sliding across polished wood can be heard.
Dancers are learning the moves of country and western dance under the tutelage of instructor Virgil Hedrich on Wednesday nights at the West Fargo VFW.
The Texas two-step, the country swing, line dances and the triple step are among the moves being taught to couples who switch partners frequently during the class from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. An open dance time follows until 10 p.m.
Country and western dance originated in the late 1930s in America's midsection, but it was then called western swing. That genre had its musical roots in rural folk music. It used the fiddle as a dominant instrument and also added electrically amplified string instruments, such as the steel guitar, coupled with a more freewheeling, improvisational approach than the highly arranged horn music that was popular at the time.
This form of dance was brought to the masses from the mid-'30s to the mid-'40s with the advent of live radio broadcasting and as band pioneer Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys regularly played to huge crowds - up to 6,000 people - during weekly shows from Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, Okla.
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This form has morphed into modern day country-western dance, which has also influenced rockabilly and rock 'n' roll. The original name of rock 'n' roll pioneer Bill Haley and the Comets' band was Bill Haley and The Four Aces of Western Swing. Then, in 1980, the blockbuster movie "Urban Cowboy," starring John Travolta, fueled a country dance revival including a shift in the cowboy fashion of the day. Country and western music and culture remains popular to this day.
If you're interested in learning or brushing up on dance moves, just show up Wednesday nights at the West Fargo VFW with $5 or call 233-0375 for more information.
