Saturday, Sept. 21, the College of William and Mary’s Sunken Garden sported a fun-filled afternoon of student-led line dancing and live performances. The event was hosted by Homebrew, a committee within Alma Mater Productions that specializes in artistic performances that allow students to showcase their talents in front of a casual audience. This time, there was a twist — the audience had the opportunity to learn the dances, too, with the help of students from the College’s Line Dancing Club.
AMP member Benjamin Pearson ’26, who has been a part of the organization since his freshman fall, was excited to share the thought process behind this interactive event.
“We wanted something that everyone can participate in because a lot of our events have a performer, and then you’re just kind of sitting there watching,” Pearson said. “This way, you can get up, get moving and everyone can be involved.”
Indeed, scarcely any students were found sitting on the sidelines. A large speaker blared country favorites, and a stage was set up in the front for members of the Line Dancing Club to show eager students the moves to the songs. A tent well-stocked with snacks, stickers and free cowbells added to the western-themed atmosphere. The Sunken Garden was filled with the delighted laughter of amateurs and seasoned veterans alike, as they practiced popular dances like “Mr. Weatherall” and “Cotton-Eyed Joe.” Many attendees highlighted their excitement over the event, especially the parts that held connections to their families or hometowns.
“I grew up in Ohio, so line dancing is part of my culture,” attendee Helen Tiffin ’26 said. “I grew up knowing different versions of the songs, and so learning the other versions has been my favorite part, and the fact that it brings the community together.”
Tiffin was excited about this opportunity to get involved, and specifically noted the social and community-building aspect of it as well.
“I think it’s a good chance to meet new people, and it gets people to have conversations more easily because a lot of that pressure is taken away,” Tiffin said. “I’m a junior, but when I was a freshman, I searched all the clubs, and I didn’t see that the Line Dancing Club existed, and my heart broke a little bit, so when I saw that it was here this semester, I made all my friends sign up.”
Event attendee Ellie Laanisto ’28 had similar thoughts, citing family as the primary reason for her initial interest.
“I’d never really tried line dancing. My mom and grandmother did it a lot, but I didn’t really know what it was,” Laanisto said. “It was fun to get to see what it was actually about.”
Laanisto had also signed up for the Line Dancing Club but had only been to one of the meetings, so she enjoyed the chance to learn new dances while also practicing old ones.
“We did one of the dances that I learned before, ‘Country Girl Shake it For Me,’ and then another dance, ‘Flex,’ which I had never learned before, so I thought that was really fun,” Laanisto said.
The first half of the event was centered around these student-led dancing lessons, but the second half focused on performances, which is the more traditional style of AMP Homebrews. Caris Kyte ’27, one of the performers, picked “Angry Country Women” as her theme. The singer performed “Church Bells” by Carrie Underwood, “Picture to Burn” by Taylor Swift, “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town and “Done” by Lady A. It was, based on the reactions of the crowd, a resounding success, and the country favorites aligned with the earlier line-dancing festivities.
Laanisto, for her part, shared how interactive events like this one benefit the College community.
“I think it’s a great way to connect with friends but also meet new people, which is super fun,” Laanisto said.
Many attendees mentioned that the event was a fun way to meet new people and take a break from piles of work, and AMP organizers also hoped that it served as an introduction to all the opportunities to get involved in Homebrew.
“Our primary hope is that they’re going to sign up for our Homebrew in October next month, and we always need more performers,” Pearson said. “Typically, we have more for the events later in the year, just because the freshman aren’t totally aware of different things closer to the beginning.”
Overall, the event was seen as an incredible success by both event attendees and organizers alike, and, for AMP, will hopefully be one of many more fun festivities to come.
