Kudzu Country Swing Brings Swing Dancing Nights To Trenton

By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor

Photos by Lydia Berglar – Dance partners practice their moves at the first night of Kudzu Country Swing.

Sean and Savannah Park fell in love while swing dancing, and now, they’re bringing their favorite pastime to Trenton in the form of Kudzu Country Swing. Every Thursday night, the couple teaches country swing and line dancing and hosts an open dance at Trenton’s Legion Hall (13205 North Main Street).

The first night of the dance was Jan. 30. About 16 dancers joined the teaching portion of the evening, and the Parks are eager to see the relaxed, fun environment become a place where people of all ages—especially young adults looking for something to do with friends—can have a great time.

The couple met in Utah when they were college-aged. Although they had briefly met through a church group, it was a night at a swing dance that sparked a friendship which blossomed into a relationship. Sean’s friends invited him to the dance, and as he waited for the rest of his group to arrive, Savannah and her friends showed up.

Sean had never danced before—to this day, country swing is the only dancing he’ll do—but Savannah had experience, so he asked her to dance. Sean recalled, “I tried dancing with other girls, but she was way better than anyone else.”

From then on, twice a week, the pair got to know each other at the dances. Sean said, “It was kind of our date nights, and our relationship revolved around dancing.”

Country swing is related to East Coast Swing and West Coast Swing, but its distinct style is noticeable. Rather than the traditional bouncy steps of East Coast Swing, think twirls, spins, and lifts set to country music.

Without some of the tightness of West and East Coast footwork tied to rhythm, the moves in country swing flow easily to any song. Sean said, “You just kind of flow to the music rather than follow specific steps, but with the line dances, there are specific steps.”

When Sean’s family moved to Dade County to be part of Redemption to the Nations in Chattanooga, he moved with them. (Also, his mom, Carla, led the rest of the family in opening the coffee shop Za Brew).

For a year and a half, the couple dated long distance while deciding what steps to take next. Then, in the summer of 2024, Savannah moved to Dade, and the couple got married in August.

They missed their days spent with friends at a dance hall, but they still danced around the house, so they decided, “Why don’t we open it up to where everybody can come and have the experience of getting to hang out with a bunch of your friends, and learn new, cool stuff? It’s basically a better version of going out to a bar.”

Kudzu Country Swing was born, and the pair set up a website (kudzu-country-swing.square.site), social media pages (Facebook: Kudzu Country Swing, Instagram: @kudzu.country.swing, TikTok: @kudzucountryswing), and posted clips of them dancing. Word spread, and on Jan. 30, people of all ages showed up ready to learn.

For the first month or two, the Parks will run through the basic moves each week. As dancers become more experienced, the lessons will move further along, and anyone who doesn’t know a move will be able to learn from those who’ve already mastered it.

While the Parks suggest bringing friends, you can also show up without a partner. “Bring a partner if you can, and if you can’t, it’s an opportunity to meet somebody.”

Savannah said, “We want people to get out of their shell and meet new people. In our generation, people don’t know how to talk to each other,” while Sean added that he hopes more guys will become confident about asking girls to dance. If this becomes a place for young people to meet each other instead of resorting to bars or dating apps, the Parks are all for that.

The Parks often hear people—guys especially—say they have two left feet, so country swing couldn’t be for them, but Savannah said, “Trust me, we’ve been there. We also did not know how to do it at all, but once you learn the basics, it’s really easy to catch on.”

Keep an eye on the Kudzu social media pages, because the Parks might post their first dance video from years ago. Sean laughed, “I was horrible. I was just there to have fun, meet friends, and hang out, but as I got more comfortable, I got out of my shell.”

The class starts at 6:30 each Thursday evening, and the open dance starts at 7:30 and goes until 9:30, so come at any point in the evening. To cover the rental cost of the legion hall, the open dance costs $8, and the class and open dance together costs $12.

Keep in mind that smoking, vaping, and drinking aren’t allowed, and you must be 16 years or older to attend. Some of the songs may include cursing and/or adult themes, and (as Sean said), “We figure if you’re 16, you can drive yourself and be responsible for yourself.”

They will plan some family nights so younger kids can come with parents, but otherwise, kids underfoot would prove detrimental to dancers.

If the event becomes extremely popular and crowded enough, the Parks might add another night. If a major holiday falls on a Thursday or the Parks are out of town, anticipate the dance to take a week off, so follow along on social media to stay up to date.

Sean concluded, “It’s a super easy activity to learn, and you’ll know it for the rest of your life.” They met some of their best friends while swing dancing back in Utah, and they hope Kudzu Country Swing will foster similar friendships in Dade County and the surrounding area.