It’s Friday night at Cowboys. On the first floor, lights dim and the rhythm of a familiar song starts to play.

Patrons flood the wooden dance floor in a wave of denim, country boots and western hats.

They naturally assemble in rows and, in unison, step to the beat. Some swivel their hips with flair, confident in their moves, while others face an occasional misstep, focusing too hard on the choreography. But, their faces are smiling and their hands are clapping.

There’s no shortage of line dance floors around Colorado Springs, as many bars and nightclubs seek to pay homage to country-western roots.

Since the pandemic, more have flocked to line dancing, instructor Betty Moses said. She has taught line dancing since 2005 and gives lessons at several local YMCAs and The Whiskey Baron Dance Hall & Saloon.

“A lot of change came about from COVID. We couldn’t gather in groups,” Moses said. The Whiskey Baron asked Moses to teach classes online when social distancing took effect. There, she would get viewers from around the country — and even across the world.

And when people could gather in groups again, crowds were eager to get back out on the dance floor.

“Even though it was limited — you couldn’t have very many people — it was full,” she said. “They had to set reservations to be part of the class, and the reservations were filled immediately. People were setting their telephone alarms for when the reservation book would open. And then after that, when we were able to teach, and we were all wearing masks, the floor was filled.”

Some local line dancing spots have even gone viral for showing off their moves — Copper Head Road Bar, for example, has gained more than 40,000 followers and has a line dancing video to “Church Clap” by KB with more than 9.3 million views and 1.2 million likes. Whiskey Baron Bar has also seen popularity among its line dancing clips, including more than 40,000 views on a video teaching the line dance to “Kerosene” by Miranda Lambert.

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So, what exactly is line dancing? It’s a choreographed dance among a group of people (often arranged in rows) that repeats a sequence of steps. Think “Electric Slide”, “Cupid Shuffle” or “Cotton Eye Joe”.

“Line dancing is a dance that you can do without a partner,” Moses said. “You can put the steps together to any type of music, and it’s just a fun.”

The origin of line dancing changes depending who you ask. Some believe the style of dance originated in the Wild West among European settlers performing their traditional folk dances together at barn parties and town gatherings.

Others, such as Babara Thacker, who has taught line dancing at Cowboys since 1992, heard it started among cowboys entertaining themselves around a campfire. The current style of line dancing started to gain popularity in the 1970s and ’80s with country music.

“This is what I’ve heard: Line dancing started when all the cowboys were going on cattle drives, and they needed something to do at night. When they got out, it got dark and they couldn’t work anymore, and so they sat around the campfire and decided they were going to do a little jig,” Thacker said.

Thacker, like Moses, also reported seeing an increase in interest as a result of the pandemic.

“After COVID, we have had a bigger group, because I think everybody got tired of staying home,” Thacker said. “This whole year, we have had really good numbers.”

While many line dancing hubs in the Springs still embrace those country-western roots, one can line dance to any kind of music.

“The misconception that keeps a lot of people out of line dancing is that it’s only to country music,” Moses said. “I’ve noticed that a lot of them are going to more pop music, and that attracts younger people, and we still have the crowd that has always been attracted to line dance for country music.”

Depending on the group, there are favorites that dancers just can’t resist. At The Whiskey Baron, Aaron Goodvin’s “Lonely Drum” is popular, Moses said. At Cowboys nightclub, some hits include “Church Clap” by KB and “The Wolf” by Spencer Lee Band, said club owner Tim Metcalf.

Cowboys, which opened in 1986, boasts the largest dance floor in downtown. The dance floor “is probably the most important drive” for the business, Metcalf said, noting a renewed interest in line dancing, especially to unlikely songs.

“I think it’s a lot more popular all the way around, because really, everybody in the group can do it,” Metcalf said. “And when you get it, what they’re actually doing, then it’s fun … Everybody runs to the dance floor, which is, to me, makes it fun for them.”

It helps that they’ve started teaching line dancing in schools, often in lieu of square dancing. Thacker often hosts lessons in schools, having taught at all different age levels, bringing the fun of line dancing to younger generations.

While it’s drawing a lot of younger folks to the dance floor, seniors enjoy it, too.

“Its very popular at the senior center, because no partner required, and they can socialize,” Moses said.

Because it requires memory and paying attention to what step is next, research has shown that line dancing is a good tool to fight off dementia.

“It keeps them moving; that’s why there’s so many ages that are interested in line dancing,” Thacker said.

“It gets them out, its very social, and if they enjoy dancing in general, and enjoy the music, they can get up there and join in, and dance with everybody else.”

Don’t be deceived by the pros’ ease of movement — it takes practice. Many line dance instructors will tell you the first class is the toughest.

“It connects your mind to your body. It’s a choreographed dance, and it makes you think,” Moses said.

There are different levels of line dancing, too, from absolute beginner to advanced. An absolute beginner dance will not have any complicated steps, focusing more on moving back and forth. From there, you can move into the beginner category, which features basic steps that might include a restart in the dance. Then there’s improver, which adds a few more complicated steps and harder turns.

The final two categories: intermediate and advanced. These dances are harder, and likely have different step combinations, variations and phrases throughout.

“We always tell them, don’t get frustrated. It’s just your first time. Just stick with it and pretty soon you see them smiling because they’ve learned dances and they can remember them, and they’re just having a good time,” Moses said. “That’s what I like seeing, that it’s making them happy.”

Because of the internet, it’s become more popular for individuals to create and teach their own choreography, giving dancers more options to learn, Thacker said. The most popular line dancing website releases about 400 new dances a month, Thacker said.

“Nowadays, with the internet, there are a whole slew of people that are choreographing, putting dances together,” Thacker said.

Besides the fact that line dancing is “flippin’ fun,” according to Thacker, one of the biggest draws is the social aspect.

“It’s a social event,” Moses said. “You get to talk to people as you’re there. You get to have a good time and, just like if you’re at a wedding, you want to dance and just socialize.”

And that sense of community joy is clear, especially here in the Springs. Whether learning a new dance at the YMCA, or showing off your moves on a weekend night at the Whiskey Baron, line dancing is a fun way to get moving with others.

“They put that song on, and the floor fills with everybody,” Moses said. “They never get tired of it.”