Janelle Authur
Western dancers kicked off the holiday season stepping out and scootin’ to the live country music of Clear Country on Dec. 5, 2025. Decked out in red or “something sparkly,” 80+ dancers joined in, with plenty of room to show off their dance skills on the newly-expanded Sol Ballroom dance floor.
Recognizing the popularity of Western dancing, the SBR Social Dance Club began offering monthly Western dances in September 2021. Since then, the monthly dances feature some of the best country music talent in Southern Arizona.
New bands are sprinkled in with favorites, with a new band—the Mark Miller Band—already scheduled for Friday, Jan. 9. Winner of Tucson Weekly’s 2022 “Best Country Band,” the Mark Miller Band was the house band at Tucson’s Maverick Club for three years, appeared at Florence’s Country Thunder, and currently plays at the most respected country music venues all over Southern Arizona.
Each monthly Western dance includes a door prize, with entry requirements that change each month—such as cowboy boots, hats, or jeans, or something in a specific color or pattern. For December, dancers who wore “something red or sparkly” were eligible for the drawing. SaddleBrooke resident Barry Sheppard won a gift card to Home Depot.
All levels of dancers are welcome at the monthly dances. We dance a variety of dance styles, including the Two-Step, waltz, cha cha, swing, partner pattern, 3-step, the Barn Dance, and a Western line dance or two. We wind down the evening with a tribute to our adopted state of Arizona, with dancers partnering up for “I Love You Arizona.”
For those Ranchers who are new to dancing or want a total refresh, the club is offering Arizona Two-Step and Western Waltz lessons beginning in mid-January 2026. For more information on the Western dances, schedule, and/or lessons, go to the club’s website at sbrsbdc.club.
See you on the dance floor!