Janelle Authur
Western dancers donned their Happy Faces and celebrated four years of Western dancing at the Ranch on Sept. 5. Eighty-plus dancers boogied to the country music of Wild Ride, with plenty of room to step out on the newly expanded dance floor.
With an informal motto of “Western dancers are the happiest people at the Ranch,” the theme of Happy Faces was an easy choice for the four-year celebration. Happy Face balloon bouquets decorated the registration table and stage, dancers received a big yellow Happy Face sticker as they arrived, and tables were decorated with black bandanas stamped with yellow Happy Faces.
Recognizing the popularity of Western dancing, the SaddleBrooke Ranch Social Dance Club began offering monthly Western dances in September 2021, with DJ dances in September and October. Live bands were added in November 2021, with Wild Ride the first country band to take the Sol Ballroom stage. Since then, the monthly dances have featured seven different area bands, showcasing some of the best country music talent in Southern Arizona. New bands are sprinkled in, with two new bands—the Mark Miller Band and the Jessee Colt Band—already scheduled for early 2026.
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 September, dancers who “put on a Happy Face” when they registered, i.e., their Happy Face sticker, were eligible for the drawing. Ranch resident Betty Seberger won a four-pack of Ranch beer.
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 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 refresh, the club also offers Arizona Two-Step, Western Waltz, partner pattern, and swing dance lessons in the fall and winter/spring. 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!