Pacific Index

Pacific student Kathy Ruiz shares her love for line dancing

   Downtown Forest Grove is typically sleepy on weekday nights, but on a recent Wednesday evening the faint sound of country music and boots scuffing across wooden floors floated into the air, rattling out from the bar and restaurant, Bullets, Burgers, and Brews. The large glass windows facing the street frame a dozen people decked out in cowboy boots and hats dancing across the floor in a mesmerizing sequence of steps. 

   A weekly ritual, this hub of dancing and entertainment includes locals as well as several Pacific students, including, Kathy Ruiz, who, over the summer, practically stumbled into the lines of dancers. “I was like, ‘wait, this looks like a blast,’” she recalls from the summer day. She decided to give it a try with a few of her coworkers and has been hooked on the hobby ever since. 

   “They gave us a business card, so I started googling and was like, ‘whoa this is a whole community,’” Ruiz explains, setting a backdrop to her history with line dancing. “So, I went over the summer and I kind of fell in love with it.” As Pacific began filling up with students, and her friends, Ruiz was determined to rope more people into pulling on their boots and hitting the dance floor. Luckily, she happens to be on a team stacked with individuals who love to dance, so she didn’t have to do much convincing. Ruiz is a member of the Boxer Spirit Squad and quickly got the bulk of the team to try out the activity. 

   Since then, the team has used this weekly activity as a chance to spend time together, strengthening their bond as friends and a team. “It’s like this whole other community,” Ruiz expresses. “Yeah, we’re friends on the Spirit Squad, and we dance, but apart from that, it’s this fun little activity that we have together where we can just be ourselves.” While many members of the squad can be spotted each Wednesday at the line dancing bar, they’re not the only Pacific students who’ve tried it out. “I’ve seen more Pacific University students, like one time we saw the whole basketball team,” she shares, painting a picture of a mass of Pacific athletes crowding the floor in their basketball sneakers. “Also, in my classes I always use line dancing as my fun fact, so I try to spread it out there.” 

   For those a bit hesitant about the hobby, line dancing isn’t just an unorganized group of people dancing to fiddles and guitars. Shirley Rossetti teaches each Wednesday night, guiding newcomers and veterans alike. Rossetti has been teaching line dancing at Bullets, Burgers, and Brews for almost two years now, and she also teaches all around the surrounding area, spreading the fun to Banks and Hillsboro. Her energetic character, paired with her patient teaching style, makes every dance fun for all levels. “I do want to spread her talent out there,” Ruiz shares, appreciating all that Rossetti has taught her. 

   “I feel like line dancing goes beyond just knowing how to dance, but knowing how to add your flavor,” Ruiz expands, explaining why she’s so eager to get more students in front of Rossetti. “I want other students to experience that because I feel like that’s special.” Ruiz has come to belief that line dancing is for everyone– even those who hate country music. “I used to be a country music hater, since I was literally born,” she says humorously. “But line dancing isn’t just country– there’s a song out there for everybody that they can learn the dance to.” Her personal favorite is a line dance to a Pitbull song, marking her point that this is an activity of all genres. 

“They also hold convention for line dancing, which is crazy because you would’ve never thought right?” Ruiz continues with a laugh. Whether it’s well known or not, Oregon is apparently a hotbed for line dancing, hosting competitions and conventions solely for the fans of the activity. “I kind of want to go, just to see what it’s all about,” she says, hinting at ways the hobby might trail into her future.

   It’s very likely that Ruiz will continue to wear her boots out every Wednesday night, but she hopes she won’t be the only one. She reassures nervous students, saying, “There’s always going to be someone there to help you learn it, whether you know them or not.”