SYRACUSE, NY— On Wednesday nights in Syracuse, the sound of boots tapping fills Middle Ages Brewery. What starts as a line dancing lesson turns into a full dance floor, where beginners and experienced dancers move side by side during an event known as Boots at the Brewery.
Hosted weekly at the brewery, the event combines step-by-step instruction with open dancing, giving people a chance to learn before joining the full group. The setup is meant to be approachable, especially for anyone who has never tried line dancing before.
Julianna Fahrenz, who founded the event, said the idea for bringing line dancing to Syracuse started after her mother encouraged her to try it herself.
“I caught the bug,” Fahrenz said. “And next thing you know, a year and a half later, when I started my own business, I was like, we don’t have this here. We don’t have a place that’s low pressure, low commitment, and you can just come hang out with your friends, dance or not, but just have a good time. And especially on a weeknight, I think that’s exactly what Syracuse needed.”
Each week, instructor Greg Hale walks dancers through steps before music picks up and open dancing begins. Music ranges from country to pop and rap, showing how line dancing has grown while still keeping its country roots.
Fahrenz said part of the event’s draw is how many different age groups show up.
“You can bring your sister, you can bring your mom,” she said. “It’s something we can all do. It’s not just one age. That’s why line dancing has taken off the way it has, because it is a community. We all can hang out and there’s no pressure to dance.”
For regular participant Jen Champney, the night is about more than learning dances.
“It’s exercise. It makes us feel good. It’s therapy,” Champney said. “Whether you’ve had a horrible day, you can forget about it out on the dance floor. Whether it’s the friends you’re meeting there or just getting into your own head and forgetting the world outside of where you are at the moment.”
Champney said that sense of release is part of what keeps people coming back week after week. Over time, many dancers form friendships that extend beyond the dance floor, creating a group environment that welcomes both new and returning participants.
“We’re very open to meeting new people, welcoming new dancers and helping them feel comfortable,” said Champney. “We’ve all been there. We all had to start somewhere.”
For Fahrenz, building that consistency is key to building community.
“If you don’t have weekly, you’re not going to create that ‘hey, I see you on Wednesday,’” Fahrenz said. “You’re not going to create that community. If you only do it once in a while, you’ll get people, but you don’t form that bond.”
On most Wednesday nights, you can see it in small moments — people greeting each other when they walk in, catching up between songs and helping new dancers learn the steps. As the music changes between country, pop and other genres, the floor fills with first-timers and regulars who keep coming back.
Fahrenz said line dancing has grown beyond just country music, but country still sits at the center of it.
“There is music from country to pop to rap,” Fahrenz said. “It’s evolved from country music, but there’s always going to be that core of country music. That’s why we’re all here.”