SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Every Wednesday night, Jen Champney laces up her boots and heads to Middle Ages Brewery. What started as casual interest in line dancing has turned into a weekly routine and a community, she says that has helped carry her through some of the most difficult moments of her life.
“I’ve made friends over the past three years,” Champney said. “I just keep on making friends, and that’s what I love about group. We’re very open to meeting new people and welcoming and helping the new dancers that come in.”
Boots in the Brewery is a weekly line dancing event held every Wednesday night at the Syracuse Brewery. Open to all experience levels, the event draws a mix of longtime dancers and first timers, creating a space centered on movement, music and connection.
Champney said the welcoming atmosphere is what keeps people coming back.
“We all struggled at the beginning, and we all had to start somewhere,” she said.
For Champney, the event became especially important during a deep personal hardship. She said her father spent months in intensive care, and despite the emotional weight of that time, she continued to attend every week.
“My father got extremely ill and was in the hospital for seven or eight months in ICU,” Champney said. “I still came every week because that was my therapy. That was my release to through.”
The event was created by organizer Julianna Ferenz, who said the idea came from noticing a lack of midweek social options in Syracuse.
“We don’t have a place that’s low pressure, low commitment,” Ferenz said. “You can just come hang out with your friends, dance or not, but just have a good time. Especially on a weeknight, I think that’s exactly what Syracuse needed.”
Ferenz said the event reflects how line dancing has evolved with music ranging beyond traditional country.
“If you don’t know anything about line dancing, all you need to know is that there is an instructor here and there is music from country music to pop to rap,” she said.
Ferenz said holding the event weekly is key to building lasting connections.
“If you don’t have a weekly, you’re not going to create that ‘I’ll see you on Wednesday’ feeling,” she said.
For Champney, that consistency is what turned a simple dance night into something more meaningful.
“It’s exercise. It makes us feel good,” she said. “Whether you’ve had a horrible day, you can forget about it out on the dance floor.”