January 2016

by

If you’ve ever found yourself in South Louisiana in front of a live band, you’ve seen them. Those two. That couple commanding the dance floor. The one you can’t stop watching. 

With each new song, they dance in perfectly timed steps, juking effortlessly in one direction and then the other. A gathering crowd on the periphery sways and claps to the beat; and while some will take to the dance floor, too, others are content to watch the spirited gracefulness of the couple in motion. 

Throughout much of Acadiana, partner dancing is a storied part of the culture, and today, it remains one of the area’s most enchanting rituals. Anywhere a band plays Cajun, zydeco, or swamp pop, there are dance enthusiasts eager to grab a partner for a turn on the floor. These aren’t professional dancers. They’re passionate practitioners of traditional two-step, zydeco, waltz, and swing-style dancing. The older members of the crowd likely learned to dance at the knees of French-speaking parents and grandparents while the younger ones might have picked it up from family members or local instructors. The practice cuts across barriers of race, age, income level, and experience. Talent doesn’t matter. Everyone is encouraged to give it a try. 

“People see us dance and they say, ‘I want to dance like you, but I want to go get some private lessons so I won’t look silly,’” said Leotis Lastrapes, a seasoned zydeco dancer. “I say, ‘The best way to learn is with the crowd.’” 

—From Maggie Heyn Richardson's "It Takes to Two-Step," on the cover of our January 2016 issue. Read the full story here.