GARDEN CITY, Idaho — This article originally appeared in The Idaho Press
Friday night at The Farm means a dance floor peppered with cowboy hats and flannels. Little lightbulbs hung above the crowded dance floor among the cardboard candy hearts that were put up for Valentines Day. Some folks in the crowd are clearly more seasoned country dancers, wearing cowboy hats, heeled boots, belt buckles the size of Tennessee and bell bottom jeans. But The Farm is a place for everyone — no cowboy boots required.
Elise Lorcher and Troy DeRosier decided to open a country swing dance hall in Garden City called The Farm, after starting Dirt Road Dancing eight years ago. The dance floor is the largest one in the Treasure Valley, according to Lorcher and DeRosier. All ages are welcome, DeRosier said, although they typically see a lot of folks ages 18-20.
It was a passionate project,” DeRosier said. “We did a lot of the work ourselves. Hands, knees, elbows, blood, sweat and tears, because people needed the space.”
The business partners met in 2009, when Lorcher introduced DeRosier to country swing dancing. The two started teaching at the Indian Creek Steakhouse around the time they started Dirt Road Dancing in 2015, and they immediately noticed how many high school and college age kids were coming out to lessons.
“When the restaurant kicked them out and turned it into a bar, they were out dancing in the streets, on the sidewalks, everywhere!” Lorcher said.
Their alcohol-free club opened in October 2023.
“This is one of the things we’re meant to do,” DeRosier said. “There is nothing better than standing back on a Friday night, sitting back by the DJ booth looking over the crowd, watching and wondering, ‘where would these kids be if they weren’t here?’”
Markus Enzminter is one of those kids. At 14 years old, Enzminter is a regular, and says country swing dancing is his favorite form of dance.
“I like fast dances,” he said, tilting his cowboy hat to the side as he talked. “It’s fun, you meet a lot of people out here, it gets you out of your comfort zone.”
Enzminter says he dragged his friend Tabitha Tittensor, 17, with him, but it’s not Tittensor’s first time on The Farm’s dance floor. After coming for several weeks now, Tittensor says she particularly enjoys the family-friendly atmosphere.
“One of the biggest things we found is that dance can connect us,” DeRosier said. “It’s part of our nature. When you connect people through dance, whether it’s line dancing or swing dancing, you’re able to be together with somebody in a moment’s time and nothing else matters.”
In other words, dancing brings folks back to the present moment — something Lorcher says is desperately needed in today’s virtual-heavy world.
“People are forgetting how to authentically interact,” she said. “We’re forgetting how to communicate and connect … . (With dancing), you can’t be on your phone and dance at the same time.”
Dancing creates moments of present authenticity, Lorcher said. Right now, swing dance is going through a transition, DeRosier said, where more hip-hop and pop are mixing in with the usual twangy country music. Songs like “Shivers” by Ed Sheeran and “Fireball” by Pitbull are played frequently at The Farm, along with several oldies and classic country beats. Everything fills the floor, DeRosier said.
The Farm, located on 5137 N. Glenwood St. in Garden City, features a main dance floor and four studios available to rent. Tuesdays are dedicated to two-step lessons from 7-9:30 p.m., West Coast Swing lessons are on Thursdays from 7-11 p.m. and swing lessons are every Friday and Saturday from 7-9 p.m. with social dancing until 11:45 p.m. Tickets are $8 each night and are available for purchase at thefarmboise.com.
Kailyn and Matthew Brewer have been fans of country swing even before The Farm opened. The two met at The Buffalo Club and have been dancing together ever since.
“We love dancing here,” Kailyn Brewer said. “We love the energy they bring to the community and we want to learn more from them,” she said, referring to Lorcher and DeRosier.
The Brewers live in Boise and now call the folks at the farm their “dance family.”
“Anybody can now get out there, whether it’s your first time dancing or if you’ve been dancing for years. It’s all about the energy and just having a good time out there,” Matthew Brewer said, wiping sweat from his brow from the hours of dancing he’d already done that night. “You just can go out and be yourself. You don’t have to worry about who’s watching or if you’re doing it right; you’re just having fun.”
Dancing together can also be a form of nonverbal communication, Matthew Brewer said.
“You’re learning relationship communication skills when you’re not even thinking about it,” he said. “Dancing will always be a huge part of our life and a way that we can check in on each other.”
The Brewer’s aren’t the only couple planning on dancing through life.
Thomas Stewart and Karalee Greeley have been coming to The Farm to brush up on their country swing dancing skills so they can show them off at their wedding in June.
“It’s a fun place to learn if you’re a beginner,” Greeley said. “We like the instructors, too, and it’s a reasonable cost.”
Since both Greeley and Stewart are sober, The Farm has provided them with an outlet free from alcohol.
“I’m more myself here,” Stewart said, grinning as “Fireball” by Pitbull blared over the speakers. “This has actually taught me to bring my little Idahoan spirit of dance out.”
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist:
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET NEWS FROM KTVB:
Download the KTVB News Mobile App
Apple iOS: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Watch news reports for FREE on YouTube: KTVB YouTube channel
Stream Live for FREE on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching 'KTVB'.
Stream Live for FREE on FIRE TV: Search ‘KTVB’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
