While Stacey Schwartz’s 9 to 5 is spent working as an escrow closing manager for a title company, her “5 to 9” is dedicated to her passion for country line dancing.
Stacey Schwartz
Schwartz, who lives in Eureka, gives weekly line dancing lessons at Brookdale Farms in the Jefferson County portion of the Eureka area and recently was invited to several events in Kimmswick to share her two-stepping skills with a wider audience.
Schwartz began line dancing about 10 years ago and has noticed a rise in popularity over the years. Line dancing is a type of Western dance that has participants stand in rows, typically without partners, and follow a choreographed pattern of steps to music.
The recent line dancing craze may be attributed to social media trends, according to Paste magazine. The “line dance” hashtag on the popular TikTok video-sharing app has more than 260,000 posts, with people dancing to Nickelback’s “Burn It to the Ground” or Big Zoe and Young Hub City’s “Mr. Weatherall,” rather than dancing to traditional country music.
Schwartz attributes the local interest in line dancing to strong community support and an openness to trying new things.
“A big draw, at least from my experience, is just the community that it’s creating,” she said. “It builds such a sweet community of people because we’re all like-minded, we all love to dance, we all love to move.”
Building a community
Schwartz said she began teaching at Brookdale Farms in April. Her lessons include a mixture of beginner routines to more difficult ones, along with a variety of music styles, from line dancing classics to modern hits.
“Even for people who love to dance, it can be so nerve-racking to get out there,” Schwartz said. “You feel like everybody’s looking at you, but I make it fun, and I try to do beginner-style dances to build up that confidence. I have a knack for teaching and breaking down the steps where people can learn pretty easily.”
James Varak, general manager at Brookdale Farms, said Schwartz caught the staff’s eye when she led line dancing routines at a private corporate event held on the property earlier in 2023.
He said her “contagious personality” and instruction style led the staff to create 2-Step Tuesdays and invite Schwartz to lead weekly lessons at Brookdale Farms.
“You meet her once and she’s a friend for life,” Varak said. “Our staff loves her, the guests who attend every week love her. I think that’s why 2-Step Tuesdays have been so successful, simply because of her.”
Schwartz leads about four lessons throughout the night, with times allotted for free dancing between each lesson.
She said her favorite line dance routine to teach is “hide and seek” to Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel.”
Schwartz said the line dancing lessons last about two hours.
“It’s an excellent way to exercise. It’s very fun, impossible not to enjoy yourself.”
For those looking to try line dancing for the first time, Schwartz said her lessons are a good place to start. She said the number one goal during those lessons is for the group to have a good time.
“People aren’t watching you as much as they’re watching their own feet,” she said. “As long as you’re having a good time and you’re surrounded by a good community of people, that’s a good starting point.”
Schwartz’s 2-Step Tuesdays are held from 6:30-9 p.m. at Brookdale Farms, 2547 Twin River Park Road. The cost to participate is $5, and the lessons are open to those 18 or older. Tickets may be purchased online at brookdalefarms.com, or at the door.
Branching out
Schwartz’s sister-in-law, Jennie Schwartz, is the owner of the Pixie Clementine gift shop in Kimmswick, 303 Elm St., and a member of the town’s merchants association. The group was searching for new programs to offer during various events held in the town, and Jennie immediately thought of Schwartz.
She was invited to hold line dancing lessons during the annual Witches Night Out event in October and again during the Christmas Cookie Walk and Open House in December.
Jennie said her sister-in-law was a big hit.
“Stacey is great. She’s a good people person and easy to follow,” Jennie said. “She knows how to pull people out of their shells.”
Schwartz said she is heartened to see many of her Brookdale Farms regulars follow her to other venues, like the Kimmswick events.
“It’s like I’ve got my own cheerleading squad,” she said.
Debbie Troutman, president of the Kimmswick Merchants Association and owner of Meant To Be, 116 Mill St., said Schwartz will be invited back to future events in the town.
“I videotaped her because she was very good, very impressive,” Troutman said. “I’m not coordinated like that, but I think, with her instructions, I could have done it myself.”
People person
Schwartz said she grew up in the Eureka area, “left for a little bit” and returned in 2013. She has worked for Investors Title Co. in Brentwood since 1999.
“I love my job,” Schwartz said. “I love to line dance because I meet new people, and I love my job because I get to close transactions and meet new people.”
Schwartz has been married to her husband Jake for 22 years, and they have three children. One already has graduated from high school and the other two are enrolled in Eureka-area schools. Schwartz said her next lesson at Brookdale Farms will be held Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Information about her upcoming line dancing events, held at Kimmswick or elsewhere, will be shared through her personal Facebook page.
Varak said the line dancing lessons have helped to change the atmosphere at Brookdale Farms, leading to a strong community of regulars.
“It’s become more of a family atmosphere that’s very welcoming to anyone to come in for the night,” he said. “We don’t make people feel like beginners or newbies. It’s an overall fun environment where people can relax, have fun, and get a little bit of exercise.”