This story originally appeared in the January 2025 issue of Town&Gown magazine.
New Year’s resolutions often focus on traditional ways to get fit, like running or working out at the gym. Line dancing offers a fun alternative — a calorie-burning aerobic workout that’s more like a party, dancing to foot-stomping music with a group of kindred spirits. From Philipsburg to Spring Mills, Centre County offers a wealth of line-dancing events and classes.
Good Times Line Dancing
Fawn Hosterman of Bellefonte started line dancing in the 1990s and has been teaching for more than two years. “I was really excited to see that line dancing was making a comeback, and wanted to be a part of it.”
She holds Good Times Line Dancing events three times a month at The Arena Bar and Grill in State College, and occasionally at the Old Gregg School and Community Center in Spring Mills. Hosterman also works with public and private groups and does special events, including Grange Fair.
“People do not need experience,” she says. “We run through the steps of dances for the first hour and a half of the dance. The second part is open requests.” Dancers pull favorite dances from a red cowboy hat. They dance to all genres of music, especially country, Latin, and pop.
“Line dancing is for all. Folks come with a group of friends, their work colleagues, couples, and singles, which makes it an appealing activity since there is something for everyone.”
Weekend dances are for ages 21+. Younger people can attend on Wednesdays with a guardian. “There are some kids that are really serious about it.”
Hosterman says line dancing offers many benefits — cardio, balance and coordination, stress relief, a memory boost, community building, and fun. She recommends wearing cowboy boots or dance sneakers and avoiding shoes that grip the floor too much.
She also has guest instructors, Claudine Ritzel of Mifflin County and Tammy Fetterolf from Bellefonte.
“I like to dance with everyone as much as I like to instruct,” Hosterman says. “I love learning new dances. The people are the best part. They want to have a good time and there is no judgment.”
Lion Country Line Dancing
Coleen Reese of Clarence says, “The start of Lion Country Line Dancing is a story that God definitely had a hand in.”
When she was 19, Reese began dancing with a local group, the Nittany Kickers, but marriage and family reduced her involvement until she needed to buy Western boots for a wedding.
“One of the owners of Centre Boot Company mentioned to me that she was hoping to start line dancing up again in the area and asked if I was interested. I literally said yes before I walked out of the store.”
Reese’s part-time business, Lion Country Line Dancing, celebrated its three-year anniversary in November. Centre Boot Company sponsors the Axemann Brewery dances in Bellefonte, so there is no cover charge.
She says, “I am forever grateful to Anne Moore and Deb Rhodes of Centre Boot Company and the relationship they fostered with Axemann Brewery.”
Reese holds additional line dances at Brass 16823 in Bellefonte and beginner lessons at the Bellefonte Moose Lodge. Once or twice a year, she offers line dancing at Our Lady–The Snow Skating Rink in Snow Shoe. She also does private events.
“We offer lessons at all of our events.” Her husband, Donald Reese, assists her with instruction.
Reese says most people who enjoy line dancing attend dances frequently and spend time practicing on their own. “It reduces stress, lifts mood, and creates a strong sense of community because anyone can join — no partner or prior experience needed,” she says. “It’s fun, accessible, and great for both physical and mental well-being.
“Dancing has always brought me so much joy,” Reese says. “When I’m on the dance floor, especially with some of my closest friends and with my family, it’s a feeling I can’t really describe. It’s a very healthy addiction!”
Country Crew Line Dancing
Sandy Maurer teaches her Country Crew Line Dancing classes on Thursday nights at the Moshannon Valley YMCA in Philipsburg, and on Tuesday nights at St. Michael Terrace in DuBois.
“When I first started in the mid-’90s, there was a class or a dance almost every night. You have to learn the terms and steps and then it’s easier to pick up,” Maurer says.
“It’s good exercise, really good for the brain because you have to learn the steps. Good for the brain, good for the body. I’m going to be 80 years old and I’m still going. One of my friends is in her 90s and she’s still teaching.”
She says that during just one class, she racked up 11,000 steps.
Some people in her classes have been dancing for more than 30 years. When new people come, she stops the advanced dances and starts with simple ones. She adjusts the lessons based on the level of the class.
She the dancers pick any music they like, mostly country. “You can dance to anything, even a few hymns, like ‘Amazing Grace,’ which is a beautiful waltz.”
Maurer says if dancers find music they want to dance to, they can go onto CopperKnob (the line-dance website, copperknob.co.uk) to find dances written for that tune.
She has been line dancing for 30 years, and took over the Country Crew group when the previous instructor stopped teaching classes, to keep the program going. The group performed at various events and nursing homes before COVID, but there are not many opportunities at nursing homes post-pandemic.
Some experienced people will dance beside a newer person to help them along. “If you’re really interested in learning, you want to get into the middle so there’s someone on every side to follow. Then you don’t need to turn your head.
“Everybody started right where you started,” Maurer says. “We all make mistakes. We’re not the Rockettes. We’re just here to have fun.”
Silver Spurs Line Dancers
Marian Fritzsche has been line dancing for 15 years and has taught the classes at the Active Adult Center in State College for 10 years with fellow instructor Jill Anderson. The introductory lessons are taught by Jo Battaglia.
“It’s a nice joint effort,” Fritzsche says.
“For seniors, they say you need to keep moving, be social, and be learning something using your mind,” Fritzsche says. “We have people in their 70s, 80s, and 90s who are doing great.”
She says the Silver Spurs Line Dancers have been a lively part of the center for about 20 years, dancing together and performing at different venues. The group and classes are open to ages 55+. People come early to socialize.
Fritzsche will be teaching a new evening line dance class this winter on Tuesday nights at the center through Centre Region Parks and Recreation that will be open to all adults. “The classes are going to be really good for new dancers,” she says.
The Silver Spurs dance at nursing homes and events. They often pick music based on what the residents will enjoy: country, Latin, oldies, and rock and roll.
“We had a bunch of Irish music in the spring for our spring performances. We’re always bringing in new dances. We must have over 100.”
To find new dances, Fritzsche says the instructors use CopperKnob, a website with thousands of line-dance step sheets and videos, so they can find and learn new dances.
In her classes, she runs through the steps without music, then calls out the steps with music. For the last few run-throughs, she doesn’t need to call out the steps.
When asked why she decided to teach, Fritzsche says, “I love to dance. It’s what I love to do.”
Family Country Line Dancing
For two years, Amber Walker Jackson of State College has taught monthly line dances at the State College YMCA, with an emphasis on families. “I love having an all-ages event. The youngest I had was about 4.”
Jackson learned at age 10 or 11 from her grandmother, who taught line-dance classes. “Tween-age kids can follow along and do the dances just fine. My daughter is 15 and she loves to come along and dance.”
She sees new people in almost every class. “Because of that, we tend to keep it at a very basic level where we’ll learn simpler dances and we’ll practice those, so that people get exposure to common steps and the types of dances that you can experience, and then learn some other ones that are popular.”
The more experienced dancers help out by taking one of the walls so when the class rotates during the dance, newer dancers can see someone else who knows the steps. They dance to a wide range of music, including country, pop, Latin, and even songs by popular singer Pitbull.
“Dancing’s just a lot of fun. … For me, all dancing is the thing that gets me out of my head and gets my body moving. So, during that time I really think about nothing except the steps I dance. I find that freeing and meditative and restorative.”
Jackson says the nice thing about line dancing is you don’t need a partner or a lot of experience. “Most of the steps are very accessible. The steps are not really complicated and there are modifications for almost everything. … I can offer a modification for someone who wants to move a little more slowly or not spin around in any way.
“It’s just something that I absolutely enjoy.” T&G
Karen Dabney is a freelance writer in State College.
LINE DANCING IN CENTRE COUNTY
Country Crew Line Dancing
-Moshannon Valley YMCA, Philipsburg
5:30-6:50 p.m. Thursdays
ymcaocc.org, (814) 342-0889
Members and Silver Sneakers free; non-members $15 day pass
Good Times Line Dancing
Event schedules on the Good Times Line Dancing Facebook and Instagram page
-Arena Bar & Grill, StateCollege
7-10 p.m. two Wednesdays and one Friday or Saturday per month
$5 cover charge
-Old Gregg School and Community Center, Spring Mills
Events posted on oldgreggschool.org/events
No cover charge, donations welcome
Lion Country Line Dancing
Event lists on the LCLD Facebook and Instagram pages
-Axemann Brewery, Bellefonte
6:30-9:30 p.m. second Thursdays
Sponsored by Centre Boot Company, no cover charge
-Brass 16823, Bellefonte
7-10 p.m. one or two Thursdays per month
$10 cover charge
-Bellefonte Moose Lodge
6:30-8:30 p.m. two Mondays per month, beginner lessons
Members free, non-members $5
-Our Lady-The Snow Skating Rink, Snow Shoe
Events one or two times per year
Silver Spurs Line Dancers
–Active Adult Center, Nittany Mall, State College, ages 55+
10:45-11:45 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday
10-10:30 a.m. Wednesday, beginner lessons
$10 resident and $20 non-resident, per semester
crpr.org/centre-region-active-adult-center, (814) 231-3076
Family Country Line Dancing
-State College YMCA
2-3:50 p.m., one Sunday per month
ymcaocc.org, (814) 237-7717
$10 per member family, $20 per non-member family, per session
