My passion for country music started in my childhood. I’ve always been an avid listener, growing up surrounded by the sounds of artists like The Warratahs, Dennis Marsh, Patsy Rigger, Willie Nelson, David Allan Coe, and 90s country legends like Reba McEntire, Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Clay Walker - just to name a few. I could go on for ages about the music that shaped me!
I even had my own radio show, Spurs of Gold with Cowgirl Kat, on Radio Kidnappers in 2014. Nowadays, I make it a point to attend the CMC Rocks country music festival in Australia where I get to meet country stars and make new friends across the ditch. And it’s not just me - my family loves country music too, from my parents, to my sisters to hubby (only took 15 years and one CMC music festival!) and we've passed that love down to our children. Country has always been a big part of who we are and I'm excited to share it with you.
Getting the confidence to give line dancing a go
But here’s the thing: my line dancing journey didn’t start until July 2024. I’d been talking about it for months, telling myself, today is the day, but something always seemed to come up. If I’m honest, I didn’t have the confidence to try it. Growing up, I thought I couldn’t dance - and I’ve got a story from my four-year-old Irish Dancing experience to back that up, more on that later!
So finally, on 19 July, I threw caution to the wind. I put on my cowboy boots and hat, braved the weather, and headed to Clive Bootscootin' in Hawke’s Bay for the Tuesday morning beginners' class. And despite the nerves and totally not getting it right, I was hooked.
I’ll never forget Bex, owner of Clive Bootscootin', and now a good friend, saying to me after class with a big smile “I was a little concerned when you first walked in wearing all the get-up, but by the end of the class, I knew you had hope.” Well, being the kind of person I am, I took that as a challenge!
From there, I dove in. I went home, found step sheets online, and began practicing. My family became my audience as I worked on my moves, and I kept practicing to get better. It wasn’t until about five or six months in that I started to really feel like I was making progress. And even now, 12 months later, while my confidence has grown tremendously, those doubts can still creep in.
How our decisions shape our future
It’s so easy to fall into negative self-talk, isn’t it? But looking back, I realise that walking into that class, wearing my cowboy boots, and just giving it a go was the best decision I could have made.
Line dancing has allowed me to combine my love for country music with movement, make a bunch of new friends, discover new passions, and take on exciting new challenges. It’s been an incredible journey, and I’m so glad I took that leap.
