Happy Feet Line Dancing Group Day, One Year Anniversary

There was music, merriment and the patter of many feet as El Buen Pastor United Methodist Church’s  line dancing group celebrated Happy Feet Line Dancing Group Day on October 4, 2012 in San Marcos, Texas.

One year ago, Mayor Daniel Guerrero of San Marcos proclaimed this date as a day of recognition for Happy Feet’s successes and contributions to the community. 

In 2009, the congregation of El Buen Pastor UMC asked their Wesley Nurse, Cindy Ybarra, to start a line dancing class. Cindy, who had never line danced in her life, learned just enough from YouTube to get the class started. Today, the class is still alive and kicking thanks to YouTube and to recruits from other line dancing groups who generously shared their dancing expertise. 

Happy Feet, as the group is now called, meets twice weekly and averages 10 participants at each session. Happy Feet specializes in out-of-the-ordinary line dances from many musical and cultural backgrounds. Included in their repertoire are the familiar country/western line dances, but the group especially enjoys dances with Latin, Cajun, Rock n' Roll and ballroom influences. Sometimes they even throw in a little Scottish and Irish traditional for a change.

Happy Feet is notable for its success as a holistic ministry. It is without a doubt a wholesome, healthy form of exercise, but it is also mentally challenging and socially rewarding. 

A typical Happy Feet participant memorizes no less than 25 different dances, and the troupe certainly knows how to have fun! One participant noted that most of the group’s time together is spent in laughter and celebration.  “We celebrate our dancing successes, our life events such as birthdays, retirements, comings and goings, and our time together as a group of very diverse but very compatible friends,” explains Cindy Ybarra.

The line dancing classes are free, open to the public.