For many, Western swing or country swing dancing is a common way to stay active, learn and make new friends. Swing dancing has become a popular activity in Utah with venues reaching from Northern Utah to Southern Utah, and Southern Utah University is no exception. Students can participate weekly in a diverse range of extracurricular activities, including the school’s Western Swing Club, but for those hoping to get in a bit of extra practice, Big Iron Swing is just down the road.
Big Iron Swing is a recurring event hosted by Noah Stevens, creator of the TikTok page @sanpetecountycowboys. With the help of SUU students Tanner Bench and Kate Stevens, this expansive swing dancing community has come to Southern Utah.
“It’s such a wholesome way to meet people. It’s really organic,” shared Big Iron owner, Noah Stevens. “All of my very best friends I met at swing. The way to get involved is to be in the thick of it. Connections, friendships and abilities all come as a result of that.”
For Stevens, swing dancing took work. “I had learned to dance with the sole purpose of ‘if I do this, then I will get attention from girls.’ That was as deep as I thought about it.” Since then, he has been to over 20 swing venues and hosted two recurring swing events.
“I remember being shy and introverted and being ‘forced’ into this uncomfortable environment and at the end, it kind of changed me. It honestly changed my life in a lot of ways,” stated Stevens. “I was welcomed by a group of people that were willing to just help. I didn’t feel like I had to earn their friendship.”
With little to do at Snow College, many students try swing dancing. Originally Stevens said, “You wouldn’t catch me dead there,” per his strong dislike for country music. However, Stevens started swing dancing in 2021 and found a love for teaching as he continued to go to the school’s swing each week.
“It took a lot of courage for me to abandon some of the preconceived notions I had about Western swing,” he shared. “One thing I really noticed about swing is that you don’t have to be a cowboy or cowgirl to come and enjoy Western swing. We call it Western or country swing, but the reality is that half the songs we play are Flo Rida and Pitbull.”
Putting in practice, Stevens decided to host his own swing event in conjunction with Snow’s club. As he prepared to move to Cedar City, so did the idea for a swing dancing venue. Stevens wanted to continue hosting events where an individual could come without knowing anyone and leave with friendship.
“I enjoy [swing] so much and I love the social aspect of it. I wanted to be able to function in that same capacity that I did previously, where I was an officiator for social growth. I love that and starting Big Iron was the next logical step.”
As Stevens continued his partnership with swing, he noted the impact swing had on his life:
“I was teaching a couple of people how to swing dance and I had more fun teaching them and seeing them enjoy it than I had up to that point actually dancing,” stated Stevens. “I guess that sounds a little sappy, but swing transitioned from ‘I do this because I like it’ to ‘I do it because I like helping other people have fun.’”
In preparation for each week, Bench and Stevens bounce ideas back and forth. They collaborate to create the playlist and set up for the event. “The biggest help would be Tanner. He is my right-hand man,” shared Stevens. “He is the yin to my yang. He balances me out.”
Together, with the help of Stevens’ sister Kate, Big Iron runs smoothly. The trio values participant feedback and has equipped the venue with a whiteboard for song requests. “We look over [the whiteboard] diligently. We have a growing spreadsheet of all the requests that have happened and whether or not they have been played.”
The playlist is prepared each week by splitting the time evenly between those in charge. This is done to ensure that dancers get a bit of everything in the music. Song requests are taken during the event, but can also be sent via direct message to @bigironswing on Instagram or shared directly by speaking with Stevens or Bench.
Both beginners and more experienced dancers can come early to learn from the teaching portion of the evening. Big Iron provides an environment where everyone can participate and the moves range from basics, to more complicated flips, dips and tricks.
“It’s physical in a degree, but you don’t have to be super coordinated to do it,” shared Stevens. “I’m not a sports kid, so swing appeals to me because I can be active without having to catch a ball, which is good because I can’t catch a ball.”
There are numerous online resources for those interested in learning swing. Stevens himself refers to YouTube as one of the most influential teachers in his swing career.
“Every good thing I’ve ever learned came from YouTube. I mean that,” said Stevens. As swing popularity increases, more tutorials can be found online.
Now Stevens encourages people to ask for help. “My very favorite thing is to just see people dancing and smiling. I just love that because that’s telling me that I’m doing something right, that they’re having fun. And that ultimately is the goal.”
The event is held weekly on Tuesdays at The Barn at Cedar Meadows with the hope that others will share Stevens’ love for swing dancing. With teaching from 7-8 p.m. and open dancing from 8-11 p.m., Stevens encourages all to come and try it.
“If you are concerned about coming or about succeeding because you think that it needs to be pretty, I will be the first to tell you that that is so far from the truth,” Stevens said. “The people who have the most fun at swing, unapologetically have fun. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Just do it.”
Author: Anna Mower
Editor: Heather Turner
Copy Editor: Kayd Johanson
Photos by Anna Mower
eic@suunews.net
This article was originally published in the October 2024 issue of the University Journal
