Try @ TXST

Giselle Kowalski:
Hi everyone, my name is Giselle Kowalski and I'm the digital content producer here at Texas State University. You're listening to Try @ TXST, and today we're going country dancing. But before we jump into today's episode, I'm going to introduce you to Wade Meyer. He's the co-founder and VP of Boot Scootin' Bobcats, Texas State's very own country dancing club. In this conversation we're going to talk about two-stepping, building community and finding your rhythm, both literally and figuratively. To start this off, I want you to tell me a little bit about yourself, where you're from, what your major is, your full name, and what you do for the Boot Scootin' Bobcats.

Wade Meyer:
Okay. Well, hello everyone. My name is Wade Meyer. I am from Baytown, Texas. It's a town outside of Houston. I just got elected as the vice president of the club.

Giselle Kowalski:
Can you give me your first memory of country dancing? Where were you, what music was playing? How did you feel?

Wade Meyer:
I'd probably say it was at Garner State Park, probably back in 2006, 2007, and I'd imagine it would probably be like George Strait or Brooks & Dunn, something old.

Giselle Kowalski:
Yeah. Were you dancing with someone?

Wade Meyer:
Probably my mom.

Giselle Kowalski:
Okay.

Wade Meyer:
Probably my mom.

Giselle Kowalski:
So this has been a part of you?

Wade Meyer:
It's been a while, yes.

Giselle Kowalski:
Yeah.

Wade Meyer:
I grew up doing it. My dad, my mom, they grew up doing it. They taught me and my sister how to do it, everything like that.

Giselle Kowalski:
Wow, so you're a seasoned veteran when it comes to country dancing?

Wade Meyer:
Yes, ma'am.

Giselle Kowalski:
I love that. So how did you even find the Boot Scootin' Bobcats to begin with?

Wade Meyer:
So last year, or my freshman semester in 2023, 2024, whatever it was, we'd go to Mavericks and a group of us just decided, yo, this is kind of what we like to do and I think we should make a club out of it. So we came together, started practicing, more people started getting involved and then we just officially was like, we need to make this a club. So we came together, decided the name, Instagram, stuff like that.

Giselle Kowalski:
Wow, so you're one of the founders then?

Wade Meyer:
Yes.

Giselle Kowalski:
What's cool here is that Wade and his friends didn't just love country dancing. They saw an opportunity to build something bigger. Boot Scootin' Bobcats isn't just a club, it's a student-led movement that started from scratch.
And when we came to watch your practice, there was a good amount of people there so y'all have been pretty popular and y'all have a great social following and it's a fun club.

Wade Meyer:
Thank you.

Giselle Kowalski:
So you've given me the backstory to it, but for someone who's just first tuning in, doesn't know anything about it, what is Boot Scootin' Bobcats all about?

Wade Meyer:
So we are a club built on involvement with the community. If anyone would be wanting to join, we welcome them with open arms, teach them that you don't have to be anything, you can just legit be brand new at it, not know what you're doing, and you just come in, we'll teach you basics and then we just start from the top or start going up from there.

Giselle Kowalski:
Yeah, so when we're talking like we'll teach you basics, you're talking country dancing basics?

Wade Meyer:
Yes ma'am, yes ma'am.

Giselle Kowalski:
Like two-stepping?

Wade Meyer:
Yes ma'am.

Giselle Kowalski:
If you're new to country dancing, two-stepping is a partner dance that follows a quick, quick, slow, slow rhythm. It's one of the most popular dance styles you'll see at a Texas dance hall.

Wade Meyer:
Okay, so it would be pretty much just rhythm, what you do with your feet, where you put your hands, just stuff like that.

Giselle Kowalski:
Okay, so how do you fight the whole stereotype of two left feet? What is your biggest advice for that?

Wade Meyer:
Pretty much just rhythm, breaking it down. I'm always pretty much the lead. What I like to do is I'll get them lined up with me and then I'll go left foot one, right foot two, two. So, "One, two, two, one, two, two," with the rhythm of whatever music's going with it to where they just get a feel of how it's supposed to be done.

Giselle Kowalski:
Where do y'all typically meet up? And walk me through what a practice looks like versus when y'all actually go country dancing. What does that look like?

Wade Meyer:
It actually, so it pretty much goes through the whole week. So we'll have our captains discuss what we're going to be teaching that weekend at Jowers, and then we'll meet up at, I want to say on Thursdays, around 3 o'clock at the Rec Center. And then once we figure that out, we'll record it, send it to the other officers, make sure they agree with everything. And then we meet up at Jowers at 5, I want to say, just to make sure we got everything, everyone learns it, all the officers to where if any members have questions with it, anyone can help. And then we'll start practice and then we'll break into a line dance section and then we'll teach a more advanced move to people that still are there and want to learn the more advanced stuff and then we'll end practice with announcements.

Giselle Kowalski:
Just to recap, Boot Scootin' Bobcats meets during the week for practices where officers plan, record and teach the routines. Then on Thursdays it's game time, everyone heads to Mavericks for College Night. Whenever you go country dancing, whether it be at Mavericks or any dance hall here in Texas, you'll typically see two things, you'll see the two-stepping and then you'll see line dancing. Now, do you have a particular one that you prefer? I'm more of a-

Wade Meyer:
Two stepping.

Giselle Kowalski:
You like two-stepping. I prefer line dancing-

Wade Meyer:
Line dancing.

Giselle Kowalski:
... just because I don't have to depend on another person.

Wade Meyer:
Yes, yes.

Giselle Kowalski:
... but you like two-stepping, all right, all right. So what about it do you like most about that?

Wade Meyer:
Legit, just the smoothness of it to where I can go out and showcase what I got. It's pride stuff with me. I'm a pretty prideful person, I like being able to show my stuff on the floor.

Giselle Kowalski:
Whenever I'm watching two-stepping, I think it all depends on a good lead. What are you telling people who are wanting to be leads to get better? What is that process like? Because you can be... Also, how is it with the follower? If they're not super experienced, how are you dealing with that dynamic?

Wade Meyer:
So for the lead, for them to become a good lead, I just tell them normally, I tell them just to be like a ninja, be smooth with it, don't overthink and just do... Be smooth with it. You don't want to be herky jerky and jerking the person around, that looks awful.
But with the follower, whenever I'm dancing with them, I normally tell them, "Just trust me, I've been dancing for a long time, if you feel like I'm going to drop you, I won't." And pretty much it's basically finding someone that you are comfortable with enough to dance with and it's just a trust thing. So if you have somebody that you're first dancing with, obviously you're not going to be dipping and stuff like that, you want to build the trust up with them to where they actually trust you.

Giselle Kowalski:
So when it comes to country dancing, you told me that you found this way back when, this has been something that you've grown up with. What about it draws people and yourself to it? Is it the connection? Is it the music? Is it the people? What is that thing for you?

Wade Meyer:
I'd probably say the music because I've always been a really big music guy, especially since I was younger growing up, listening to the music, dancing to it, it's always been a very big part of my life. But for other people, I'd probably say the connection's built with this club. It's a great exercise also to where it's a lot of cardio being built and done.

Giselle Kowalski:
Yeah, it promotes a healthy lifestyle.

Wade Meyer:
Yes, yes.

Giselle Kowalski:
So let's talk about the music. What's that one song for you that you just can't sit still when you hear it?

Wade Meyer:
Probably say Friday Night Fever by George Strait or Seven Year Ache by Roseanne Cash.

Giselle Kowalski:
Okay. Okay. So whenever you're going out and it's like you're at Mavericks, how many of y'all are there out there? What nights are y'all going? What is that vibe like?

Wade Meyer:
For everyone under 21, Thursday's the day to go, just because it's College Night, everyone can get in no matter what. But I would say if you're over 21, I'd probably go on weekends just because, in my opinion, they play better music. It's not more newer country for the college kids, it's more older country like Brooks & Dunn, George Strait, Conway Twitty, stuff like that to where it's a better dancing experience because the newer music really doesn't have a good beat to it to where you can dance, in my opinion, others might say that there is, but in my opinion... But honestly for the club, pretty much everyone goes to Mavericks on Thursdays.

Giselle Kowalski:
Yeah, it's the typical Texas experience I would say. I have brought people that are not from Texas there and they always enjoy it and it's very much like that quintessential Southern-

Wade Meyer:
It's like going to Buc-ee's for the first time.

Giselle Kowalski:
Yeah, yeah, you get it. So do you have a moment that stands out to you with the club that you're like, "You had to be there," it's one of your favorite moments? Or maybe it's at the club, maybe it's just with the people in the club, what would that be for you?

Wade Meyer:
I'd probably say whenever the officers came together for the first time, that was pretty cool to see just, because we put a lot of work into just trying to build it up. Originally we did start at the Rec Center above where all the weights are and stuff, we started up there in the glass box and it was really awkward because people would come walking in and they'd look up and just see us up there dancing.

Giselle Kowalski:
Yeah, not much privacy there.

Wade Meyer:
No, no privacy at all. And it took a lot to get this club on its feet, especially because our first president, she stepped down halfway through the first semester of us actually being established, and that caused a lot of pressure on us just to fill the spot, our vice president stepped up, thank God, Arabella, she's a great... She's amazing. And then Emily came in as our VP, treasurer and secretary, all in one mushed together. It was very stressful for her. She did a very good job with everything. And it was just the bonds we made, especially because we all understood that it was a very stressful environment at that time, trying to get it back on track.

Giselle Kowalski:
Yeah, trauma bonding.

Wade Meyer:
Yes.

Giselle Kowalski:
It always brings people together.

Wade Meyer:
Yes.

Giselle Kowalski:
Well, I love hearing that because it sounds like you're not just in a club to dance, you're in a club to actually gain skills, it's people skills at that point. And I understand dancing with other people is people skills, but y'all are really working like a-

Wade Meyer:
Together.

Giselle Kowalski:
... business and you're working together.

Wade Meyer:
Especially the money side of it, trying to schedule the banquets and the socials and stuff like that, that was very stressful.

Giselle Kowalski:
Yeah, it's a whole new game whenever you run your own club. I remember doing the same thing whenever I was a student and it was definitely, "Oh, this is a whole different responsibility that I was not completely aware of." But once you're in it, you're like, it gives you a sense of confidence. So with that, what has being in Boot Scootin' Bobcats taught you about yourself?

Wade Meyer:
That I am a very calm and collected person and I have a lot of patience, I'll say that. Because especially whenever you're going to teach something and the people just aren't getting it, you've showed them multiple times, and this is not a jab at anybody, it's just me being real with you, it's the fact that people sometimes don't get stuff and that's okay. And sometimes they just need a different outlook on it and just a different way to be taught, and it really taught me how to be calm and just collected.

Giselle Kowalski:
Yeah, there's a special skill when you know something like the back of your hand and being able to also communicate it to other people, that's a whole different skill set and I applaud you for it because I understand teaching someone something, dancing in specific, coordination doesn't come naturally, rhythm doesn't come naturally, so good for you for sticking with it and going forward with it. But for someone who's never tried two-stepping or country dancing before, who's never really even gotten into that scene, maybe they don't even like the music, what would you tell them to make them come and join?

Wade Meyer:
Will it kill you if you try it? Honestly, I mean, it's always trying new things and that's... My sister's coming here next year and I have been nagging her because I don't want her to be locked in her dorm next year, I want her to be involved with stuff. So I'm like, "Look, Ali, if you don't like it, don't come again. It's not that big of a deal." The way we run our practices it's, you show up, you get two free practices, and then you pay the entry fee, which is I think is 30 bucks for a full two semesters or a full year. I was telling her, "If you don't like it, that's cool. I mean at least you're meeting new people and getting out of the house." And that was back to what you asked me, to join, it was just to be meeting people, if that makes sense. Meet more people, meet new people, and experience just something new that you have never done before.

Giselle Kowalski:
Yeah, making memories. And that's basically what Try @ TXST, our series, is all about is just try something for the first time and see how it goes. And with AnaBelle, when we took her out to the Try @ TXST with Boot Scootin' Bobcats, she had already done it before but she was the one-

Wade Meyer:
Yes, she did it, I remember. She was one of the ones, the original members that was dancing up at the Rec with us.

Giselle Kowalski:
Wonderful.

Wade Meyer:
I want to say, if I remember correctly.

Giselle Kowalski:
Peace, love AnaBelle. She's graduating this semester, or whenever this comes out, maybe she has already graduated, but that was one of those things is that she's a great example of someone who always tries something new. And that's how we found out about Boot Scootin' Bobcats is because she was like, "I am in this great club, it's so much fun." I wish this was something that I could have done whenever I was going to school because I personally love to dance. So I'm really happy that y'all have such a great community and y'all are so open. So if anybody wants to find y'all, where should they look for you? Can they show up somewhere? What's going on with that?

Wade Meyer:
So if you'd want to reach out, definitely reach out on the Instagram page. Legit, the Instagram page is called BootScootinBobcats, no spaces.

Giselle Kowalski:
Perfect. Awesome. Well, if there's anything I missed, is there anything you'd like to say?

Wade Meyer:
No, I think we're good.

Giselle Kowalski:
Awesome. Well, thanks for coming on the podcast.

Wade Meyer:
Yes ma'am. Thank for you for having me.

Giselle Kowalski:
Of course.
Thank you so much to Wade for coming in and chatting with me on the podcast. And thank you to the Boot Scootin' Bobcats team for being so welcoming, understanding, and helpful when it came to learning some new country dancing moves. And thank you for listening to this episode of the Try @ TXST Podcast. Make sure to tune in next time to learn more about something else you can try on campus at Texas State. And also remember to follow us on our social media @TXST. This podcast is a production of the Division of Marketing and Communications at Texas State University. Podcasts appearing on the Texas State University Network represent the views of the hosts and guests not of Texas State University. Again, I'm your host, Giselle Kowalski, and I'll see you next time. Bye y'all.