On a humid Thursday evening in River Ridge, the fluorescent lights of St. Catherine of Siena parish hall flicker to life around 6:45 p.m. Folding chairs scrape against linoleum as couples in cowboy boots and flowing skirts claim their corners. At 7 p.m. sharp, a voice crackles over the PA: "Allemande left, and don't be shy about it." The River Ridge Twirlers are back in motion.
Founded in 1987, the Twirlers are the longest-running square dance club in this unincorporated stretch of Jefferson Parish, just upriver from New Orleans. They share the local scene with the younger River Ridge Reelers, who meet twice monthly at the Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church, and the seasonal Cajun Corners group, which gathers on first Saturdays from September through May at the River Ridge Lions Club. Together, these three clubs keep a centuries-old tradition alive—with a Louisiana twist that newcomers don't always expect.
The Clubs: Names, Places, and Times
For anyone searching for an entry point, River Ridge offers options across skill levels and schedules:
- River Ridge Twirlers: Thursdays, 7–9:30 p.m., St. Catherine of Siena parish hall, 105 Bonnabel Blvd. Beginners' lessons start the first Thursday of each month; drop-ins welcome. $8 per person, or $25 for a four-week beginner package. riverridgetwirlers.com
- River Ridge Reelers: Second and fourth Sundays, 5–8 p.m., Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church, 2731 Harvard Ave. All levels, with a focus on modern Western square dance. $7 per person. [email protected]
- Cajun Corners: First Saturdays, 6:30–9:30 p.m., River Ridge Lions Club, 9225 Jefferson Hwy. Seasonal; incorporates Cajun two-step and zydeco-influenced calls. $10, dinner included. cajuncorners.org
The Twirlers draw 30 to 40 dancers on a typical night. The Reelers, launched in 2014, average closer to 20 but have seen steady growth since the pandemic. Cajun Corners, founded in 2001, routinely sells out its 64-person capacity.
The People Who Keep It Moving
Marcie Delacroix, 34, walked into the Twirlers' beginners' night in January 2022 knowing only that her grandmother had square-danced in Lafayette. "I was terrified I'd step on someone," Delacroix says. "Now I'm the one bringing my daughter on Saturday nights for the Corners' family dances. She's eight. She already knows 'promenade' better than her multiplication tables."
Delacroix represents a demographic the clubs have fought to attract. For years, square dancing nationwide has grayed; the average dancer in many regions is over 65. River Ridge has bucked that trend partly through deliberate outreach—youth nights, social media presence, and school demonstrations—but also through the gravitational pull of its callers.
Tom "T-Bone" Boudreaux, 71, has called for the Twirlers since 1998. A retired high school band director from Metairie, Boudreaux is known for weaving zydeco and swamp pop into his sets, sometimes switching from a standard hoedown to BeauSoleil mid-tip. "People think square dance means only 'Turkey in the Straw,'" Boudreaux says. "I like to surprise them. Last month I called a whole tip to Geno Delafose. The floor didn't clear. They whooped louder."
Boudreaux's musical flexibility is not universal. Some traditionalists prefer the Reelers' more straightforward modern Western program. But even there, Louisiana seeps in. Reelers president Denise Fontenot, 58, notes that the club's annual Mardi Gras dance draws dancers from Baton Rouge to Slidell. "We serve red beans and rice at the break," Fontenot says. "You won't find that at a dance in Ohio."
What Makes River Ridge Distinct
The local square dance scene sits at an unexpected intersection: the formalized, nationally standardized world of modern Western square dance and the looser, French-accented folk traditions of south Louisiana. That tension produces something specific.
Clubs here use standard Callerlab definitions for most calls, ensuring that a dancer from California could visit and follow along. But the atmosphere is unmistakably local. Dancers address each other as cher and beau. Post-dance gatherings often relocate to nearby restaurants
