Aggies in Oz: The Bush Dance

Howdy from a real Aussie Bush Dance!

Tonight we were invited to a Bush Dance! This was an engagement party for friends of ours and they were celebrating with an Aussie Bush Dance up on the mountain. This house is actually the one we stayed in when we first arrived, it has a lot of land around it and is perfect for a big party and dance. I tell you, you could have taken this bush dance and placed it in Texas and it would have been right at home, it was very similar to a barn dance or hoe-down. They had great food, lots of friends ,food on the grill (or barbie as they would call it), folk music and other country music, a stage, a caller for the traditional dances (which were similar to square dances), and a polka or two...and a party is not a party without a good polka, I always say. Aaron and I actually love to polka!

Some of the traditional dances were the Heel and Toe polka (also called Brown Jug Polka, I believe) and Strip the Willow. They also did a few line dances too. It was fun to watch and it looked like people were having fun, from kids to old folks, everyone was smiling.

There was a gorgeous cake...

A nice spread of food plus the barbie was grilling up sausages...more was added after this picture was taken and desserts were added later as well.

Chairs and bales of hay to sit on, plus a trampoline for the kids...

I took this picture before it started going so you could see the lay out before it got too dark. There was a stage with a screen behind it that showed pictured of the happy couple. There was a fire pit (hence the smoke) and torches up all around. The open area in the middle is the dance floor and just to the right, out of the picture, is the back of the house where all the food is located.

I put on my favorite boots...I love these boots!

The back porch where the drinks were and the food was just inside.

Some really cute kids!

I think this one is the heel and toe polka, you forms two lines with the guys on one side and the girls on the other, it was very simple, something like heel, toe then sashay 4 steps, do it again and then sashay back, then you clap left hands 4 times, right hands 4 times and then you slap your thighs four times...and do-si-do...or something like that...fun stuff!