The Cowboy Country Swing Club (CCSC) is hosting their traditional Cowboy Prom, for University students to attend, on April 12. in the Quadra Dangle Square Dance Club.
Cowboy Prom is a tradition for CCSC and hosts a partner-dancing prom for college students. Molly McMurry, current president of CCSC, said “Cowboy Prom is just an excuse to wear our nice formal clothes. A lot of us will wear bridesmaid dresses, prom dresses, suits, button-downs and cufflinks, and all that kind of thing. It’s an excuse to get really gussied up. It’s also just an extra night of dancing because if you’re in the dancing community, a lot of us dance Wednesday night at the Cowboy, and Thursday nights when we do lessons. This just gives us a third night of dancing that week. Really, it’s just an excuse to dress up and dance for fun, since we won’t be teaching.” While the suggested dress code is formal attire, CCSC would welcome anyone to Cowboy Prom, regardless of outfit. CCSC is also a ‘dry club’, meaning everyone at Cowboy Prom will be sober.
McMurry encourages all UW students to consider attending the Cowboy Prom. “I would say it’s a really good opportunity to bring friends that are outside of the dancing community, just because it really is so fun. A lot of us will get dressed up and go to dinner and treat it kind of like a college prom. It’s a really good way to bring new people that might not have wanted to go on a regular Thursday because it’s a little less intimidating,” said McMurry. McMurry also suggested it may help relieve some end-of-mid-semester stress.
Cowboy Prom has been a tradition in the UW dance community for years. “I am not exactly sure when it started, but I know it’s a long time. We had some instructors that have been teaching for eight years and they all remember it. It’s been a while,” said McMurry. Not only has this been a tradition, but also is an opportunity to be reminded of the culture the University has created. “The ‘cowboy’ theme materially reflects everyone showing up in their boots. On an identity level, beyond just the aesthetics, the cowboy boot means something to Laramie and to UW. I think it’s really reflective of the cowboy culture, and cowboy culture is one of respect, integrity, and grit. We want people to show up to our dance club, have fun, and dance their boots off, but we also want to be a place where we respect our peers and uphold a traditional culture. It will hopefully be more traditional and reflect, what I think is the fading morality that the cowboy culture keeps holding up, of chivalry and fun,” said McMurry.
Cowboy Prom is a representation of the UW community, through a night of swing dancing. CCSC will be hosting this event on April 12. In the historic dancing hall, Quadra Dangle Square Dancing Club.
