Waltzes, Foxtrots and Maxinas: memories of country dances

Photo by Clarisse Meyer on Unsplash

When I was small, the dances in the local hall in my tiny country town in New Zealand were all about sliding. Us kids would wait until one of the adults brought out the tin of dance floor powder and sprinkled it liberally across the shining boards, then we’d skid and slide around the hall, pushing each other, trying to excel at the longest slides, arms wheeling to keep our balance.