PELLSTON, Mich. — The University of Michigan Biological Station is adding a new event at the remote Northwoods campus for the 2025 field season.
UMBS students, researchers, instructors, staff and their families are invited to a line dance 7 p.m. Saturday, June 14, on the volleyball court outside the administrative building along Douglas Lake. The event is closed to the public.
The festivities will be led by Cheryl Wright-Blessett, who teaches line dancing at branches of the Detroit Public Library and at the Grosse Pointe Public Library.
“I am excited to be there,” Wright-Blessett said. “All you need is water, comfortable footwear, maybe a towel — yes, you will sweat! — and a positive attitude. Give yourself a little grace, relax and come dance with me!”
Some of the dances she will teach include the Cupid Shuffle, Wobble, Flex, Boots On The Ground, and Cowboi Boogie.
“I usually gauge the crowd before adding more dances to determine if I can increase the intensity a little bit, but these are the basics that I teach in every class,” Wright-Blessett said.
Jumanah Saadeh, UMBS operations specialist, writes a weekly column for the field research station called the Virtual Chatterbox, which is filled with interesting and informative community and culture pieces.
Saadeh said line dancing dates back to the 1800s, influenced by both European folk dance and African American dance. It particularly developed following the revival of square dance following World War II and coalesced into a genre of its own in the 1970’s.
“Today, line dancing is found across music genres, including pop, Latin, Irish, and country,” Saadeh said. “It is a popular source of building community and encouraging movement in a fun, joyful way.”
In honor of her first visit to the research and teaching campus comprised of more than 10,000 forested acres surrounded by lakes and rivers about 20 miles south of the Mackinac Bridge, we’re proud to introduce Cheryl Wright-Blessett. Read our Q&A.
Q: Tell us about yourself and how you got into the world of teaching line dancing?
I became a line dance instructor by accident! I started attending classes at the Charles H. Wright Museum for African American History. The museum is close to Detroit Public Library's main branch, where I work as the A/P Manager. The classes were well attended and fun so I told various leaders at Detroit Public Library that we should start classes to bring more people into the library. They asked if I would teach the classes and I accepted and just jumped in and started in March 2018. I have incorporated practices from other classes and gotten advice from other instructors and now, seven years later, I absolutely love it.
Q: Where do you teach line dancing year-round? And what is a typical class like for you?
My class demographic has been mostly over 40, but now that country dances are becoming so popular (think Boots On The Ground — yes, I will teach it!), more young people are becoming interested in line dancing. I teach at several Detroit Public Library branches and also at the Grosse Pointe Public Library in the spring and fall. I have discovered an entire line dance community in Detroit. There are lots of different groups and instructors and there's a class somewhere every day of the week. There are group gatherings, fundraisers, theme parties, cookouts and a few combined annual events here and across the country where several hundred people may attend.
Q: What was your familiarity with the University of Michigan Biological Station before we contacted you about joining our community for a fun night of line dancing along the Douglas Lake?
I didn't know much about the UMBS program before being asked to visit. I have a very curious nature, so I'm looking forward to learning something new while I'm here!
Q: For folks who have never line danced before or the extent of their experience is the electric slide — what is the level of difficulty of what you will be teaching at the UMBS Line Dance? Is it beginner friendly? What can they expect? Do they need to bring anything?
My classes are very beginner friendly. I have new people for almost every class. I move forward step-by-step and encourage questions. I teach the popular dances that you may encounter at the cookout, class reunion or wedding reception. All you need is water, comfortable footwear, maybe a towel (yes, you will sweat!) and a positive attitude. Give yourself a little grace, relax and come dance with me!
The U-M Biological Station — the largest of U-M's campuses — is one of the nation's largest and longest continuously operating field research stations.
Founded in 1909, the Biological Station supports long-term research and education. It is where students and scientists from across the globe live and work as a community to learn from the place.
The University of Michigan Biological Station serves as a gathering place to learn from the natural world, advance research and education, and inspire action. We leverage over a century of research and transformative experiences to drive discoveries and solutions to benefit Michigan and beyond.
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