Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzannah Forbes
Hi Suzannah, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Shindigs Savannah began in March of 2021 as a living room dance party, introducing my friends to the Texas two step. I am a Georgia native with roots in Texas as my family is from there. Growing up I had exposure to the Texas two step and have always recognized it as the king of country dancing! It’s special to me as my first love of social dancing as I am trained in classical ballet, studied dance in college, danced professionally, and have taught dance at all levels for over ten years. But the place I could always “let my hair down” when it comes to dancing is at the Honky Tonk. The cold beer, good country music and a squeaky wooden dance floor are my happy place! From my experience, Honky Tonks are everything you could want in bringing community together and smiles to peoples faces, even with the occasional tear in your beer. Thus was born the idea to share the love of Honky Tonks and of country dancing through the creation of Shindigs.
The mission of Shindigs is to create an atmosphere where the the dance floor is for all of y’all. Shindigs creates the perfect non-intimating atmosphere by starting every event with a beginner lesson and mixing various styles together such as country swing, two step, and line dancing. This allows anyone to feel excited to be out on the dance floor. Our goal is to get people to scoot their boots- no matter what level of boot scootin’ you’re familiar with.
Shindigs currently operates as a “traveling honky tonk”, meaning we are regularly at local Savannah businesses like Over Yonder and Starland Yard and travel to other areas throughout the coastal empire. We also love doing private events, corporate events, and private lessons!
Dancing is a huge part of my life and happiness. I personally know the wonderful community it builds and feel blessed to bring more dancing to the place I call home: Savannah, Georgia.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a business is a lot like learning to dance. There are always times you trip on your own two feet, lose your balance or just get frustrated and stuck. The key is to keep coming back to it, solve the problem, and recognize that you’re better than you were the day before because you ain’t quittin’! You never stop learning and that’s what is exciting about both running a business and dancing. Your growth is limitless!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Shindigs is Savannah’s own traveling honky tonk! We teach dance lessons in line dancing, Texas two step, country swing, and more! Why should you dance with us? Well, glad you asked! First, dance is such a fun way to meet people, socialize, gain confidence, achieve mental health… the list goes on. Secondly, Shindigs is special in that our lessons are tailored to beginners, while also having something for the experienced dancer too! You never stop learning! Thirdly, our dance lessons are on boats, bars, and beaches! In other words it’s never boring around here! The mission is to get everyone on the dance floor!
You can also collaborate with us to offer fun western dancing at your bachelor/bachelorette parties, corporate events, bar/public businesses, live music opener, sorority and fraternity events, celebrations, and more! We will teach fun beginner lessons in line dancing, Texas two step, and/or country swing. Nothing brings your crew together quite like dancing! We’re here to bring smiles to everyone’s faces- especially your customers, employees, or friends and families.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is that when people come to a Shindig, their day is elevated because they did. Dance is so joyous and doing so with others increases that joy! I hope that whatever some one’s approach is to country dancing, they leave feeling like they gained confidence, genuinely smiled, and met new people.
Pricing:
- Free Two Step lessons can be found at Two Step Tuesday at Over Yonder and Madison Square Park.
- Free line dance lessons can be found at Starland Yard once a month
- Country Swing at the Beach and The Firm is $15 for an 1.5 hour lesson every month.
- We offer private event bookings of all sizes and our pricing varies. You can find the prices on our website under Book Your Own Honky Tonk!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dancewithshindigs.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shindigssavannah/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560812267032
