KICKING THE DUST UP with Suzannah Forbes of Shindigs Savannah
and all things coming to the Cowboy Ball on December 20th
by nicole stambaugh
Things are slowing down around the office for the holiday season, but the festivities are picking up here in Savannah! sq. TWENTY-FIVE sat down to chat with someone who is an expert on having a good time: Suzannah Forbes of Shindigs Savannah.
Suzannah hails from Kennesaw, Georgia but has family roots in Texas. When she moved to Savannah three years ago, she realized something was missing: Texas two step and the social dance scene that comes with it.
If you aren’t familiar, Texas two step is a dance traditionally performed with a quick-quick-slow-slow pattern to music. A trip to Texas and a visit to any honkytonk will show you a dance floor full of people who have all mastered it, moving in sync around the wooden dance floor, adding in twirls, flips, and all kinds of tricks. For the more serious dancers and those who compete, dancers usually have a specific dance partner in mind. Apart from this, these honkytonks have a vibrant social dance scene, where you can dance with someone new all night long, making new friends and learning new tricks, too.
Luckily, thanks to Suzannah, you don’t need to book a flight to Texas to get that honky-tonk feel. She has managed to cultivate that here in Savannah through the Shindigs events and pop-ups (calendar here!). You can find her at various places around downtown and midtown Savannah, and even Tybee hosting pop-up dance lessons where she teaches both two step and line dancing. Through this, she has managed to grow the community that she hoped to foster here when she started out.
During our conversation, it was clear that Suzannah has artfully turned a passion into a business. In addition to the pop-ups, Shindigs is available for private parties, which she mentioned has become a big part of the business. Her advice to others looking to start something? Just go for it! Start small with your family and friends, get feedback and figure out what works; and then bring in more and more people and watch it grow.
Her end-goal is to have a brick and mortar location, but in the meantime, the pop-ups around Savannah are thriving. Shindigs’ social media includes information on the when and where for anyone looking to join in. If you are a beginner looking to attend your first Shindig, don’t fret. Each pop-up begins with going over the basic steps. If you’ve got a little more experience under your belt, more advanced moves are demonstrated too. The great thing about two step dance? The basics always provide the framework, and the more advanced dancing comes from layering in additional moves. Feeling like you’ll step on your partners’ toes? You’ve always got line dancing to learn instead!
Join Shindigs at a pop-up, or if you’re looking for more, attend their third annual Cowboy Ball on Friday, December 20th in your Texas formal attire. This event will be held at Savannah Station, and has something for everyone (and features some great Savannah local businesses). Slow Fire BBQ will be there for some great food, along with DJ Cesar for the music.
We truly loved kicking up our boots to chat with Suzannah, learn more about Shindigs, and how she created something with her passion to fill a hole in the market. You’ll find us shouting YEEHAW at a pop-up soon, hope to see you there.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nicole Stambaugh is an aerospace engineer with a passion for mentoring young professionals as they transition from college to the workforce to help them thrive in their careers. Outside of work, Nicole is an avid follower of local events and always knows where the next exciting activity is happening in Savannah.
all photography provided by suzannah forbes and shindigs