Scoot, slide, two-step and glide with the Step Sisters

GREENVILLE—They may spend their days teaching in local schools, but when the day ends Erica Hamilton and Alyson Bjorkman have another lesson plan in mind. This one involves cowboy boots, country music and a whole lot of dancing.

The Greenville educators are the women behind Dance with the Step Sisters, a local line dancing business that has grown from a shared love of dancing into a way of bringing people together at community events, private parties and celebrations throughout the region.

The pair offer line dancing lessons for all ages and experience levels, as well as entertainment for private and public events, including weddings, birthday parties, and even neighborhood block parties.

And despite the name, there is no actual family connection between them.

“The term ‘Step Sisters’ started when students would see us hanging out often and remarked that we looked alike,” Bjorkman explained.

The observation eventually became the name of their business and, fittingly, a name built around the very activity that brought them together.

For Hamilton and Bjorkman, however, the business is about more than simply teaching a series of steps.

Line dancing has a way of turning a room full of strangers into a group of friends. Dancers don't necessarily need a partner and newcomers can join in alongside people who have been dancing for years.

That makes it particularly adaptable to the kind of events the Step Sisters have found themselves working.

In June, Hamilton and Bjorkman were among the performers and instructors participating in a fundraiser at The Barn at Bowery Creek Farm in Acra. The evening included country music, and open dancing and lessons as part of a benefit for local first responders.

This month, they are hosting lessons at Meadowbrook Farm in Leeds on September 15 and 29 from 6-8 p.m. Open to all ages and levels, the cost is $10 per person. The farm also offers an on-site bar, food, seating and pick-your-own flowers, making the evening something of a social outing as well as a dance lesson.

On Mondays, September 14 and 18, and October 12 and 26, the Steps Sisters will be at Gray Willow in Earlton from 6-8 p.m. with no cover charge. They can also be found at the Earlton Hill Campground on September 19 for Country Night from 7-9 p.m.

For Hamilton and Bjorkman, the classroom and the dance floor may be different environments, but the underlying lesson is remarkably similar: get people involved, make them feel comfortable and give them something they can enjoy together.

A good time is mandatory and boots are optional.

For more information, contact them at dancewiththestep­sisters@gmail.com.