Texas dance hall film strikes chord with past, present

“Dance halls were once as common as cattle in Texas,” says Erik McCowan, director of the award-winning feature documentary Dance Hall Days, which has its Wimberley Valley premiere on Sunday, Jan 5th at 6 p.m. with doors opening at 5 p.m. at Mercer Street Dance Hall on Ranch Road 12.

The film features over 50 iconic dance halls, including several in the Texas Hill Country such as Blanco’s Twin Sisters and Shiner’s Weid Hall to name a few. McCowan crisscrossed the state of Texas with dance hall legend Steve Dean, who dedicated much of his life to the preservation of these mostly wooden structures until his passing in 2017.

The film bridges past and present. Dance halls long served as both meeting places and venues for good times, especially for rural communities. Yet, as rural populations diminished so did the dance halls. Today, a handful of dedicated folks keep the spaces alive, facing an uncertain future.

“The film captures the people and organizations who, often against the odds, maintain the halls for audiences today and for the future,” says McCowan. “There’s lots of challenges both financially and structurally but it is a dedicated group.”

McCowan teamed up with Wimberley-based producer Jeffrey Brown on the film which won Best Texas Film at the Hill Country Film Festival last year. As far as performers, Kevin Fowler, Jody Nix, Mike & The Moonpies appear as do polka favorites The Round Top Brass Band, Alex Meixner, The Jodie Mikula Orchestra, Kross Kountry and The Joe Patek Tribute Band.

A portion of proceeds will go towards Texas dance hall rebuilding efforts. More info at: www.mercerstreetdancehall.com.