Cajun Two-Step
A Cajun two-step almost sounds like the name of a specialty cocktail but it is the name of a special Cajun dance. It is primarily categorized as one of the three dance steps to Cajun music. The two other dance steps are: the Cajun jitterbug and waltz. There are numerous variations of the three dances. However, the basic steps of the Cajun two-step are: step, step in one direction, and step, tap in the other direction. When you step, step, you shift your weight from one foot to the other. However, when you step, tap, you’re not shifting your weight on the tap but merely touching the ball of your foot on the dance floor.
It is important in Cajun dancing to slightly bend your knees and move about slightly on the balls of your feet in order to move more fluidly as you sashay around the dance floor with your partner. Once you get the basic two-step down pat, then you can learn the variations. There’s also the Mamou two-step and the Whiskey River two-step, for example, that are two of the variations of the basic Cajun two-step. In Mamou, a bucolic village in Evangeline Parish with a population of approximately 3200+ citizens, they developed a variation of the Cajun two-step that is lively and quick. Numerous Cajun music artists have composed music named Mamou Two-Step. The Whiskey River two-step is named for a river that flows into the Atchafalaya Basin, and has its own spin on the basic footwork. Whichever variation you would care to do, Cajun music is played nightly at Mulate’s and you can learn the steps. You and your partner can cut a rug, dine on Cajun delicacies, and imbibe in spirits for a spirited night on the town.
