Anyare Felix comes from Bronxville. Jackie Leahy pulls up from Port Chester. They are both part of a group that just follows the music down a stairwell into Resurrection Church’s recreational hall on Monday nights. Inside, country music pulses as boots shuffle across the floor. Led by founder Adam Cherko, beginner and intermediate line dancers follow steps in a welcoming, no-pressure environment.
Line dancing is alive and well in Rye, thanks in large part to Cherko, who offered a free weekly session Monday nights from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. during the summer months at the Church of the Resurrection. And during the summer, line dancing instruction also was offered at Tiki Beach at Playland Pier on select Wednesday nights.
What accounts for the resurgence of this style of dance?
“It’s fun, it’s exercise, and I’ve made so many friends,” Leahy said. “It’s just a whole lifestyle — it’s amazing. I’ve made more friends in the last two years than I ever expected. Who does that?”
Cherko, a former high school math teacher and community-minded entrepreneur, launched his business, Cherko Country Line Dancing, to bring people together and to share his lifelong love of country line dancing. He also wanted to share a philosophy of doing what makes people happy and healthy.
Dancers of all levels, like Leahy, return week after week.
“I used to dance, and coming here is awesome,” she said, adding that she appreciates the fitness component and camaraderie.
Others describe the draw as deeply personal.
“It’s just an interest,” said Felix. “I used to do it when I was younger, living in upstate New York. It’s stress relief — I work all day. It’s relaxing. No social media.”
Cherko provides all participants with access to the dance steps at the entrance and offers the same supplemental materials online. During the class, Cherko’s signature energy is matched by his ability to guide dancers of all levels through new steps with patience and encouragement: Cherko cues the group and models the steps, all while ensuring each dancer settles into the rhythm.
“That worked — for at least 50 percent of the group,” he said with a grin on a recent Monday. After a final run-through and a quick check-in — “Any questions? No? Wow. Guess that worked” — the room filled with applause, the kind that comes from shared progress and accomplishment. Cherko has built more than just a line dancing class — it’s a growing community connected by rhythm, repetition, and a shared sense of fun.
In addition to Cherko’s weekly sessions, Tiki Beach at Playland Pier hosted Country Music Night on select Wednesday evenings over the summer (the last one was Aug. 20). The lively boardwalk events featured DJ Alan and line dance instruction from Premier Entertainment.
The evenings were a perfect opportunity for newcomers and seasoned dancers alike to enjoy a night of country music and line dancing under the stars.
