About five thousand miles away from the United States, a theme park in Italy made a whole performance routine incorporating every “cowboy” thing that they could lay hands on.
The result: a rodeo line dance performance featuring cowboy hats, shim sham, square dances, and a lot of “yeehaw!”s.
Just like any other town in any western classic, a town cannot be a Wild West town without the man with the golden star badge.
The sheriff of the town marches into the stage with the backdrop of log houses and saloons.
And it’s not a Wild West party if it doesn’t start with a bang – we’re serious, it’s a gunshot, albeit a fake one.
As the program commenced, a troop of cowboys and cowgirls all clad in plaid, march into the stage as two singers quick-fired words from a wagon race tune.
They might be Italian, but the twang and the yeehaw’s are on point.
The cowboys started with bouncy and energetic kicks and foot taps.
The line dance was filled with a party vibe that played on country characteristics and influences but all of them are mixed with a modern twist.
The rodeo only got more fun when the cowgirls joined the line dance to perform a square dance routine with the men but also involving being thrown around the air and swung over the stage.
With knee-high jumps and clacking of soles, the entire line dance shuffled on the stage with lightning-fast feet.
It might not exactly be the country swing dances you’re used to but it was obviously a lot of fun.
If you’re wondering how the Folk Americana ended up on Italian shores, this entire program is performed at one of the largest theme parks in Italy – Gardaland.
With its worldwide recognition in Forbes as one of the top amusement parks in the world, Gardaland is much like the Disney Land of Italy.
It combines different themes into one place, offering something for everybody.
From the statues of Egypt to the deep worlds underwater, it’s not surprising that there’s a piece of Americana ending up in the place.
After the line dance concluded, the program continues to show more of the cowboy influence.
A man in a black vest, probably the sheriff’s deputy pulled out the guns.
He’s not chasing after any bandits. He’s just here to show off his gun juggling skills that were truly impressive.
Gun tricks have always been mystified in legends of the West so it’s interesting to see how other countries interpret it.
It didn’t stop there, though. The “deputy” takes out a whip and cracks it in front of the crowd.
Bullwhips are used by cowboys to get the herd moving. It’s not used to hit the animals, but rather, scare them enough so they’d step away from dense vegetation or move in with the herd.
Since then, it has been popularized in Western sagas as a tool to incapacitate an opponent in a very flashy way. In this case, it’s for two cacti made of wood.
Next up was the lasso show. No cowboy regalia is complete without the rope used to pull cattle or hogtie animals. The “deputy” did an exciting routine of skillfully stepping in and out of the loop as he spun the lasso under him.
Finally, the program concludes with another line dance from the cowboys and girls, showing off energetic high kicks and shuffling that your eyes can’t catch.
You can hear the crowd whistle and howl to the music as the dancers popped their shoulders and knees to the rhythm.
You can say that it’s not “American enough” for these Italians but you have to admit that it was an amazing program featuring the most iconic aspects of the Wild West.
Watch their entertaining dance in the video below!
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