ST. MARTIN PARISH — At the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, there’s no shortage of food, music, and energy—but for many, one of the most memorable experiences comes from hitting the dance floor. For nearly 15 years, Cal and Lou Courville have been helping festivalgoers find their rhythm through Cajun dance lessons held under the Breaux Bridge tent.
"Usually there's a lot of folks that come in and dance with us, and it’s enjoyable to watch that," Cal said.
The Courvilles' lessons welcome dancers of all skill levels, and participants often find themselves surprised by how quickly they catch on. Even those hesitant to step onto the floor tend to leave with a new groove.
"I love to see someone who says, ‘I have two left feet,’ and we get them to dance a little bit—and then they start dancing with both feet," Cal added.
Lou Courville's favorite move? She keeps it simple and classic.
“The two step, and that's one-two-three-four, one-two-three-four,” she said with a smile.
The couple’s history with dance stretches far beyond their time at the festival. High school sweethearts, Cal and Lou began their dancing days with rock and roll before eventually finding their way to Cajun dance in the mid-1990s.
“Well we were high school sweethearts, so we were dancing rock and roll first of all, and then we did other kind of dancing,” Lou explained. “We didn’t do Cajun dancing until I think it was ’94, and somebody invited us to go to a class, so we did.”
That invitation turned into a passion—and soon enough, a calling.
“I think three or four years later, they asked us to teach it,” Cal said.
The Courvilles have since taken their Cajun steps around the world, sharing Louisiana’s rich cultural tradition with communities far beyond Breaux Bridge. Still, they say there’s nothing quite like coming home to the festival that helped define their journey.
“We keep doing it, we enjoy it, and we have fun,” Cal said.
Lou added that it’s the people that make each lesson special. “Just meeting people, and it’s always so nice. They’re always so appreciative when we work with them.”
And for the nervous dancers? Lou has a message ready. “Guys are more reluctant to get up and dance. They’ll say, ‘I have two left feet.’ I say, that’s OK—’cause I have two right.”
Whether you're looking to master the two-step or just give Cajun dancing a try, Cal and Lou Courville will be teaching under the Breaux Bridge Tent from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m. on Friday, and 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. on Saturday. Their lessons are open to all and filled with the same charm, energy, and community spirit that make the Crawfish Festival unforgettable.
