A new KLRN takes a whirl around Texas dancehalls
San Antonio’s PBS station KLRN is tuning up a take on a grand Lone Star tradition. Texas Dance Halls: Still Swingin’, a new five-part series exploring the beating hearts of rural life, will premiere March 26 at 7:30 pm.
Hosted by actor and director Jay Pennington, the series two-steps through some of the state’s most iconic venues, stopping to hear the stories from a community built around banjos and beer.
“There’s a sense of authenticity that maybe some other places can’t create,” Pennington says in the film.
The documentary comes as Texas’ dancehall tradition continues to decline, with historic sites like Kendalia Hall slowly fading due to shifting populations and the high costs of maintaining aging structures.
Although around 400 of the original buildings are still standing, many are crumbling and abandoned. Only two San Antonio area dancehalls continue to operate on a near-daily basis — Fredericksburg’s Luckenbach Texas, and Gruene Hall in New Braunfels.
Still, preservationists all over the state are fighting to keep the music alive. Blanco’s Twin Sisters Dance Hall is now run as a nonprofit. Coupland Dancehall, facing closure in late 2025, was saved from extinction when a local promoter took over the site. Still Swinging argues such preservation is essential to Texas’ identity.
“Texas Dance Halls: Still Swingin’ is more than just stories about dancing,” says Executive Producer Shari St. Clair. “The lore of Texas dance halls runs so deep in our state. Dance halls were the first place in rural communities where residents gathered for both business and fun.”
Texas Dance Halls: Still Swingin’ premieres Thursday, March 26, at 7:30 p.m. on KLRN. Viewers can catch new episodes every Thursday until April 23, 2026. Watch a preview of the show below.
