FOR A HOOTIN'-HOLLER

GRAB YOUR BOOTS AND EXPERIENCE L.A.'S LINE DANCING REVIVAL AT THESE 8 EVENTS AROUND TOWN

- BY MADELEINE CONNORS

EARLY INTO MY TENURE as a new line-dancing enthusiast, I found myself in Chatsworth, alone on a Friday night. I was looking for action — the country dance kind. It was not yet dusk when I entered the Cowboy Palace Saloon, which hosts line dancing on most nights. Suddenly, L.A. felt very far away. In the parking lot, men were flicking cigarettes into the hot summer air. The space was almost dreamlike, with leather boots hanging above the bar table. American flags strung up. A cue ball clattered on a pool table. In the bar area, I stumbled upon a crowd in denim vests and leather-soled boots dancing in unison. They were line dancing, warming up the dance floor before the live band started their set. A man told me that on any given Friday night, this is the wildest bar in America. I believed him. The appeal of line dancing is simple: It's a partnerless dance. And still, it naturally fosters community. Scared? Saddle up anyway. If you fumble, the line will keep moving — feet brushing, stomping, rocking it back — and soon enough, you'll find your rhythm again. In Los Angeles, line dancing has a storied legacy. "In the early '90s, there used to be country dance bars all over L.A.," says Sean Monaghan, one of the founders of queer line dancing night Stud Country. While the popularity of line dancing has seen dips since then, the scene is once again experiencing a revival, partly due to the 2021 closure of country western institution Oil Can Harry's in Studio City. Deeply feeling its absence, the community filled the void with pop-up line dancing nights scattered across L.A.