The footwork is fancy but the cowboy hats don’t get rattled as couples hit the floor of this San Dimas club.
“Cowboy Cha Cha!” DJ Rick Siana calls over the loudspeaker, indicating the dance on deck. Gentlemen in head-to-toe western garb put down their Coors Lights and politely invite women in cowgirl getups to be their partners. The couples find spots on the dance floor beneath a bedazzled horse saddle that hangs in place of a disco ball. Soon enough, the dancers fall into perfect unison to the twangy country beats, maneuvering tricky turns without so much as disturbing the cowboy hats on their heads.
It’s a scene straight out of a Texas two-step bar, but you’re nowhere near the Lone Star State. You’re at Montana’s in San Dimas — 35 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains.
Located in a mini-mall right above a Boot Barn, Montana’s is one of the few nightclubs in the greater Los Angeles area dedicated to country and western dancing. Open since 2000, the club draws a crowd of regulars and curious newcomers from as far away as Ojai and Orange County with its authentic Wild West décor (think antler chandeliers and cowhide bar stools) and welcoming, good-hearted atmosphere. But the main draw is the dancing…