Last Dance? Not Yet

By day, Steve Ipsen is a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney who specializes in death penalty cases. But at night, he’s a fervent advocate for country-western line dancing.

Ipsen’s group, Cowboy Attitude, is promoting a country and western dance party at the Reseda Country Club starting Friday night. He views Cowboy Attitude as another way he’s serving his community.

“We are the country dancers who have been displaced by the closing of Denim & Diamonds, In Cahoots, and other large country dance clubs,” Ipsen said. “We’ve taken things into our own hands.”

Denim & Diamonds in Woodland Hills closed in 1995, and In Cahoots in Glendale shut its doors in March. Both clubs were owned by corporations that determined the country line dancing craze had run its course.

But don’t tell that to Ipsen and his dancing partners, who wasted no time starting Cowboy Attitude. The weekend after In Cahoots folded, they were promoting their first dance at the Australian Beach Club in Burbank. Unfortunately, that club also closed down soon after, and the group moved to Wednesday nights at Aftershock in Studio City, where it continues. Additionally, Ipsen runs a dance on Tuesday nights at an old square-dance hall in North Hollywood.

“By promoting our own events at local clubs, they can’t close us down,” Ipsen said. “They can just make us move.”

One might ask why these urban cowboys and cowgirls didn’t mosey on down to the Cowboy Palace Saloon, Crest Country or Crazy Jack’s?

“They’re great places to go and listen to bands, but they’re just not geared to dancers,” Ipsen said. “For one thing, they don’t have big enough dance floors--we’re going to have about 800 to 1,000 people Friday night.” The Country Club has 16,000 square feet of space.

By comparison, those other Valley country-western clubs are like TV’s “Cheers,” Ipsen said. “They’re more like neighborhood bars, where everyone knows your name,” he said. “With our dances, you have a chance to meet someone new.”

Ipsen admits he didn’t even like country music a few years back, but then he got involved in line dancing and he was hooked. He enjoys the relaxed social atmosphere at cowboy dances.

Using the In Cahoots’ mailing list of more than 6,000 names, he’s been able to reassemble many of the Glendale club’s regulars, deejays, and even its dance team. An eight-member competition squad is gearing up for an event scheduled for October in Pismo Beach.

Sandee Dally, the former manager of In Cahoots, started the club’s line dancing team and is heading up the new squad.

Admission to the first Cowboy Attitude dance party will be free, but Ipsen isn’t sure what the cover charge will be in the future. His other dances at Aftershock and the Barn in North Hollywood charge a $5 cover. Anyone can join Cowboy Attitude by simply asking for a membership card. There are no membership fees.

Ipsen feels he’s one lucky cowpoke because he’s enjoying his new avocation so much.

“It’s a lot more fun than sending someone to Death Row,” he said.

* The Cowboy Attitude Country Western Dance, 7 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday at the Reseda Country Club, 18419 Sherman Way. Free. (818) 559-7094.

Other Options: If country line dancing is not your thing, you have other options this weekend.

On Sunday at 4 p.m. at Warner Park, the Valley Cultural Center presents a rather eclectic program with classic rock by Ronny and the Classics, sounds of the bayou by the California Cajun Band and tight a capella singing by the Insomniacs. The concert is free. Don’t forget the blanket. (818) 704-1587.

Local blues clubs are all going strong. Most notably, Bay Area blues man Chris Cain comes to B.B. King’s pm Friday. Also Friday, the Pontiax perform at Cozy’s. If bass and drums are too noisy for you, check out folk-country singer Dawn Hummer at Coffee Junction on Saturday night.