Dance popularity experiences growth with three new locations
By April Gonzales Special to the Kansan
It is Friday night in Lawrence. What do you and your friends have planned?
If you love to dance but feel Lawrence has lacked good dancing establishments in the past are you in for a surprise!
On any weekend, the Cadillac Ranch, Duffy's and the Granada are packing in the customers by the hundreds.
"Country music is really hot right now," said Mike Parsons, manager of the Cadillac Ranch, 2515 W. Sixth St. "We opened because there was really no place for college students in Lawrence to go for country music or dancing."
On a nightly basis, Cadillac Ranch, which opened last April, serves approximately 230 people. Weekends are busiest, but the club also holds Ladies Night on Wednesdays, which draws a crowd.
Don't worry if you can't dance the Achy Breaky or shuffle to the Cotton-Eyed Joe. Free dance lessons are offered every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 8:30 p.m. Customers are taught to swing dance, threestep or strut to many other country line dances.
"Some customers come in full Western outfits or shorts and sandals," Parsons said. "It doesn't matter because we all learn together. Everyone wants to learn how to country dance."
Although it is primarily a country bar, requests for other types of music are also played during the evening.
"People help you get the country steps down, but the funniest thing to see are country regulars doing the 20-step to Metallica with traditional headbangers around them," Heather Moore. Wellsville junior, said.
The Cadillac Ranch is open every day from noon to 2 a.m.
If country is not your style, then consider Duffy's, 2222 W. Sixth St. in the Quality Inn hotel, for contemporary or disco music.
Duffy's began offering dancing in May to offer a wider variety of entertainment to their customers and offered disco in June because it was making a big comeback on the East and West Coasts.
"We wanted to add entertainment to our bar, so we added a dance floor," said Cory Conklin, assistant manager and bartender. "We added a disco night because no other place in town offered it at the time. It was just a crazy idea that took off."
"I went to Disco Night with my friends who dressed up '70s style. I think they should have an early '80s night instead," Lori Black, Oskaloosa junior said. "Although the '70s aren't for me, it was still a great place to go to dance."
Usually 150 patrons show up for disco night on Thursdays. Techno-Rave will be offered on Saturday nights, as well. Other nights offer rock and some alternative
music.
Spicing things up a bit, Duffy's management is also thinking about adding '70s dance contests and dance lessons to disco hits to ease people onto the floor.
Duffy's is open Monday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. and on Sundays at noon.
Since its grand re-opening in August, the Grenada, 1020 Massachusetts St., has regularly reached its capacity of 405 patrons. Does the large dance floor have something to do with this success?
"It's definitely added to it," said Stacy Elwell, Granada manager. "We added the floor because we knew there was a large group that wanted to dance."
However, Elwell said that the Granada's goal was not to become a dance club but a wide-range entertainment bar.
The Granada offers mainstream and Top 40 music, and dancing usually begins after 10 p.m. In order to attract an older generation,jazz is played on Thursdays and blues is offered on special nights. A "70s flashback" theme night will be showcased every Wednesday.
Chery Thomas, Bethesda, Md., senior enjoyed another unique feature the Grenada offers.
"I think it's really good that it is non-smoking. It provides for a better atmosphere, and everyone dancing looks like they're really enjoying themselves."
Julia Clarke/KANSAN
Mark Friel, Overland Park, senior, and Meghan Dougherty, Tempe, Ariz., sophomore, catch disco fever during an Alpha Delta Pi date dash at The Granada.
The Grenada is open from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday and Monday through Friday and from noon to 2 a.m. on Saturday.
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ENTERTAINMENT '93 *Kyou* September 24,1993