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Manhattan South
owners Melody Harris (left)
and Debbie Ryan stand behind the
bar during uniform night over Memorial Day
weekend. The bar is the only club in Fort
Lauderdale to go out for country western dancing.
(Photo by Andy Zeffer)
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Friday, June 04,
2004
Crowds gather at Manhattan South to shuffle, swivel
and kick up their heels
On the corner of Powerline and McNabb, where Fort
Lauderdale meets Pompano Beach, lies a hotbed of gay and
lesbian nightlife. In just a few years, Manhattan South
has morphed from an adult entertainment club featuring
female strippers to a popular gay hang out that offers a
host of entertainment options, including the burgeoning
phenomenon of gay and lesbian country western
dancing.
Manhattan South owners Debbie Ryan and Melody Harris
couldn’t be happier with the direction their club has
taken, which derives its name from their hometown of New
York City.
“We started out as an adult entertainment club,” Ryan
says. “The crowds now are much nicer and we have no
problems. It’s changed and grown so rapidly.”
Much of that change has to do with the gay and
lesbian country western dance groups, Southern Country
of South Florida and The Outlawz.
A little over a year ago, Southern Country approached
Ryan and Harris about having a Friday dance night at
their club. It was so popular, Southern Country has
added Tuesday nights as well.
The Outlawz, another gay country western dance
organization, has been with the club for about five
months now on Saturday nights.
And on Wednesday
nights, country entertainers Dean & Lee perform
live.
“The country crowds have been good to the club,” says
Ryan.
But she notes that by 11:30, the boot-heeled dancers
tend to clear out.
“So we are bringing in DJ Marc Scott from the
Jackhammer to spin music from 11:30 at night to three in
the morning on Friday nights. He is going to be playing
mixed music.”
Lee Fox, the instructor on Friday
nights with Southern Country, says Manhattan South is
the only club in town right now to feature gay
country-western dancing. The club made a lot of changes
to accommodate the country western dancers, says
Fox.
“They got rid of all the stages from when it was a
stripper bar, laid out a whole new floor, made it a lot
bigger, decorated it and put up the rainbow flag,” says
Fox, who also teaches for Southern Country at the Gay
& Lesbian Community Center on Wednesdays.
The free lessons offered by Southern Country and The
Outlawz are a real draw. Southern Country teaches line
dancing on Tuesdays and couples dancing on Fridays,
while The Outlawz offers classes on Saturdays.
“I usually come on the weekends,” says Sandy Bryant,
a member of the local dance troupe the Rough Riders and
a regular at Manhattan South. “It is a great venue and a
fun crowd. It’s guys and gals, exercise and camaraderie.
If you’re looking for a good time with no pretense, this
is it.”
Rona Ader and her partner Judy Argenbright are
regulars at Manhattan South. Ader gives lessons on
Tuesday nights while Argenbright deejays. Ader has been
dancing with Southern Country for seven years, and is
heading up to Columbus, Ohio, in four weeks for a
competition.
An example of just how close country western dancing
patrons have grown to Manhattan South was illustrated
just last week.
Gina Keeler is the DJ on Friday nights and a member
of Southern Country for thirteen years. Her son recently
came back from Iraq and presented a plaque to Ryan and
Harris on behalf of himself and his squadron. Manhattan
South had put together a huge donation effort around
Christmas which collected items sent to Keeler’s son and
other soldiers serving in the war.
“This place is involved,” with its customers, Keeler
says.
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