The “Monson Ballet”, as some locals...

The “Monson Ballet”, as some locals call it, is on a high-traffic stretch of Route 20 that runs between Palmer and Monson. I’d driven past this place many times and decided to stop in. It was kind of anticlimactic, especially after visiting the clubs in Connecticut and Rhode Island.

The club’s layout is tight. As you enter the club, you pay a $3 admission fee then squeeze past the bar. A small “champagne room” is on the right. Unfortunately it’s behind a window for everyone to see. A narrow rectangular stage is on the opposite side with seating on two levels. The club is dark, the music earsplitting, and there’s a lot of black light which makes the dancers’ nails glow, your shirt glow and your $4.75(?!) glass of Red Bull turn a shade of toxic green. Lots of couples too, which surprised me.

There’s a wide range of dancers, with several knockouts, a few average-looking girls and one with a rather grotesque collection of tattoos. Two dancers go at once, and a dollar will buy a pretty good view but with more separation than places like Mac’s. I was approached by a brunette named Jenny who walked me through the club’s routine. Dances in the champagne room were $20, and she offered a trip to the “back room” for $100 plus $20 to the bouncer for a “two-way contact” dance. I didn’t have the cash, and considering I’ve NEVER seen that kind of dance in Massachusetts, I opted for the champagne room.