Dispatch from the Ranch: 19th Barn Dance Apocalypse & New Retreat Announcement

Hello Friends,

In 2003 my friend Anthony and I created an impromptu country band to put on a dance party in a Chicago warehouse during the hardest part of winter. The Barn Dance Apocalypse and The Golden Horse Ranch Band were born. It was a celebration of joy and community in spite of the darkness of midwest winters and of life itself. Think art party meets Chicago rave meets country barn dance, with the defiant tagline: “When the rapture comes, we will still be dancing.”

I grew up calling square dances, contra dances, and line dances. I never imagined that this skill would become such a gift to friendships, music, meaning, and community. But the more I learned about these dance forms, the more it made sense.

These dances are an amalgamation of community. Dance patterns brought by people from many cultures, woven together by a caller into a shared experience. They carry influences from Europe, Africa, Indigenous America, and Mexico. They come from a time in this country when community dancing helped people cross social and cultural boundaries, survive hard seasons, celebrate life, and strengthen the fabric of community.

These dances are not about getting the steps right. They’re about doing it together. The figures are very old, and there’s a kind of primal magic in them, something I can’t fully explain, but have witnessed again and again over the years.

If you need a dose of joy and togetherness right now, please join us Friday February 13th for the 19th Annual Barn Dance Apocalypse at Thalia Hall in Chicago. Tickets usually sell out so grab yours soon and see you there.

I couldn’t announce a more fitting new retreat in this newsletter than Path of the Heart Fiber Arts Retreat with Lauren McElroy and Christine Walker.

I often liken these traditional dances I call to the knitting or weaving. The Caller knits with people instead of yarn, simple moves repeated until something strong and beautiful appears. If you are a knitter this retreat is for you.

The Path of the Heart is an invitation to come back to yourself through making, rest, and being together in a beautiful grounded place. For more information and to sign up, click the link below.

With Warmth,