There is folk dancing in the Village Barn two or three times every week, and the public is welcome to join in. Four different groups meet to dance at Fermilab - barn dancing, international folk dancing, Scottish country dancing, and English country dancing.

Barn Dancing
Barn dancing, with traditional American contra and square dances, is taught and called to live music the second Sunday of the month at 6:30 p.m. from September through June, and the third Sunday of the month at 2 p.m. from November to April. This is presented by the Fermilab Folk Club, the Fox Valley Folklore Society and the Chicago Barn Dance Company. Barn Dancing is being held at the Kuhn Village Barn. Please send email to folkclub@fnal.gov for more barn dance info. More information can be found at the Folk Club's web site or by contacting Lynn Garren at (630)840-2061, e-mail: garren@fnal.gov, or Dave Harding at (630)840-2971, e-mail: harding@fnal.gov.

International Folk Dancing
International Folk Dancing, featuring line, circle, couple, trio, and group dances from primarily Europe and the Middle East, meets every Thursday year round beginning at 7:30 p.m. Newcomers are welcome to join any week; the evening usually begins with the teaching of easy dances and progresses to more challenging ones. Later in the evening dances are done by request, and beginners are encouraged to stay and follow along, a great way to learn and get good exercise. There is a wonderful variety of styles and music. The group is also open and welcoming to children. (Children must, however, dance, or play quietly under parental supervision, as there is no childcare provided. ) From time to time the group hosts professional folk dance researchers and instructors who offer special workshops open to everyone, and holds parties with live music.

Silk and Thistle Scottish Country Dancing
Silk and Thistle Scottish Country Dancing is a class of the Chicago branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society and meets year round every Tuesday beginning at 7:30 p.m. The dances are taught by Doug Jensen, a physicist at Fermilab. They are traditional social dances done in sets of couples, distinguished by stylized footwork (and the costume of the kilt, sometimes in evidence, but certainly not required). Beginners are always welcome, and are encouraged to come early in the evening, when the easiest dances are taught. Basic steps are presented and the figures and patterns are walked through . The group is particularly friendly and welcoming to beginners.

English Country Dancing
English Country Dancing is Fermilab's newest dance group, an outgrowth of the interest of dancers in the other groups to have more time for this type of set dancing. The group has been meeting once a month, from 2 to 5 p.m., generally either the last or the first Sunday of the month. Like Scottish and contra dancing, most of the dances are made up of figures done in sets. The basic step is walking, and English country is relatively less strenuous than other dance forms. There is wonderful recorded music, but live music is also a fairly frequent possibility and interested musicians are encouraged to contact the organizers.

Location
International, Scottish, and English dancing at Fermilab are most often held at Kuhn Barn in Fermilab's Village. The weekly groups generally move to Ramsey Auditorium of Fermilab's high-rise Wilson Hall during the summer months, or when there is a special event at the Barn. English dancing remains at the Barn unless forced out by excessively hot weather. For directions, click on the links above. Barn dancing is presently at the Kuhn Village Barn.

Sponsorship
International, Scottish, and English dancing at Fermilab are partly sponsored by the lab's women's organization (NALWO) and are intended to offer recreational possibilities not only to employees and the many foreign visitors at the lab as well as the surrounding communities. There is no cost to dance in these groups, but donations are appreciated. When there is live music, as at special parties, or at the Barn dances, an entrance fee is charged to cover costs.

Village Barn

To get there from the east: turn west onto Batavia Road from Rt. 59 in Warrenville. Go past the guardhouse (stopping for a pass, if needed) and turn right at the first stop sign. The barn is the second building on the right. To get there from the west: turn east onto Pine Street from Kirk Road in Batavia. Pass the 15 story high rise building and continue on past another stop sign and a blinking red light to the stop sign at Sauk Blvd/Circle in the Fermilab Village. Turn left and the barn is second on the right. The international folk dancing and Scottish country dancing groups continue dancing weekly through July and August, retreating to air-conditioned Ramsey Auditorium located at the back of the ground floor of Wilson Hall, the high-rise.

For More Information
More information about International, Scottish and English dancing at Fermilab is available by phone from Mady at (630)584-0825 or Doug at (630)840-8194; by e-mail from folkdance@fnal.gov; or by checking the Silk and Thistle, English Country Dancing, or International Folk Dancing web pages. The groups are endorsed by the Folk Dance Council of Chicago which maintains a web site with information about folk dancing all around Chicagoland.
More information about Barn Dancing at Fermilab is available by phone from Lynn Garren at (630)840-2061 or Dave Harding at (630)840-2971; by e-mail from folkclub@fnal.gov; or by checking the Folk Club web pages.