I have never been the ‘dancer’ type. I’ve always admired people who could dance. The way they could train their bodies to move so rhythmically and in sync with the music; it was so beautiful and I desperately wanted to be one of them. I tried taking a contemporary hip hop class when I was about 12, but a month or so later and all the competitive and petty behavior from my peers and I had stopped going to lessons. I chalked it up to the idea that the dance world just wasn’t for me.
Until I walked into The Mishnock Barn.
Yeah, you read that right. A barn. A lot of my friends laughed at my willingness and excitement to try out country line dancing. Most assume it’s a lame pastime that country hicks and washed up rednecks enjoy. I’m here to tell you, you’re all dead wrong.
It was my best friend, Becca, who first invited me into the world of country line dancing. I was hesitant as I didn’t really have a background in dance at all, but she assured me that country line dancing was different from regular dancing. Even more than that, though, the Mishnock Barn wasn’t your typical atmosphere and that no one would judge me for not knowing any dances. So, despite the ridicule from my then friends, I dressed in my best comfortable dancing shoes and drove to a destination that would change my life completely.
At the Mishnock Barn, no one is there to have a competition or to judge you. Everyone is there to have a good time, listen to good music, dance, and connect with others who have the same passions and attitudes as them. At the barn, no one is really a stranger. Everyone helps each other out. If you forget the way a dance goes, there will always be someone you can tap on the shoulder and ask for pointers. We are a cohesive unit of people who have a love for music and without words being spoken, we are all connected through it.
My favorite part about the barn are the instructors. They are not intimidating or pushy, they are there to help you learn the dances, yes, but more importantly, they are there to make sure you’re having fun and loosening up your dancing feet. I never once have felt pressured or discouraged when I couldn’t nail a dance on the first try.
The lessons are there to teach you repetition, and the instructors are there to guide you. It is not about being perfect and learning all the dances in one night. It’s about having fun and enjoying the music through body movements, and that’s something that I had never thought about before walking in the doors to the Mishnock Barn.
I think, though, the best part about the barn is the fact that it brings me closer to my best friend and we can share in something that words can’t reach. There’s something so connecting and heartwarming when you step onto the dance floor next to your best friend, and without any words being spoken, you move in unison and let the music carry you.
My favorite thing about dancing with my best friend and our group of friends there is that we take things even less seriously than everybody else. There’s not a dance that we don’t do where we’re cracking up by the middle of it.
So, to the Mishnock Barn, thank you for creating a space where I truly can find my footing; where I don’t feel like I’m literally stumbling through my life. Thank you for creating an atmosphere that is both welcoming, challenging, but overall fun and relaxing. Wednesdays and Fridays are my favorite days of the week, simply because I know those are my ‘barn nights.’
To my best friend, thank you for introducing me to a world I didn’t know existed. Thank you for sharing your little piece of the dance world with me. Thank you for giving me the confidence to try new dances and not worry about looking like an idiot. Thank you for bringing me to the Mishnock Barn.
