2025 DanceBARN Festival
Festival - Goer Info Page
We are SO pumped that you will be joining us in Battle Lake for the 11th annual DanceBARN Festival! We've said it before and we'll say it again - The festival isn't the festival without YOU and your unique voice and vision. However you contribute to the week, please know that you are valued.
The following information is literally everything we can think of that you may need to know about the Festival.
If we missed something - let us know!
REGISTER
Register by May 10th to secure your spot.
This should take between 5-10 minutes.
FESTIVAL REGISTRATION FEE
DUE MAY 10
Your spot is not officially saved until your registration fee is received.
If you need to set up a payment plan please contact us ASAP.
You can either send your payment to us via Venmo @dancebarn or mail to:
DanceBARN Collective
23129 Oak Leaf Lane
Battle Lake, MN 56515
TRAVEL SUPPORT
APPLICATION DUE JUNE 10
Thanks to a generous donation from the Will J. Reid Foundation, we are able to offer limited travel support funding to festival goers. Please fill out this form to request between $50-$500 of support.
Our standard practice is to give you a check upon arrival to Battle Lake. If this is a barrier as you plan and book your travel please let us know and we can work together to figure out a better plan for you.
SCHEDULE
TIMELINE + DUE DATES
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MAY 10 - MAKERS + MOVERS: Accept or Decline Festival Invite + REGISTER
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MAY 10 - REGISTRATION FEE DUE
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JUNE 9 - ZOOM ORIENTATION (6:00-7:00 CST) - This is optional!
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JUNE 10 - TRAVEL SUPPORT FORM DUE
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JULY 21-27 - FESTIVAL!
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
*FULL COMING SOON*
Once everyone has confirmed their attendance, we will post the schedule here, but here's a very high level view of the flow of the week:
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Monday, July 21
3:00pm-7:00pm: Arrivals
7pm: Dinner
Tuesday, July 22
Morning: Classes
Afternoon: Rehearsals for dance film
Evening: Dinner + Open Creative Time
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Wednesday, July 23
Morning: Classes
Afternoon: Rehearsals for dance film
Evening: Dinner + Open Creative Time
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Thursday, July 24
Morning: Classes
Afternoon: Rehearsals for dance film
Evening: Dinner + Open Creative Time
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Friday, July 25
Morning: Classes
Afternoon: Filming Day!
Evening: Dinner + Community Event
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Saturday, July 26
Morning: Classes
Afternoon: Beach Day
Evening: Dinner + Film Screening
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Saturday, July 27
Checkout by 10am
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A note on this year's collaborative film:
Every year, we choose to celebrate one aspect of our community. This year, we are excited to create a collaborative dance film that honors the history of one of the most iconic cabins in Battle Lake, The 7 C’s. Originally built in downtown Battle Lake in 1929, the cabin was later moved to its current location on the shores of Battle Lake in 1950. The home has witnessed 6 generations growing up, weddings, funerals, countless parties (with countless gin and tonics), and 10 Dancebarn Festivals.
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We are excited to be collaborating with Wesley Creigh, whose family owns the 7 C's cabin! Wesley and Molly are collaborating before you arrive for the Festival on a storyboard that will hold the film together and a series of animations that will bring to life family photos. We look forward to including the DanceBARN Festival-goers in this creative process to develop choreography and dancing in the film and showing a draft of the film on the Saturday of the Festival!
PAYMENT
LOCATIONS
35484 235th Street, Battle Lake, Minnesota 56515
Festival-goer lodging and the Barn are located at the gorgeous resort, The Hideaway at Xanadu Island. All communal meals will be served here, some classes, and open studio space will take place at the Barn.
112 West Main Street, Battle Lake, MN 56515
The majority of classes will be held at the CAC as well as open rehearsal space.
There is also free wifi and work spaces at the CAC.
GETTING HERE
AIRPORT INFO
Fargo Airport
1.5 hour drive to Battle Lake
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Minneapolis/St Paul Airport
3 hour drive to Battle Lake
(Tends to be the cheapest option.)
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The Greyhound Bus
Drop off in Fergus Falls (20 minutes from BL, we can pick up)
Airport Shuttle
Drops off/picks up in Alexandria (40 minutes from BL, we can pick up)
If you would like to offer a ride, or catch a ride please check out this online ride-share link!
(We are pretty hands off with the carpool coordination, FYI!)
NOTES ON CARS & GETTING AROUND
Please keep in mind that Xanadu is not within a reasonable walking distance to town. There will be a few people with cars, and Ayumi and Molly are around to give people rides too, but if you want your own mode of transportation you’ll need to rent a car. If you are interested in renting a car and possibly splitting the cost with another festival goer, please message the group.
LODGING
We are able to offer limited housing at an extremely subsidized rate for 16 Festival-goers at The Hideaway at Xanadu Island. There are other lodging option in the area, but we advise booking as soon as possible, as Battle Lake is a major vacationing community and things book quickly in the summer.
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HIDEAWAY AT XANADU ISLAND
($250)
35484 235th Street, Battle Lake, Minnesota 56515
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First come, first serve!
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Shared and single rooms available (private en suite bathrooms limited)
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Communal living (living spaces, kitchen)
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Lake access
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Studio Space (The Barn)
Glendalough is located about 5 minutes from Battle Lake and Xanadu. They have tent sites, cabins, and yurts. Book early if this sounds like an option you'd like! This is not organized by DanceBARN or part of your registration fee.
If you would like to look into your own housing, be sure to book ASAP. The week of the Festival also happens to be Battle Lake's town festival weekend and it can become nearly impossible to find last minute lodging.
COSTS
We want to be as transparent as possible with the cost of the Festival. We get it. Everyone has varying financial comforts and we want you to be able to plan for the week as much as possible! We are here to talk out and help plan budgets if you need us!
Set up a call with us and we'd be happy to help!
FESTIVAL REGISTRATION
MAKER: $250
MOVER: $300
LODGING
RATES REFLECT MONDAY-SUNDAY
XANADU:
(Limited to 16 people, organized through DanceBARN, includes dinners.)
$250
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GLENDALOUGH STATE PARK CAMPING:
(You book)
$90 - $150
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AVERAGE HOTEL OR RESORT RANGE:
(You book)
$450 - $3,000+
MEALS
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INCLUDED IN REGISTRATION:​
Monday Dinner
Tuesday Breakfast
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INCLUDED WITH XANADU LODGING FEE:
Dinner every night
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NIGHTLY COMMUNAL DINNER:
We split up cooking/clean up duties for the week and each cooking team receives $100/dinner for purchasing groceries for the communal meal. Not into cooking? You're on clean-up crew!
(Not staying at Xanadu = $10/night)
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LUNCHES AND OTHER FOOD/DRINK COST ESTIMATE:
(Not included in registration or lodging fee)
Estimate: $40-$100
SHARED MEALS
Since year one, nightly dinners during the festival have been such a large part of what makes the week so magical. Cooking, eating, and cleaning up as a cohort has also served as a time to dream up a collaboration, connect with a new friend, and adds an overall sense of togetherness to the week. We've been evolving how we organize meals over the past 10 years and here's the plan that's been working best!
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS...
Everyone is invited to eat dinner at Xanadu! If you are paying to stay at Xanadu, your dinners are included.
If you are not staying at Xanadu, you will need to pay $10 any night you come to dinner.
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1.
SIGN UP TO COOK OR CLEAN UP FOR 1 MEAL
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2.
YOUR COOKING GROUP WILL RECEIVE $100 TO BUY FOOD.
(DanceBARN will provide certain items, but for the most part you
will need to buy ingredients and plan to feed 20 people.)
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3.
HAVE YOUR MEAL READY BY 7:30 / CLEAN UP BEFORE BED!
WHAT TO BRING
No need to over do it!
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dance clothes
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casual lake clothes
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bathing suit
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Sunscreen
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Closed toe shoes for site specific adventures
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There will be a couple of events that you can wear "real people clothes"
We will provide:
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Pillows
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Bedding
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Towels (1 for shower, 1 for beach)
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Shampoo & Conditioner @ Xanadu
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Life Jackets
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Bug spray!
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Some snacks and drinks, but you’re mostly on your own (Dinner included for those staying at Xanadu, all are welcome to eat. Just bring $10 if you're not staying there.)
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Loads of fun
COVID-19 / Health and Safety
Updated April 2025
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To ensure the safety of you, our organizers, and our community, we are requiring Festival attendees to be fully vaccinated upon their arrival July 21, 2025. We also encourage you to take a Covid test before traveling to Battle Lake and wear a mask if you have any concerns about your health.
If you are sick and unable to attend the Festival, your registration fees will be refunded.