ABOVE: People of multiple skill levels come together to enjoy the art of dance on Thursday at the Red Rock Center for the Arts in Fairmont. Brad Chaffee and Crystal Hotzler take it slow while Kent Barker twirls Katia Esambock.

FAIRMONT – With the idea of one local dancer and a venue to bring it to the public, Kent Barker is opening a free Social Dance Club at the Red Rock Center for the Arts in Fairmont.

The club will happen from 7 to 8:30 p.m. every second and fourth Thursday with this week having had been the first.

A scientist by trade, Barker enjoys dancing whenever he can, but he noticed a lack of open opportunities in the Fairmont area.

“I’m seeing, there isn’t any dancing around,” he said. “I says, ‘Well, it sure would be nice if there was.’ This was such a golden opportunity. People talk about the past of Fairmont. Say, what about the future of Fairmont? Where’s the future of Fairmont? I thought I’ll at least try it.”

As for how it ended up at the Red Rock, it was a no-brainer for Barker.

“Have you seen that wooden floor?” He said. “Oh, it’s beautiful. Where else are you gonna get that, especially in a deal like this? It’s just an incredible venue.”

For Acting Director Blake Potthoff, he said it was an easy yes to get this set up at the Red Rock.

“We want this facility to be accessible, open and used by people in the community,” he said. “In order to do that, you have to diversify what you’re doing and bring a variety of community.”

Now a few months into his tenure, Potthoff said he has found his groove, and this event series is just one way he has gotten his footing.

“Every day is new, different and exciting,” he said. “You have people who are bringing ideas in to try to do new stuff. It’s all about getting people in the building. We’ve got a great amount of rentals that go on here, and those are accessible to people, but they’re often private rentals. That limits the number of people who can come in. Having other public options for people to come into the facility is always something that I would take very seriously.”

The club’s format will showcase a variety of music and styles, working with people where they’re at.

“Got some old rock,” Barker said. “I’ve got bachata music, salsa, cumbia, even some Viennese waltz. We have to assess where everybody’s at in terms of dancing, because we’ll get probably quite a few here that have never danced a step. We’ll go over the basics of certain kinds of dances. We’ll make sure that they’re getting into it and not getting totally frustrated.”

Through this format, Barker said they are looking to emphasize the fun that dancing can bring.

“You read the news, and it’s not all fun,” he said. “This is kind of like a very compact deal where people have fun. You look around and say, ‘Well, okay, you can go out for a beer,’ and stuff like that. Maybe you don’t want to do that. Maybe you want to get together. The sky’s the limit, and it’s just a matter of who shows up and what they want to do.”

As for where this project goes moving forward, Barker said he hopes it can even act as a public health benefit for participants.

“The better you do this, people feel having life is good for them,” he said. “Life gets better for them, so they show up and they have a good time. Life is a little better, right? That’s what it’s all about. It’s all about a better life for people.”

For the Red Rock, Potthoff emphasized the center’s dedication to community through events like this.

“Everything we do should be through the lens of, ‘What are we doing for the community, in the community and by the community,'” he said. “The more we can do to involve the community in the organization, the more the community will want to be involved with the organization, which makes the community a better place to live, better place to work, better place to visit, better place to stay.”

No registration or notice ahead of time is required. For questions, call 507-235-9262.