The Western Illinois Museum, in collaboration with the Macomb Music Workshop, invites the community to a special evening of music and dance on Saturday, October 11th, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. This event will feature live performances by local students, dances from historical and folk traditions, and interactive fun for everyone!

Led by Chicago-based baroque dancer Sarah Edgar, local fiddler John Lane, and square dance caller Jamie Lane, local students will perform baroque and fiddle tunes they have prepared over the course of the workshop weekend, and you’re invited to dance along! Try your hand (and feet!) at a minuet, dance a lively do-si-do, and enjoy some delicious food with others. Guests are invited to bring a dish (can’t go wrong with a dessert), too. Doors open at 5:15 PM, and there is a suggested $5 donation at the door.

Program Schedule

5:15 pm Doors Open
5:30 pm Baroque Dancing
6:30 pm Square Dancing

Food will be available throughout the evening.

What to Expect

In the 17th and 18th centuries, court dances were a central part of social life across Europe. Composers like Bach and Handel wrote suites filled with minuets, gavottes, and bourrées, dance forms they would have known from personal experience. Today, these suites are part of the repertoire of many music students, but without knowing the dance steps that inspired them.

The Macomb Music Workshop gives students of all ages a chance to bridge that gap. Over the weekend, participants will learn baroque dance tunes, not just as notes on a page, but as a living music with a living rhythmic feel, through classes with acclaimed baroque dance master Sarah Edgar.

During the community dance, they will share what they've learned by performing the music live as Ms. Edgar teaches the steps to community members in a beginner-friendly way. Audience members of all ages and experience levels are welcome to join in.

The second half of the evening shifts to a hoedown-style square dance, featuring traditional fiddle tunes like Arkansas Traveler, Boil the Cabbage, Christmas Eve, Flopeared Mule, Liberty, and Liza Jane. Students will perform under the leadership of local fiddler John Lane while Jamie Lane calls the dances. No prior dance experience or partner is needed, just bring yourself and a willingness to move!

For more information, call 309-837-2750, text 309-837-2613, or email info@wimuseum.org. The Museum is located at 201 S. Lafayette Street, one block south of Macomb’s Courthouse Square. The building is fully accessible, and free accessible parking is available.