Battle Mountain Oberenak Club

The Battle Mountain Oberenak Club was born in 1997 so that the children of Battle Mountain (Nevada) could learn Basque dance without leaving town. It was founded by three mothers, tired of travelling elsewhere every time their children wanted to dance, who decided to organise the classes themselves. After its first winter dinner dance, one of the members suggested calling it Oberenak (“the best”, in Basque), and the name stuck. Today it has three groups of dantzaris (minis, middle and older) that perform at festivals all over the West, such as Jaialdi, Elko, Winnemucca and Reno, and in 2021 the local Chamber of Commerce gave it the “Roots Leadership” award for its role in preserving the cultural heritage of the area.