Battle Mountain Oberenak

The Battle Mountain Oberenak Club was established in 1997 by three mothers who traveled out of town for Basque dancing. Our first event was a winter fest dinner and dance, which was a huge success and marked the beginning of our club. After our first year, one of our members suggested the name “Oberenak,” saying that we were the best. Thus, we became the Battle Mountain Oberenak Club.

Since our inception, we have organized three dance groups: the Minis, the Middle Group, and the Older Dancers. We have been fortunate to work with outstanding dance instructors, including one of our original instructors, Maite Kovis, along with Megan Hernandez and Kalee Tolbert, both of whom were also dancers in the past. Our newest instructor, Nerea Thomas, has been a fantastic addition to our team. It’s heartwarming to see that Nerea, Megan, and Kalee have children who are now dancing, allowing the tradition to continue through generations.

Throughout the years, our club has hosted an annual summer picnic and winter fest. We have performed at numerous events, including Jaialdi, Elko, Winnemucca, Reno, Salt Lake City, and Paradise Valley. Additionally, we have participated in parades, food sales, and are now bartending at various events to raise funds for our costumes and to host our two major events.

We are incredibly grateful to our talented seamstress, Judy Dahl, who creates new costumes, mends old ones, and ensures they are clean and ready for each event. Her support is invaluable to us.

It truly takes a village to keep everything running smoothly, and our club is sustained by dedicated mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandmothers, and grandfathers. We are honored to be attending Jaialdi 2025 and look forward to performing alongside the finest Basque dancers from around the world.