One More Dance
Reimagining McCloud’s Historic Dance Hall…
Kristin Cunningham never planned on owning a historic dance hall in a small mountain town. But when the opportunity to purchase an inexpensive 14,000-square-foot building in McCloud came along, she couldn’t say no. “I was a massage therapist. My biggest side hustle was as a Waldorf teacher,” says Cunningham, flashing a disarmingly dimpled smile. “But I’d been coming up here for 11 years, and my partner said, ‘Why not?’ And so now, here I am. The experience has been wild, but it’s amazing, and I feel so incredibly supported by the community.”
The dance hall building has been central to town for more than a century. “It was first built in 1906 as the McCloud Opera House and Dance Hall, not long after the lumber mill opened. It started out as just the 5,000-square-foot maple dance floor, but when the Freemasons bought it in 1914, they expanded it and put in a kitchen and a dining room,” says Cunningham.
Over time, the building has changed hands and purposes, but it’s always been a gathering place with
some eras decidedly wilder than others. “Some of the old-timers have told me about how they used to have disco parties in the ’70s, when it would take three hours to clean up all the beer bottles. There was even one night in the ’80s, I guess, where it was a peyote and whiskey night, and someone drove a Harley across the dance floor.”
When Cunningham and a partner first took possession of the building in 2022, its storied past had taken its toll, leaving it in rough shape. There were squatters, to boot. But somehow it all worked out. “When we closed and got the key, the court case had by then gone through, and the sheriff could get the squatters out, which was some kind of divine timing,” quips Cunningham. Now, she’s become the sole owner and is lovingly—and slowly—restoring it to its former glory. But major repairs are still needed, including the roof. “Building a business while growing and fixing a building at the same time is a massive undertaking, but I feel so lucky to be the caretaker of such an incredible space and a piece of history. We’ve done a lot of work so far, mostly on the foundation and redoing the electric. We also removed a big tree that was growing out of the deck. And, of course, we’ve cleaned and cleaned.”
To keep the building financially sustainable, Cunningham hosts retreats and events, while also keeping the space available for community gatherings whenever possible. So far, one of her most successful ongoing events is roller-skating nights. “Roller skating was never something I planned. Someone had brought it up when I first got the building, but at that point it was too much to consider. Then someone brought it up again last summer, and I said, ‘Let’s try it,’ and people love it. It’s good exercise. You’re moving your body, which is important, and it’s fun,” says Cunningham. “Now I have people coming from all over Siskiyou County, and they’re thrilled because it’s something to do, especially for the kids in winter. And everyone has been so generous with donating four-wheel and inline skates.”
Even with the stress of repairs and running a business, Cunningham feels grateful for the opportunity to restore such a monumental piece of local history. She also nourishes her spirit by focusing on the place she lives and the community she’s building. “Sometimes I cry and get overwhelmed. And then I’m like, wow, how lucky I am to live here. And honestly, it’s not even about me. It’s about a physical place where we can all come together and support each other in a way that’s not divided by politics or religion or anything like that. The energy that’s made on a dance floor is pure meditation, because when you move your body, you’re in the present. To me, that’s the purest form of love and healing.”
Cunningham’s enthusiasm is contagious. “Who knows how long we’re all going to be here for, so you might as well try to pull off something awesome and have fun in the process. That means get off our phones, come dance, roller skate, talk to a neighbor, get to know someone, and share a story.” •
