This Monday (11/17), Desert Bingo returns to Red Dog Saloon in Pioneertown to raise funds for Dance Mojave. The weekly event partners with various Morongo Basin nonprofits and charities, and proceeds from the game are donated to their community efforts. Prior to the kick-off of the boisterous bingo game, attendees will be graced with a taste of Dance Mojave’s Desert Nutcracker production, as described by Executive Director Jenn Henry.
“The Desert Bingo evening will start at Red Dog. They’re graciously hosting us to perform our jackrabbit piece and our quail piece. These are our reimaginings of the Chinese Tea variation. That’ll be jackrabbits. That music goes really well with their jumping and bounding. We have two really amazing teen dancers who will be performing in that. And then we have our quail, who have actually been rehearsing in Pioneertown in the lead-up to the show. That feels kind of like a nice hometown opportunity for them to perform.”
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As Dance Mojave’s Communications Director, Melissa Daniels explained, the funds raised during the event will go towards the upcoming production of The Desert Nutcracker.
“All of what we do at Dance Mojave is community-funded. We’re a non-profit, and we don’t charge anyone to participate. All the money that we use to put the production on comes from either fundraisers, ticket sales, or, in some cases, grants. The money we make goes back into productions, and community fundraising helps fill in the gaps.”
Dance Mojave is a nonprofit performance collective of dancers from across the Morongo Basin. Founded in 2024, the organization presented its first production of the Desert Nutcracker last winter, blending the classic ballet with the spirit of the Mojave Desert. The second production of the Desert Nutcracker will be held from December 5 through the 7 at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center.
Desert Bingo will be held tonight at the Red Dog Saloon in Pioneertown. The mini-performance will take place at 6 p.m., with the bingo to follow at 6:30 p.m.