Dancing Rabbit is an ecovillage

Ecovillage

Ecovillages are intentional communities with the goal of becoming more socially, economically and ecologically sustainable. Some aim for a population of 50–150 individuals. Larger ecovillages of up to 2,000 individuals exist as networks of smaller subcommunities to create an ecovillage model that...

 near Rutledge

Rutledge, Missouri

Rutledge is a village in Scotland County, Missouri, United States. The population was 109 at the 2010 census.The surrounding area is also the home to three intentional communities: Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, a growing ecovillage on of rolling land, Sandhill Farm, and Red Earth Farms.Rutledge is...

, Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

, USA

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

Dancing Rabbit is an intentional community

Intentional community

An intentional community is a planned residential community designed to have a much higher degree of teamwork than other communities. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, religious, or spiritual vision and often follow an alternative lifestyle. They...

 in the pioneering stage. The community was formed in 1997 with the purchase of 280 acres (1.1 km²) of land in North East Missouri by the Dancing Rabbit Land Trust. Its current population is around 45 people with the intention of growing to a small, locally self-reliant town of 500 to 1000 residents. All members of Dancing Rabbit agree to abide by ecological covenants  and sustainability

Sustainability

Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...

 guidelines. Residents are responsible for their own finances, food, housing, and other necessities. There are a number of co-ops  residents can elect to be a part of. These co-ops include services for vehicles, food, health care, showers, phone, and internet. The town includes egalitarian communities

Egalitarian communities

Egalitarian communities are groups of people who have chosen to live together, with egalitarianism as one of their core values. A broad definition of egalitarianism is "equal access to resources and to decision-making power." For example, decision-making is done by consensus or another system in...

, cohousing

Cohousing

A cohousing community is a type of intentional community composed of private homes supplemented by shared facilities. The community is planned, owned and managed by the residents – who also share activities which may include cooking, dining, child care, gardening, and governance of the...

, and individual households.

Dancing Rabbit aims to create a culture that is environmentally and also socially sustainable. The community's culture incorporates feminism

Feminism

Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...

, respect for the arts

The arts

The arts are a vast subdivision of culture, composed of many creative endeavors and disciplines. It is a broader term than "art", which as a description of a field usually means only the visual arts. The arts encompass visual arts, literary arts and the performing arts – music, theatre, dance and...

, consensus decision-making

Consensus decision-making

Consensus decision-making is a group decision making process that seeks the consent, not necessarily the agreement, of participants and the resolution of objections. Consensus is defined by Merriam-Webster as, first, general agreement, and second, group solidarity of belief or sentiment. It has its...

, nonviolence

Nonviolence

Nonviolence has two meanings. It can refer, first, to a general philosophy of abstention from violence because of moral or religious principle It can refer to the behaviour of people using nonviolent action Nonviolence has two (closely related) meanings. (1) It can refer, first, to a general...

, and nonviolent communication

Nonviolent communication

Nonviolent Communication is a communication process developed by Marshall Rosenberg beginning in the 1960s. NVC often functions as a conflict resolution process...

. The common desire for environmental sustainability underlies all decisions at Dancing Rabbit. The community promotes itself as a viable example of sustainable living

Sustainable living

Sustainable living is a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual's or society's use of the Earth's natural resources and his/her own resources. Practitioners of sustainable living often attempt to reduce their carbon footprint by altering methods of transportation, energy consumption and diet...

 and aims to spread its vision through visitor programs, internships, work exchange, academic and other publications, and speaking engagements.

Two other intentional communities neighbor Dancing Rabbit: Sandhill Farm, and Red Earth Farms. The three communities are known locally as the 'tri-communities'.

In the Media

In 2005, Dancing Rabbit was featured in an episode of the FX television series 30 Days, in which members taught their way of life to two mainstream non-residents for one month. The two lived in a converted grain bin and helped with various projects such as gardening

Gardening

Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...

, natural building

Natural building

A natural building involves a range of building systems and materials that place major emphasis on sustainability. Ways of achieving sustainability through natural building focus on durability and the use of minimally processed, plentiful or renewable resources, as well as those that, while...

 and cooking

Cooking

Cooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...

.
The Rhythm of Rutledge

Dancing Rabbit, along with Sandhill Farm and Red Earth Farms, is featured in the upcoming documentary film The Rhythm of Rutledge , the producers of which are currently seeking funding for post-production and release.

Mission statement

To create a society, the size of a small town or village, made up of individuals and communities of various sizes and social structures, which allows and encourages its members to live sustainably.

To encourage this sustainable society to grow to have the size and recognition necessary to have an influence on the global community by example, education, and research.

External links

• Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage summary, at Federation of Intentional Communities
• Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage
• Dancing Rabbit TV - official Dancing Rabbit video blog
• Skyhouse Community - an egalitarian subcommunity at Dancing Rabbit
• The Rhythm of Rutledge - a documentary film.