Contra Dances and English Country Dances in Santa Barbara

**These social dances are fun for all ages, and benefit the body and mind. A fun way to exercise and make friends. You can bring a friend, but you don't need a partner. Typically 60 to 90 of us are dancing many Sunday nights. See Schedule at https://www.sbcds.org** A 20-minute orientation lesson is before each dance
They were not started on Meetup. So you won't see very high RSVP counts since most people attend without RSVPing on Meetup.

Contra Dancing: You love live music, to move to it, to get exercise, to make friends.
This is a great place for non-dancers to explore a new kind of fun, for experienced dancers new to contra dance, and of course returning contra dancers. No experience necessary!
Our live music includes all kinds of instruments depending on the band. Typical instruments include fiddle, guitar, piano, mandolin, accordion, flute.
We offer a 20-minute orientation lesson before each dance where you'll learn the basic structure of a contra dance and the most common figures. The caller teaches the sequence for ach dance before the music starts, and then prompts the figures for a while. The moves are about 30 seconds but then the sequence repeats several more times, and each time you meet another pair of dancers. How sociable!
It's perfectly okay to come to the dance by yourself. Everybody asks everybody to dance.
What to wear: comfortable, smooth-sole (if possible) shoes, lightweight clothing or layers when it's cold. Maybe bring an extra shirt in case you work up a sweat...Let's Dance!
2 of 2: English Country Dancing
The Grandparent of contra dancing, English Country Dancing appeals to your love of variety, excitement, elegance, energy, and even a bit of challenge. Come with friends or come by yourself. Everyone dances.