What we’re about
**Please check back regularly for changes to the event schedule, and take note of any COVID-19 precautions listed in the descriptions**
Do you enjoy dancing to live music? Do you enjoy a lot of swinging in your dancing? Do you like going to dances that build a sense of community among its participants? Then you'll want to come to a contra dance!
We welcome beginners & people of all ages at our community events. If you can walk to a beat, you can contra dance! No partner necessary.
No special dress is required. Wear clothes & shoes you can move easily in.
More info about dancing in Austin can be found on the TAADA website: https://taada.us/events.php
Contra dance has its origins in English Country Dancing, with influences from Irish and French styles, too. Contra is a couples dance as well as a social dance: you choose a partner for each dance, then dance a sequence of moves that takes you up and down a long dance line, dancing with different couples as you go. Square dancing evolved out of contra, so, if you've square danced, you've done about 2/3 of the moves in a contra dance--allemandes, dosidos, rights and lefts. But contra is quite different from squares: there's more swinging, and the swings are longer; each contra dance runs longer than a square dance; and you socialize with more couples as you dance through the contra line. A caller teaches every dance, and calls the dance to the music, as long as the dancers need guidance.
Best of all, our dancing is done to live music! Contra is danced to a traditional music style that is part folk, part bluegrass, part Celtic, but always upbeat and inspiring. A variety of bands play for our dances, from those with a very traditional, "old-timey" approach, to groups that are more improvisational and play with more modern music influences.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Austin Barn DancersHancock Recreation Center, Austin, TX
We're dancing again, starting April 6! A free weekly dance at Hancock Recreation Center, with music by the Local On-Call Orchestra (LOCO).
A brief beginners session is taught at 7:30, before the dance program begins. There is no charge for this event, as the musicians and caller perform for free! Dance ends about 9:50.
All dances are taught and called, no experience or partner required. Comfortable casual clothes and soft-soled shoes recommended.
More info about the dance on the Austin Barn Dancer website or on the Austin Contra Dancer's Facebook group.
- Monday English Country DanceHancock Recreation Center, Austin, TX$5.00
A weekly English country dance sponsored by TAADA. No partner necessary & beginners are welcome. Masks optional but encouraged.
Beginners: Be ready to dance at 7:30pm for easier dances and fuller instruction! All dances are called.
Cost: $5
This is a fragrance-free event.Learn more about English country dance on the TAADA website.
- Austin Barn DancersHancock Recreation Center, Austin, TX
We're dancing again, starting April 6! A free weekly dance at Hancock Recreation Center, with music by the Local On-Call Orchestra (LOCO).
A brief beginners session is taught at 7:30, before the dance program begins. There is no charge for this event, as the musicians and caller perform for free! Dance ends about 9:50.
All dances are taught and called, no experience or partner required. Comfortable casual clothes and soft-soled shoes recommended.
More info about the dance on the Austin Barn Dancer website or on the Austin Contra Dancer's Facebook group.
- Monday English Country DanceHancock Recreation Center, Austin, TX$5.00
A weekly English country dance sponsored by TAADA. No partner necessary & beginners are welcome. Masks optional but encouraged.
Beginners: Be ready to dance at 7:30pm for easier dances and fuller instruction! All dances are called.
Cost: $5
This is a fragrance-free event.Learn more about English country dance on the TAADA website.
