First Saturday Contra Dance

Monthly dance. All dances taught Beginners very welcome. No partner needed. Great for kids through old age - If you can walk you can dance


Contra dance is a form of traditional dance closely related to English Country or square dancing in which couples typically dance in two facing lines of indefinite length. They are particularly popular in the United States. Our dances typically combine traditional contras (like the Virginia Reel) with other round or square dances and a finishing waltz. The rambunctious dancing you may have seen in the most recent Bridgerton series or Pride and Prejudice film is very similar to what you might see at a contra dance. If you’ve never been, you can also watch a live contradance on YouTube.

Contras in the US are typically danced to ‘old-timey’ music from the Celtic, Scottish, Appalachian, or Bluegrass traditions, although you’ll hear us drop in a Slavic tune now and again.

Contra dancers in large hall
Contras are welcoming! One of the many nice things about contra dances is that they are so welcoming. Many people come without partners and find plenty of folks to dance with. If you’ve never danced before, you can learn the basic moves during the teaching session before the dance starts, but every dance is taught before it is called. You may also find that all those square dance moves you learned in gym come back really quickly, though with slightly different names. Besides, contra dancers are among the friendliest folk in the world and if you look lost, you’ll find them gently nudging you to the right place until you are where you belong. We have had dancers as young as 7 dancing along with seniors with many years’ experience.