STAGE DANCE

Newcomers are welcome! The dancing is easy to learn, the music is live, and the event is a great social mixer. Come alone or bring a guest. Contra dances are done in long lines of couples. Two couples dance together as a group of four, going through a sequence of moves, or figures, for one round of the dance, until the two couples have changed places up and down the line and are facing the next couple, ready to start another round of the dance.

Newcomers - you can dance and have fun on your first night! No lessons are required, but, if you come a half hour early, you will be shown the ropes. The mood of a Contra dance is upbeat and quick-tempo. But the music isn't as fast as it sounds. You can do every figure at a walking pace. The event is accompanied by top-notch musicians performing music from Irish, English, and American folk traditions and led by dance callers with local and national followings.

You get a chance to walk through each figure under the caller's direction before the dance starts, and both the caller and your fellow dancers will help you remember what to do at each point in the dance. The dance repeats, so, after a few times through, your body will start to remember what to do, and you can fully enjoy the music!