Upcoming shows.
Portland w. Nobody's Business
When: Sunday, March 9th, 2025
6:45 pm Doors Open
7:00 pm Lesson
7:30 pm Dance
10:00 pm Bedtime
Where: Temple Beth El (400 Deering Ave, Portland, ME)
Price: $15 Suggested Donation (at the door, cash or Venmo)
All ages and experience levels are welcome. Dress comfortably, bring clean shoes to dance in, and a water bottle. You don't need to bring a dance partner. Please don’t wear heavy fragrances. Parking is abundant and free. This is a substance-free event. Masks optional.
CDNY w. Nobody's Business
Whether you’re a seasoned dancer or just curious to try something new, we invite you to step into the joy and connection of English Country and Contra Dancing. All ages and experience levels are welcome—come dance with us!
Contra Dances are held on most Saturday evenings at 8 – 10:45pm, with a beginner session at 7:30pm.
Events may be added or cancelled so be sure to check here or CDNY’s Dance Calendar for any last minute changes.
Unless specified as mask-optional, our dances require masking.
Glen Echo w. Nobody's Business
Friday Night Dancers (FND) hosts contra dances every Friday night at Glen Echo Park, in Glen Echo, Maryland. Check the Upcoming Dances page for the callers and bands. We have a mix of local and out-of-town bands and callers. There is a free lesson from 7:30-8:00 pm, and dancing from 8:00-11:00 pm. Dances are $15.
Mt. Airy w. Nobody's Business
Location: The Irish Center (a.k.a. Commodore John Barry Arts and Cultural Center),
6815 Emlen St., Philadelphia, PA 19119.
Look for the signs, and use the ballroom entrance, furthest from Carpenter Ave.
Beginner lesson: 7:30pm
Dance: 8:00pm to 10:30pm
Admission: sliding scale, pay what you wish. Suggested $10/$15/$20+
BIDA w. Nobody's Business
Social Singing: 6:15pm hosted by Emma & Annaleah
Lesson: 7pm
Contra Dance: 7:30-10:30pm
BIDA needs new volunteers! If you are interested in being more involved with making BIDA the dance we all love, please reach out to us.
The dance is a $5-25 sliding scale, as you're able. Bring someone new to Contra to the intro session and you both get passes for free admission to a future dance! Share the love.
This dance is mask optional, vaccination not required. We are alternating between mask required and optional dances. For more, read our blog post: https://blog.bidadance.org/.../2025-covid-policy-update...
Public Transportation (recommended): We are across the street from the Porter Square Red Line stop.
Parking: Free street parking (meters and residential are open to all on Sundays). The big parking lot has been known to tow.
Sign up for BIDA mailing lists to hear about the updates you’re interested in here: https://www.bidadance.org/join
Montpelier w. Nobody's Business
Contra dancing is joyful and community oriented — and it always involves some risk. Starting with our July 1, 2023, dance, the Montpelier Contra Dance will be masks optional. As with all of our COVID policies, we ask that everyone be kind, gentle, and respectful with each other as we navigate this transition. We also want to be clear that everyone is welcome at our dance, whether or not you choose to wear a mask. You can read more about the reasoning behind this policy change here. Full COVID details at: capitalcitygrange.org/dancing/contradancing
Our dance uses gender-neutral role terms, and we strive to be a safe place for everyone to dance. Beginners, singles, and all ages are welcome; all dances are taught.
When: 1st, 3rd and 5th Saturdays, 8–11 p.m: newcomers lesson offered around 7:40 pm
Where: at the Capital City Grange in Berlin (located on Northfield Street/Route 12 just south of the I-89 overpass),
Cost: Admission is $12 for adults, $5 for kids or low-income, $20 for dance supporters–choose the right price for your budget!
What to bring: We suggest light, comfortable clothing — expect to wear short sleeves or a tank top, even in winter. Please bring clean, soft-soled shoes to preserve our floor. Bring a water bottle to refill at our water fountain/bottle filler.
Helen & Elias lead BIDA Open Band
Come join us for a wonderful afternoon of contra dance!
1950 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge MA.
3:15: Social Singing hosted by Emma, Annaleah, and Neight
4:00: Lesson
4:30-7:30 Dance
The dance is $5-25 sliding scale, as you're able. Bring someone new to Contra to the intro session and you both get passes for free admission to a future dance! Share the love.
BIDA needs new volunteers! If you are interested in being more involved with making BIDA the dance we all love, please reach out to us.
This dance is high filtration mask required, vaccination not required. We are alternating between mask required and optional dances. For more, read our blog post: https://blog.bidadance.org/.../some-mask-optional-dances...
Sign up for BIDA mailing lists to hear about the updates you’re interested in here: https://www.bidadance.org/join
Flurry Festival w. Good Company
The Flurry Festival is one of the largest traditional dance and music festivals in North America. It takes place over President’s Weekend in February in Saratoga Springs, NY, and typically draws roughly 4,500 attendees and 400 performers.
The 2025 Flurry will take place Feburary 14-16, 2025, and will feature programming such as swing, blues, contra, square dancing, Cajun, Zydeco, English country, Balkan, Scandinavian, Latin, Scottish, tango, fusion, international, Irish, balfolk, African, Appalachian, instrument workshops, family programming, jams, storytelling, group singing, concerts and more!
https://www.flurryfestival.org/
Cabin Fever Contra Dance Weekend w. Ice Cream Truckers
The Ice Cream Truckers is a new contra dance band collective featuring veteran dance musicians from across the country. This weekend's band is Noah VanNorstrand (Great Bear, the Faux Paws, Engine Room) on fiddle, mandolin, and feet; Kelsey Wells (Turnip the Beet, Engine Room) on fiddle and banjo; and Helen Kuhar (Good Company, Tim Ball & Helen Kuhar) on guitar.
Spintuition is a thriving New England based contra-band that has played everywhere on the east coast from Atlanta, Georgia to Montreal. Silas Hamilton (Guitar, Piano, Fiddle, Feet), Willy Clemetson (Fiddle, Feet), and Samuel Foucher (Accordion, Piano) present a compelling mixture of spicy new tunes and glorious old ones in the styles of trad-Irish, French-Canadian, and Old Time. Spintuition has cultivated a high energy, vital sound that will leave you hungry for more.
Claire Takemori has many years of experience bringing Americana and International folk dance and song to a wide range of events. She is well known for teaching dances at weddings, community gatherings, and school events as well as contra dances, English County dances, Square dances, Waltzes, and private dance lessons. She has taught dances from Hawaii to the West coast, Idaho, Texas, and up & down the East coast. Claire brings the joy of dance, no matter the age range or occasion.
JAMIE PLATT has been running sound for dances and concerts, mostly in the Washington, DC area, for many years. He is a regular at Glen Echo Park and specializes in all types of traditional music. He has also been running sound for a number of dance weekends and other events from Gulfport, FL to Columbus, OH. He has been a happy member of the Cabin Fever staff since 2008. Jamie’s approach has been to make each instrument and voice sound as close to natural as possible, work hard to make the musicians happy, and let them carry the show.
Volunteer: We need volunteers! If you can help, please fill out this form.
Housing: We are no longer arrange housing with local dancers as most of our locals live 30min or more from the venue. There are many reasonable hotel accommodations nearby. Most of the booking sites offer discounted room prices.
If you prefer to register by mail, print out and return this form.
COVID Policy: Based on current CDC recommendations we are not requiring specific covid precautions. We do ask that if you are not feeling well or are running a fever, that you do not attend.
We are doing our best to protect you, with extra hand sanitizer and individually packaged snacks. We encourage people to bring a personal water bottle. We will have a refill station available.
Concord Thursday w. Good Company
Thursdays 7:30-10 pm at the Concord Scout House
74 Walden Street, Concord, MA. Doors open at 6:45, introductory pre-dance workshop at 7:10pm. $10-15, sliding scale.
CDNY w. Good Company
Whether you’re a seasoned dancer or just curious to try something new, we invite you to step into the joy and connection of English Country and Contra Dancing. All ages and experience levels are welcome—come dance with us!
Contra Dances are held on most Saturday evenings at 8 – 10:45pm, with a beginner session at 7:30pm.
Events may be added or cancelled so be sure to check here or CDNY’s Dance Calendar for any last minute changes.
Unless specified as mask-optional, our dances require masking.
Boston Celtic Music Festival w. Helen & Rose
Locations:
Club Passim, Somerville Theatre, Crystal Ballroom, The Burren, and The Rockwell
FESTIVAL PASS available for the Boston Urban Ceilidh, Dayfest, & Nightcap with Dervish.
General Admission seating in a specific ground-level section available to Festival Pass holder only. Details at check-out.
Individual tickets below
Interested in VOLUNTEERING? Please fill out this form HERE and our Volunteer Coordinator will be in touch.
Dayfest
Saturday, January 18; 11am – 5pm at Crystal Ballroom, The Burren, The Rockwell
TICKETS
Crystal Ballroom:
12pm – Copley Street with Owen Marshall
1pm – Casey & Molly
2pm – Marty Frye, Sarah Collins, David McKindley-Ward
3pm – Matt & Shannon Heaton
4pm – Scottish Fish
The Burren Backroom:
11am – Isabel Oliart and Friends
11:45am – Rose Clancy Trio
12:30pm – Sarah Ann Hajjar and Allan Chiasson
1:15pm – Clare Fraser Trio
2pm – The Simon Lace Trio
2:45pm – Coyne Family Band
3:30pm – Fox River
4:15pm – Torrin Ryan & Amy Law
The Rockwell:
12pm – Mrs. Wilberforce
12:45pm – Jen O’Shea
1:30pm – Riko Matsuoka
2:15pm – * Tea time * Sponsored by Mem Tea with storyteller Joe Keane
3pm – Helen & Rose
3:45pm – Clara Rose & Raphaella Hero feat. Adam Hendey
4:30pm – Ken Perlman with Janine Randall
Boston Celtic Music Festival w. Magpie
The 22nd annual Boston Celtic Music Festival, known as BCMFest, returns to Club Passim, Crystal Ballroom, The Burren and The Rockwell January 16-19, 2025. Presented by Passim, a Cambridge-based non-profit that supports a vibrant music community through Club Passim, the Passim School of Music, artist grants and outreach initiatives.
The 2025 festival will showcase Greater Boston’s deep tradition of music, song and dance from Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton, Quebecois and other Celtic communities. BCMFest features acts that are traditional as well as others that draw on contemporary sounds and ideas; full-time, professional touring acts as well as local session musicians; highlighting performers from across the generations.
CLICK HERE to see the full line-up and purchase tickets to all parts of the festival.
Friday, January 17th, 7pm-9pm. $30 / Members $25
Roots & Branches @ Club Passim
Elias Cardoso Band
Magpie: 5-part vocal harmony group with Kate Knudsvig, Kat Wallace, Helen Kuhar, Erin Hogan, & Jacqui Armbruster
Rakish
Albany Contra w. Good Company
Albany Contradances are held every second and some fifth Fridays of the month, September through June, in the large ballroom of the Albany Elks Lodge, located at 25 S Allen St, Albany, NY.
Dancing starts at 8pm, with a beginner lesson at 7:45pm. Now is a great time to be a beginner! Please share this event with anybody who may be interested, regardless of experience level!
Contra dancing has its roots in English country dancing, and may feel familiar to square dancing. Albany Contra uses the gender-free calling terms Larks and Robins.
As we’re living in a world with Covid-19:
Masks are optional
We request that if you have symptoms or have recently been exposed to Covid, please stay home.
In partnership with the DFO, we would like to remind all attendees that consent is vital to a safe and inclusive dance experience. Be polite when asking for dances, gracious if rejected, and always ask before trying to dip, lift, or twirl your partner. If someone at the dance causes you to feel uncomfortable, please speak with an organizer or Dance Ambassador, who will be wearing a button. More information can be found at https://www.danceflurry.org/about-us/culture-of-consent/
In our ever-continuing work to welcome more people to the dance floor, we are implementing a sliding pay scale. Please plan to pay what you comfortably can, from $8 for those that need extra communal support to $25 for those who are able to give our newly reborn dance a financial boost.
Contact us with any questions or to volunteer at albanycontras@danceflurry.org
Events this season (download the flyer here):
$8 – $25
Helen & Rose at Brownington Ceilidh Club
Visit https://browningtonceilidhclub.com/ for more info!
Opening for Faoileán w. Elias Cardoso
DOORS 6:30pm, MUSIC 7:00pm
Tix sliding scale $15-25
https://www.facebook.com/events/534641225606034/?ref=newsfeed
Concord Scout House Fundraiser w Good Company
We're having a fundraiser CHALLENGING* Contra Dance with Good Company and Lisa Greenleaf on the freshly replaced Scout House floor. This evening is for EXPERIENCED* dancers and may feature such goodies as novel choreography, a NO-WALK-THROUGH MEDLEY, etc.!
Good Company is a fresh young contra band with a great groove featuring Helen Kuhar (guitar), Cecily Mills (cello) and Rohan Weedon (fiddle). Calling by Lisa Greenleaf and Don Veino. Sound engineering & equipment by Don. Special lighting (no bright flashing) to help set the mood.
This is a FUNdraiser dance for the Concord Scout House, Inc., hosted by the CSH Board. All proceeds over the band benefit the Scout House.
Come and help support our treasured Scout House venue - we look forward to seeing you on the dance floor!
This is a fragrance-free event, please avoid the use of scented body and laundry products in support of our allergy sensitive dancers. PLEASE BRING CLEAN, SOFT-SOLED SHOES FOR DANCING TO PROTECT OUR NEW FLOOR! Larks/Robins role terms.
Admission is "Pick A Price": $15 participant, $20 Sustainer or $25+ Booster - additional donations are most welcome!
Please bring cash or check for payment. There will be a limited capacity for credit/debit card admission processing at the door, subject to a convenience fee. Admission or donations above "participant" value are a deductible contribution as allowed by law (the Concord Scout House, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization).
Help us out with publicity - Share the event with your EXPERIENCED friends!
*Challenging/Experienced means:
-You know how to do more than just the basic moves with confidence (Contra Corners, Roll Aways, Cross Trail Thru, Pass the Ocean, etc)
-You know where to be at the start of each dance phrase and how to recover from a lapse
-You can dance and enjoy no walk through dances
-You assist your partner and neighbor to the next move—and you have a friendly attitude about it
-You execute flourishes safely and on time without disturbing others
**It's not how long you've been dancing, it's how well you can adapt to challenging and unusual choreography!**
Full details on the event at http://concordscouthouse.org/fundraiser
Cannan Institute w Tim Ball & Elias Cardoso
Tim and Helen have performed together throughout the northeast, including an official showcase concert at the 2023 NERFA conference in Asbury Park, NJ and contra dances from Brooklyn, NY to Greenfield MA. Their concert set features music from Upstate Crossroads, as well as new material honed over their last year of touring as a duo. From toe-tapping jigs and reels to achingly beautiful songs, Tim and Helen offer a window into the living tradition of Irish music and showcase timeless melodies in a new light.
Syracuse Irish Festival w. Tim Ball & Elias Cardoso
September 6-7, 2024
Clinton Square, Syracuse, NY
Cornell Contra Dance - Tim & Helen
CORNELL CONTRA DANCE
Friday, September 6th - 8:00 pm - 10:30 pm
7:30 Intro Workshop
Fabulous live music by Tim Ball & Helen Kuhar
Callers - Casey Carr and Katy Heine
Cornell University, Willard Straight Hall Memorial Room
Ithaca, New York
Please join us for a wonderful evening of music and dance. All dances taught, you don't have to come with a partner, friendly supportive community of people who will help you get started!
Great refreshments during the break!
Northampton Rainbow Contra w. Good Company
For the LGBTQIA community, friends & allies. No partner or experience necessary
Time: 7-10 PM
Cost: $15-20, $8-12 with student ID; no one turned away due to lack of funds
COVID protocol: Mask (N95, KN95, KF94)