Country Dance & Song Society

Monday Cincinnati Contra Dance
2026-03-30 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-04-06 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-04-13 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-04-20 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-04-27 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-05-04 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-05-11 19:30 - 21:30, 2026-05-18 19:30 - 21:30 (America/New_York) and 4 more dates | Wyoming Fine Arts Center, 322 Wyoming Ave, Wyoming, OH, 45215, United States
Weekly Contra Dance at Wyoming Fine Arts Center, including waltz and maybe squares. Live music from many rotating bands. Many rotating callers using gendered or gender-free prompts. Teaching at 7 pm. Dance from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

Asheville Community Square Dance
2026-04-04 19:00 - 21:30, 2026-05-02 19:00 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | Haw Creek Commons, 315 Old Haw Creek Rd, Asheville, NC, 28805, United States
Grab your friends or your partner! Live music, dancing, and community fun—no experience needed and everyone’s welcome! Start the night with a flatfoot lesson, and dance your heart out to driving fiddle tunes and a caller who knows how to bring the fun. Our dances are on the first Saturday of every month, September through May.
Plenty of free parking is available at Haw Creek Elementary School (10 Bethesda Rd), just a short walk from the hall. Accessible spots are also available next to the dance hall at Haw Creek Commons.
Admission: $10 per person, $5 for kids 12 and under. Pay at the door via cash, Venmo, or Zelle.
Callers and musicians are announced monthly via our email list.

Santa Fe Contra Dance
2026-04-04 19:00 - 22:00, 2026-04-18 19:00 - 22:00, 2026-05-02 19:00 - 22:00, 2026-05-16 19:00 - 22:00, 2026-05-30 19:00 - 22:00, 2026-06-06 19:00 - 22:00, 2026-06-20 19:00 - 22:00 (America/Denver) | Odd Fellows Hall, Santa Fe, 1125 Cerrillios Rd, Santa Fe, NM, 87505, United States
Instruction at 6:30 and dancing starts at 7:00PM. Everyone is welcome at contra dancing, no partner required. For more details about contra or the FolkMADS organization, see our website.

Just For Fun - Country Dance Kalamazoo
2026-04-05 14:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-03 14:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Oshtemo Grange, 3234 North 3rd St., Kalamazoo, MI, 49009, United States
It’s an afternoon dance party and a workshop in a relaxed atmosphere. We offer a variety of dances: contra, English, squares, waltzes, etc. New callers can work through a dance, dancers can learn a new form of dance. Or. We just … dance!
Suggested admission between $5-$20

Mostly Waltz at Tapestry Folkdance Center
2026-04-19 14:30 - 17:00, 2026-05-17 14:30 - 17:00, 2026-06-21 14:30 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Tapestry Folkdance Center, 3748 Minnehaha Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55406, United States
3rd Sunday of the Month

Large Studio
2:30 – 5:00 pm
Cost: Recorded Music: $12 General Admission | $9 Tapestry Member | $8 Young Adult (Ages 18-30) | $4 Youth (Ages 10-17) | Under 10 – Free
Instructor: Gerhardt Quast

Want to have fun on the dance floor? Mostly Waltz invites and encourages anyone and everyone to learn and enjoy the waltz as a group of social ballroom dancers! This dance is for anyone who loves waltzing, is curious about waltzing, or just likes listening to music in 3/4 time. ​
The program offers 30-45 minutes of basic waltz instruction at the start of every session, then recorded music and a DJ to practice waltzing. The instruction will include Turning Waltz, Linear Waltz, and Cross-step Waltz (not all during one session). These are some of the waltz variations not taught by Ballroom Dance instructors.
The waltz is one of the world’s most popular couple dance. It is both easily accessible for beginners and endlessly challenging for experienced dancers and it can serve as a gateway to other dance forms. The extensive canon of waltz music is both extraordinarily beautiful and wildly varied. ​

New England Folk Festival
2026-04-24 18:00 - 2026-04-26 17:30 (America/New_York) | Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel and Trade Center, 181 Boston Post Road West, Marlborough, MA, 01752, United States
NEFFA attracts over 2000 attendees from all over the country and overseas and features close to 1000 performers. The Festival is unique because of the participatory nature of the events. Not only are there concerts and performances, but there are also opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to engage with music, dance, and folk arts culture.

Whitewater Whirl Contra Dance Weekend
2026-05-01 - 2026-05-03 | Fayette County Park, 1268 Fayette County Park Rd, Fayetteville, WV, 25311, United States
Welcome to the 2026 Whitewater Whirl. Whether you’re a dedicated, would-not-miss-it Whirler or new to the weekend, we look forward to dancing with you! The weekend is held at the Fayette County Park 4-H camp near Fayetteville, WV. Online registration is now open.
The Bands
Louisville-based Hot Coffee Breakdown is one of the most popular bands on the contra dance weekend circuit. Tom Cunningham’s fiery fiddle combines with the driving rhythms of Kate Sanders on keyboard and Luis de Leon on percussion and harmonica. Their dynamic range and musical crescendos will make you want the dance to go on forever! From the Ohio hills, we welcome The Hollertones with Paul Brown on banjo, Linda Scutt on fiddle, Jeanie Thieken Creamer on guitar and vocals and Nick Weiland on bass, with a blend of traditional, old time and Celtic music that’s made them popular at contra dances throughout the Midwest and East Coast.
The callers
The talented Darlene Underwood from Cincinnati returns for her second Whirl to spread happiness, connection and fun. It’s a Whirl debut for the talented and very funny Bob Isaacs, choreographer of so many creative dances, who’s driving all the way from Princeton, NJ (thanks, Bob).
We’re delighted that Gaye Fifer will again join us to teach the Beyond the Basics waltz workshop. Regular Whirlers know that Gaye called at every Whirl from 2005 to 2024. She’s taking a break, but we hope she’ll be back as a regular Whirl caller in future.
In 2024, we added a late-night techno-contra with DJ Polly Whittaker teaming with “Queen Darlene.” It’s back by popular demand, retitled as “DJ Contra,” and with “King Bob” on the team.
Our sound engineer, maestro Hanno Meingast, will be making the music in the hall sound great.
Accommodation and meal plan
Cabin accommodation (metal frame bunk beds) or camping onsite at the Fayette County Park 4-H camp near Fayetteville, WV is included in the weekend price. When you register, let us know if you’ll be staying in one of the cabins, designated as coed, women and men.
You can pitch your tent anywhere, but if you’re pulling a camper the camp staff will tell you where to park.
The camp will open on Thursday night, April 30, for early arrivals. Consider staying Sunday night, May 3, hiking or rafting in the New River Gorge.
Café One Ten in Oak Hill, WV, will provide catering—a five-meal plan with vegetarian options. Jennifer Horrocks and Heather Oelker will be running the kitchen and dining hall, with Jennifer preparing her signature desserts for Saturday dinner.
$140 for weekend; a la carte for evening dances and workshops

Meet Me In St. Louis Contra Dance Weekend
2026-05-22 19:30 - 2026-05-25 15:30 (America/Chicago) | Webster Groves Masonic Hall, 12 E Lockwood, Webster Groves, MO, 63119, United States
4 days of Dance, Music & So Much More!
Playing with Fyre, the Arcotones, and caller Sarah Kaiser will bring the contra dance magic. Jams, open calling, and a wide variety of workshops are here for you to enjoy at our historic venue in beautiful Webster Groves, Missouri, this Memorial Day weekend. Registration is open at our website.

Lady of the Lake Music and Dance Week
2026-06-21 15:00 - 2026-06-27 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | N-Sid-Sen Camp & Retreat Center, 36395 S Hwy 97, Harrison, ID, 83833, United States
Lady of the Lake Music and Dance Week on the shores of Coeur d’Alene Lake, 75 minutes from Spokane, WA, features a unique blend of contra and English country dance, including workshops in dancing, calling, and playing music.
Our community, made of campers from 20 different states and four Canadian provinces, is welcoming and supportive. Program includes singing and art as well. And there is plenty of time for swimming, hiking, canoeing and bicycling. Fabulous food with gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and dairy-free options.
Staff include: Lisa Greenleaf and Maia McCormick calling contras; Joanna Reiner Wilkenson caling English country. Contra Sutra and Audrey Jabor, Rachael Bell, and Karen Axelrod will play for both English and contras along with Countercurrent playing contras.
Transportation provided from the Spokane Airport to camp and back.
