Ballroom Variety Dance
2027-01-31 18:30 - 21:30 (America/Chicago) | Tapestry Folkdance Center, 3748 Minnehaha Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55406, United States
1st, 3rd, and 5th Sunday of the Month
Ed Stern Large Studio
6:00 – 7:00 pm Lesson | 7:00 – 9:30 pm Dance
Live Music: $20 General | $17 Member | $8 Young Adult (18-30) | $4 Youth (Ages 17-10)
Recorded Music: $15 General | $12 Member | $8 Young Adult (18-30) | $4 Youth (Ages 17-10)
“Pay What You Choose” first seven days of every month (1st through the 7th) – Newcomers and beginners especially welcome!

Invited to a wedding and want to make a good impression? Remembering the fun of swing dancing or Tango? Tapestry Folkdance Center is the place to experience the joy of social dances so often seen in movies. No partner needed, you can find one here!
You can learn a different Ballroom dance style each month. We offer high-quality instruction from professional dance instructors who provide progressive lessons in 18 different dance styles that rotate monthly.
Beginning with a basic lesson on the 1st Sunday and building on those skills each remaining Sunday of the month. Ballroom dances include foxtrot, cha-cha, salsa, waltz, American tango, west coast swing, east coast swing, bachata, lindy hop, quickstep, rumba, and more. After the lesson, the lights go down and you can practice what you’ve learned or strut your stuff! Fancy dress is certainly welcome, but feel free to come as you are.

English Country Dance at Tapestry Folkdance Center
2027-01-31 19:00 - 21:00, 2027-02-07 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago) | Tapestry Folkdance Center, 3748 Minnehaha Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55406, United States
Every Sunday
Small Studio
7:00 – 9:00 pm

2nd Sunday of the Month
Live Music with Anytime English Players | 6:30 – 9:00 pm
​Cost:
​Recorded Music: $12 General Admission | $9 Tapestry Member | $8 Young Adult (Ages 18-30) | $4 Youth (Ages 10-17) | Under 10 – Free
Live Music: $15 General Admission | $12 Tapestry Member | $8 Young Adult (Ages 18-30) | $4 Youth (Ages 10-17) | Under 10 – Free

​“Pay What You Choose” first seven days of every month (1st through the 7th) – Newcomers especially encouraged to attend!

English country dancing is an accessible social dance form with a history going back several centuries. This is the dancing of Queen Elizabeth I, of Jane Austen, and a living tradition that inspires musical compositions and choreographies today. The music can be stately or spritely, traditional or modern, recorded or live. It is danced with simple walking or skipping steps in time to the music. All dances are taught and are usually done in “long-ways sets” with partners facing in lines down the hall. After a walk-through, the easy-to-learn figures are called throughout the dance as you interact with other couples in your set and then move on to the next and repeat.
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You can come by yourself and be assured of dancing throughout the evening, since our tradition is to welcome and teach beginners and change partners for each dance. Anyone can invite anyone else to dance, regardless of gender or experience. English country dance will satisfy your wish for pleasurable exercise, a warm social community, mental stimulation, or even transcendent aesthetic experiences. We invite you to join us!

Nashville Monday Night English Country Dance Class
2027-02-01 18:00 - 19:30, 2027-02-08 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Chicago) | Sevier Park Community Center, 3021 Lealand Lane, Nashville, TN, 37204, United States
Sevier Park Community Center. Parking and entrance to the building are at 3021 Lealand Lane.
Note: Sevier Park Community Center is closed on Government Holidays. If in doubt, call 615-862-8466 (Park Office) to check.
We welcome experienced and beginning dancers. This is an excellent opportunity for beginners.
Cost: free.
No registration is required. Please sign in at the front desk when you enter.

English Country Dance on Mondays in Gainesville
2027-02-01 18:00 - 20:30, 2027-02-08 18:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | United Church of Gainesville, 1624 NW 5th Ave, Gainesville,, FL, 32603
This is an open dance group. No experience, special dress or partner needed. Every Monday we dance the dances from Jane Austen period to those being written today.
We dance at the United Church of Gainesville, 1624 NW 5th Avenue, Gainesville, FL.
Lesson at 6:00 pm. Dance from 6:30 – 8:30.
Live music by Hoggetowne Fancy.
Cost is $5 for the room and a similar amount for the band.
We have a very welcoming and helpful group.

Sea Shanty Singalong in New Orleans
2027-02-01 19:00 - 21:30 (America/Chicago) | Three Muses Faubourg House, 538 Frenchmen St, New Orleans, LA, 70116, United States
The No Quarter Shanty Krewe is hosting a sea shanty singalong! All ages, free, first Monday (usually), (mostly) a capella. Songbooks provided. Enthusiasm trumps talent when it comes to singing from the heart…

Chicago Contra Dance
2027-02-01 19:00 - 21:40, 2027-02-08 19:00 - 21:40 (America/Chicago) | Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N Knox Ave, Chicago, IL, 60630, United States
The Chicago Barn Dance Company sponsors and supports contra dance, traditional square dance, and old-time music in the Chicago area. Our dances are held every Monday night, except holidays, in the beautiful fourth-floor Erin Ballroom at Chicago’s Irish American Heritage Center. The dance venue is near the Montrose Blue Line stop, or you can park in the large FREE parking lot on site.
Admission is $7-$10 for adults, $5 for seniors and students. Come at 6:30pm if you would like a beginner/refresher lesson.

Knoxville Monday Night Contra
2027-02-01 19:00 - 22:30, 2027-02-08 19:00 - 22:30 (America/New_York) | Laurel Theater, 1538 Laurel Ave, Knoxville, TN, 37916, United States
Contra dancing to live music every Monday evening in Knoxville, TN. The dance begins at 7:30 with a lesson for new folks starting at 7:00. Everyone welcome.

Monday Cincinnati Contra Dance
2027-02-01 19:30 - 21:30, 2027-02-08 19:30 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | 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.

Louisville Contra Dance
2027-02-01 20:00 - 22:30 (America/New_York) | Highlands Community Campus, 1228 E. Breckinridge Street, Louisville, KY, 40204, United States
Louisville, Kentucky’s weekly Monday night contra dance, always featuring live music from the Monday Night All Stars open band! Dancing is 8:00-10:30pm with a beginner’s lesson at 7:30pm. Waltzing and snacks available at the break. Check out our website for details on the caller and special performances. Open calling on 5th Mondays!

Symmetry ECD Tuesdays
2027-02-02 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | ONLINE
Symmetry began with a group of friends offering online ECD during the pandemic, and we see no reason to stop now! In addition to weekly Sunday dances with caller Sharon Spangler, Symmetry’s Tuesday dances feature a variety of callers, a mix of faces from the U.K. and the U.S. The dances are slightly adapted for online presentation. Symmetry enjoys live music at least twice a month from the versatile U.K. duo Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer. More info and the link to join the dances are available on the Symmetry ECD website.

Weekly Austin Contra Dance
2027-02-03 19:30 - 21:30 (America/Chicago) | Hancock Recreation Center, 811 East 41st St., Austin, TX, 78751, United States
A free weekly dance at Hancock Recreation Center, with music by the jam/pickup band, Local On-Call Orchestra (LOCO). We dance every week that Hancock Recreation Center is open. A brief beginners session is taught at 7:30, before the dance program begins. Dance ends about 9:30. Free parking lot.

We welcome beginners. If you can walk to a beat, you can contra dance! All dances are taught and called. No partner necessary. Dance either role – or both. Everyone is welcome.

Sober event. Family-friendly. LGBTQ+

Gentle English (Swarthmore PA)
2027-02-04 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Park Avenue Community Center, 1229 Park Ave, Swarthmore, PA, United States
English Country Dancing for those who enjoy relaxed tempos and familiar figures. Jenny Beer leading, music by laptop.

Symmetry ECD First Thursday Dance
2027-02-04 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | ONLINE
Symmetry began with a group of friends offering online ECD during the pandemic, and we see no reason to stop now! In addition to weekly Sunday dances with caller Sharon Spangler, and Tuesday dances with a variety of U.K. and U.S. callers, Symmetry also offers a monthly evening dance on the first Thursday. Current caller is Dan Gillespie from the D.C. area, but other guest callers are possible. Dances are slightly adapted for online presentation. More info and the link to join the dances are available on the Symmetry ECD website.

English Country Dancing
2027-02-05 18:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Massanutten Presbyterian Church, 50 Indian Trail Rd, Penn Laird, VA, 22846, United States
We invite you to dance with us on the first Friday of each month at Massanutten Presbyterian Church. It’s free and open to the public; most appropriate for people 10 years old and up; no experience needed; no partner needed. Wear casual clothes and comfortable shoes.
Tom Mack is the caller and we dance to recorded music enjoying dances from the 1700’s and 1800’s: lines, circles and squares.
Health issues: If you feel sick, stay home.

Portland Country Dance Community Friday Night English Dance
2027-02-05 19:30 - 22:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Burlingame Water Tower Dance Hall, 8936 SW 17th Ave, Portland, OR, 97219, United States
For details about venue, callers, or musicians, please go to our website, or email ecd-chair@portlandcountrydance.org
Sliding scale: $7 – $20.

International Folkdance at Tapestry Folkdance Center
2027-02-05 19:30 - 22:30 (America/Chicago) | Tapestry Folkdance Center, 3748 Minnehaha Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55406, United States
Every Friday

Ed Stern Large Studio
7:30 – 8:30 pm Lesson
8:30-10:30 pm Request Dance – recorded music
​Cost: $12 General Admission | $9 Tapestry Member | $8 Young Adult (Ages 18-30) | $4 Youth (Ages 10-17) | Under 10 – Free
​“Pay What You Choose” First seven days of every month (1st through the 7th)

Discover heritage and dance roots! International features dances from many regions of the world including Europe, Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Brittany, the Middle East, South and North America. All International Fridays are a mix of international styles and dances unless noted otherwise. No partner is needed, and most dances are done by the group in a semi-circular line formation following a leader.
Dance instruction takes place for the first hour, with teachers covering 4-6 dances of varying degrees of difficulty, and typically from different regions. Instruction on the first Friday of the month is geared toward newcomers. After the hour of instruction, it’s time for request dancing from our large collection of recorded music. Everyone is welcome to stay. The programmer (DJ) creates a set from a list of requests generated by attendees. The programmer chooses a range of dances, from basic patterns to tricky sequences.
​​What is International Request Dance?
Dancers can request dances taught recently or old favorites – so what gets programmed is a mix of old and new. There are dances from every continent, and the most-requested dances are from eastern European countries like Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Greece. We also do Israeli dances, and couple dances from (western) Europe and the Americas – but you don’t need to bring a partner.

Friday Contra Dance, Nashville TN
2027-02-05 19:30 - 22:30 (America/Chicago) | Second Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 3511 Belmont Blvd., Nashville, TN, 37215, United States
All are welcome to come and dance! You don’t need to bring a partner. Contra dancing is easy to learn. We have beginners’ lessons for anyone who hasn’t done it before, or wants a reminder.
$7 – $25, pay what you can.

Scissortail English Country Dance in Oklahoma City
2027-02-06 13:30 - 15:30 (America/Chicago) | Oklahoma City Swing Dance Club, Northwest 50th Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73112, United States
Scissortail English Country Dance in Oklahoma City, first Saturday of the month. Check our Facebook or our website for more details!

Tucson Contra Dance
2027-02-06 18:30 - 22:00 (America/Phoenix) | Southern Arizona Dance Center, 4801 E 29th Street, Tucson, AZ, 85711, United States
Join us for our first and third Saturday contra dance! Doors open at 6:00 pm. Intro lesson at 6:30 pm. Dance from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Check our website for more details.

Asheville Community Square Dance
2027-02-06 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.

Syracuse Country Dancers Contra Dance
2027-02-06 19:00 - 22:00 (America/New_York) | United Church of Fayetteville, 310 East Genesee St, Fayetteville, NY, 13066, United States
Contra dancing every 1st and 3rd Saturday.

Contra Dance at Tapestry Folkdance Center
2027-02-06 20:00 - 23:00 (America/Chicago) | Tapestry Folkdance Center, 3748 Minnehaha Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55406, United States
Every Saturday
LARGE STUDIO

7:30 – 8:00 pm Lesson
8:00 – 11:00 pm Dance

Cost:
Live Music: $15 General Admission | $12 Tapestry Member | $8 Young Adult (Ages 18-30) | $4 Youth (Ages 10-17) | Under 10 – Free
“Pay What You Choose” first seven days of every month (1st through the 7th)
Recorded Music: $12 General | $10 Members | $7 Young Adult & Youth (Ages 10 -21)
What is Contra Dance?
In a Contra dance, a leader, known as a caller, teaches basic dance steps during an introductory “walk-through” of the dance. Dancers learn by walking through the steps and formations, following the caller’s instructions. The dance figures are similar to those of old-time square dancing except the figures are usually danced in a line, with leaders and followers facing each other.
​These dances are lively, social, easy to learn, and aerobic. Although you will dance with a partner, it isn’t necessary to come with one. All dances are taught and are usually done in “long-ways sets” (partners facing in long lines down the hall). Many of the regular Tapestry Folkdance Center Contra bands play old-time music (similar to bluegrass), but the music at any given Saturday night Contra may reflect a range of music traditions, such as New England, French Canadian, Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton and modern compositions.
How does Contra Dance Work?
“A contra dance can be thought of as a triangle of energy with the three vertices being the musicians, the dancers and the caller. Magical evenings occur when all three come together, feeding off of each others’ energy to raise and sustain an atmosphere of fun and joy. The caller’s role in this is paramount. Good music and dancers without a good caller may not be magical. Poor teaching, lack of rapport or inappropriately selected dances can lead to frustration. But a good caller can make even new dancers feel like they are good, and by working with the musicians to match music to dances, set the right tempo, and feed off the energy of everyone in the hall, the caller can help make magic.”
by Beau Farmer, Tapestry Folkdance Center Contra Caller

Capital English Country Dancers
2027-02-07 13:30 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | St. John’s Episcopal Church, Troy, NY, 146 1st Street, Troy, 12180, United States
Monthly English country dances, first Sunday of the month October–May. Live music, all dances taught; beginners, singles, and couples are welcome. Beginner workshop at 1:30 PM, dance at 2 PM.
Regular Dances: $15, $12 CECD Members (Membership: $15) Ice Cream Sunday: $17, $14 CECD Members (includes ice cream sundaes), Season Ticket: $88

Monterey Contra Dance
2027-02-07 15:40 - 19:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Monterey YMCA, 600 Camino el Estero, Monterey, CA, 93940, United States
Monterey Country Dance Community holds contra dances most first Sundays and third Saturdays, unless otherwise noted in our schedules and calendars. Come alone or bring a friend—beginners are always welcome!

First Sundays: Lessons at 3:40 PM; dance from 4–7 PM
Third Saturdays: Lessons at 6:40; dance from 7–10 PM.

​Prices:

$15-$30, sliding scale, general admission
$10-$25, members of MCDC, BACDS, CDSS or other sister organizations;
$5, active military & full-time students, with ID;
FREE! for children 12 & under
