ContraCopia Contra Dance Weekend is this month!
November 28-30, right after Thanksgiving. Three great bands and three awesome callers in Bethlehem (double dance), Philadelphia (9 hours!), and Swarthmore. (more info)
(Prepay now!) (Get merch: T-shirts, tote bags, more!)
Welcome to the Thursday Contra! See the schedule of upcoming bands and callers below.
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+.
Our community standards seek to ensure a positive and safe experience for everyone.
Questions or concerns? You can meet with a member of our Safety Committee at any event, or report something online (can be anonymous).
Snacks are welcome. Please bring finger foods to share! (No peanuts or peanut butter please, due to allergies in our community.)
Our Thursday night dances strongly encourage up-to-date COVID vaccination. Masks are optional and welcome. If you test positive for COVID a few days after a dance, please send email to so we can alert others to a potential exposure. Please read more info about health precautions. We're looking forward to dancing with you!
| Date | Caller | Band | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 2 | Callers including Joanna Reiner Wilkinson, Alex Burka, and Chrissy Gore |
Sunday, 1:30-4:30, at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, Widener Hall: a special 3-way English/Scottish/Contra Party with music by Hijinks: Miranda Weinberg, Kathy Talvitie, Carrie Rose (Part of a full ESC weekend October 30 - Nov. 2 sponsored by Delaware Valley RSCDS Branch, Germantown Country Dancers, and PATMAD. More info: escdance.org) |
|
| Nov. 6 | Scott Higgs coordinating | Alias: Adam Oleksa (fiddle), Kirsten Erwin (flute, whistles), Adlai Waksman (keyboard) | |
| Nov. 13 | Harris Lapiroff | Here on the Hill | |
| Nov. 15 | Jan Alter | 3rd Saturday at Summit Church with Caravan: Adam Oleksa (fiddle), Ben Kennedy (piano), Kirsten Erwin (flute/whistles), and Thane Glenn (mandolin) | |
| Nov. 20 | Bob Isaacs coordinating | Neon Creek: Chloe Rosenthal (piano, electronics), Jared Bishop (fiddle, electronics) | |
| Nov. 27 | No dance (Thanksgiving) - but join us for ContraCopia dance weekend Nov. 28-30 in Bethlehem, Philadelphia, and Swarthmore! | ||
| Nov. 29 |
(Saturday) 2:00pm until 11:00 pm: ContraCopia Saturday! |
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| Dec. 4 | Deanna Palumbo | Raven & Goose: Corwin Zekley (fiddle), Grace Fellows (piano) | |
| Dec. 11 | Dave Rupp | Kaleidoscope: Minda Cowen (fiddle), Larry Unger (guitar, banjo, jaw harp), Dominique Gagne (flute), Marco Brehm (bass) | |
| Dec. 18 | Dave Winston | SPUDS: Philly's phabulous open contradance band! | |
| Dec. 20 | Rick Mohr | 3rd Saturday at Summit Church with Oliver Scanlon and Alex Fortier | |
| Dec. 25 | No dance (Christmas) | ||
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Dances continue every Thursday (except Thanksgiving and Christmas). |
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But wait, there's more! PATMAD also sponsors
- The 3rd Saturday Contra Dance in Mt. Airy, continuing on November 15 with Caravan at Summit Church.
- Allons Danser, Philadelphia's home for Cajun/Zydeco music and dance, continuing on Saturday, November 15 with Dennis Stroughmatt at the Holy Saviour Club, Norristown, Pa.
(3rd Saturday and Allons Danser may have different COVID precautions from the Thursday night contra dance. Check their pages for the most up-to-date schedules and information.) - SPUDS, Philly's phabulous open contradance band.
- A Center City Contra series in Rittenhouse Square in the heart of Philadelphia, generally on fourth Saturdays most months. See the calendar for upcoming dances.
Donations to Philadelphia Area Traditional Music and Dance, the nonprofit which sponsors the Thursday Contra dance, are always appreciated! (Link)
Contributions to the 100% free platform we use for donations are optional, and may be set to "Other" including zero.
Our community standards seek to ensure a positive and safe experience for everyone.
All Hands In has been presenting games nights and other community-led events, along with some fun online dances with fantastic live calling. Tune in most Tuesday nights.
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