What is Contra Dance?

Contra dance (also contradance, contra-dance and other various spellings) refers to several folk dance styles in which couples dance in two facing lines of indefinite length. Contra dances can be found around the world, though they are especially popular in the United States. Contra dance is also referred to as New England Country dance.
It’s not a square dance (though we throw those in occasionally), but folks who know square dancing will recognize a lot of the figures.

Contra dance music, by and large, is Celtic in origin, consisting of jigs and reels, with some waltzes thrown in for good measure.
The music for our dances is always live, composed and performed by either local talent or folks from Eugene, Portland, Seattle or wherever we can rope ‘em from, but it’s guaranteed to make you want to move.

BCCD’s dances are open to all, regardless of experience (our Web master’s got three left feet), or whether or not you’ve got a dance partner.

We start with a 30-minute (or so) introductory workshop for newcomers and those wanting to brush up, then get into the dancing.
All the dances are walked through before the music starts, so even if you come late, you can jump in anywhere.
We’ll do several contras, a waltz or two, then take a break, followed by more of the same.