Contra & English Country Dancing Celebration Set for 11/6-7

Three New York City dance organizations - Country Dance New York, Brooklyn Contra, and Village Contra - and the Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS) will present a celebratory weekend of contra dancing and English country dancing to live music on Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7, 2015. The weekend marks 100 years of contra and English dancing in New York City as well as the centennial of CDSS promoting traditional dance, music and song.

All dances will be taught by experienced dance callers, who will lead everyone through the patterns of the dances. It is not necessary to come with a partner. Attendees will dance to the music of some of New York's finest dance musicians on Friday, November 6, and King Kontra, an exciting and innovative contra dance band from England making a rare United States appearance at the two contra dances on Saturday, November 7 (http://www.cbdb.co.uk/king-kontra/).

Weekend Schedule

Friday, November 6

7:30-10:30pm - Church of the Village, 201 West 13th Street at 7th Avenue, Manhattan

Country Dance New York presents an English Country Dance

Music by Cynthia Shaw, piano; Julia Hartman, violin and viola; and Zara Lawler, flute

CDSS callers: Brooke Friendly, Jill Allen, Jenny Beer, and local talent

Admission: general public $15; students and CDNY members $12

7:30-11pm - Camp Friendship, 339 8th Street, Brooklyn

Brooklyn Contra and Village Contra present a Contra Dance

Music by The Brooklyn Swing Ensemble: Sam Zygmuntowicz, fiddle; Danny Elias, clarinet; Marco Brehm, bass; Bill Peek, piano

Caller: Quena Crain and Alexandra Deis-Lauby (gender free calling)

Admission: general public $15; students $12

Saturday, November 7

Country Dance New York presents Two Contra Dances

3-6pm - Advanced Contra Dance (for experienced dancers) in Manhattan (Church of the Village - see above for address)

Music and calling by King Kontra (from England): Geoff Cubitt, percussion and feet; Jeff Spero, piano; Vere Foster, fiddle; Peter Smale, guitar, bass and 5 string banjo; Ian Wilson, mandolin, mandola, tenor banjo and accordion

Caller: Geoff Cubitt

Admission: general public $15; students and CDNY members $12

6-7:30pm - Community meeting and potluck/BYOD with CDSS Executive Committee members

7:30-10:45pm - Contra Dance for all with music by King Kontra in Manhattan (Church of the Village - see above for address)

CDSS callers: Jill Allen, Brooke Friendly, and local talent

Admission: general public $15; students and CDNY members $12

Admission to BOTH Saturday dances: $28 general public; $22 students and CDNY members

Attendees are asked to bring a pair of soft-bottomed shoes to dance in.

Further information is available at https://www.facebook.com/events/1110110708999514/.

Throughout 2015, the Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS), a national leader in promoting participatory dance, music and song that have roots in English and North American culture and their living traditions, is celebrating its centennial (www.cdss.org).

Country Dance * New York, a vibrant and long-standing intergenerational NYC dance community, involves New Yorkers in fun, lively dancing, supports local musicians, callers, and dancers, and hosts weekly English country dances and contra dances. http://wordpress.cdny.org/

Brooklyn Contra is dedicated to preserving folk traditions through innovative and exciting programming and out of the box partnerships that grow contra's audience. http://www.brooklyncontra.org/

Village Contra broadens contra's audience with monthly dances open to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, gender expression, dance experience, and number of left feet. Village Contra has been dancing in NYC for over 16 years, is an affiliate of LCFD, Lavendar Country Folk Dancers, and is gender-role-free. http://www.villagecontra.org/

Photo: Sam Segal

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