Emerald city

(Last update: July 5, 2026)

 

Emerald City Contra Dance

with the Seattle Folklore Society present

Contra dancing nearly every Friday night at the

Phinney Neighborhood Center

6532 Phinney Avenue North, Seattle (98103)

in the Community Hall of the brick building, near the lower parking lot

Beginner’s workshop at 7:00 pm. Dance from 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm.

We no longer require masks while dancing – however, we still encourage you to wear them if you can.  We still require you to sign a registration form (for contact tracing) and waiver upon entry.  If you have attended a dance elsewhere, you’ll still need register at this dance as well.

We also recommend that you keep up-to-date with vaccinations. We may reinstate mask and vaccination requirements at a later date, if  COVID conditions change or we receive more reports of illness within the community.
– As always, we suggest you check Public Health – Seattle & King County for more information about COVID.
– For information about COVID practices and cases from earlier dances, check here.

Admission prices (cash, check or Venmo only):
– Sliding scale $10-$20.
– Students $5 with a school ID.
– Free for people under the age of 16.

Admission limited to 140 people. This total includes paying & non-paying dancers, children, and adults acting like children.

If this is your first contra dance ever you’ll get a coupon for free admission to your next dance.
Coupon redemption limited to first five coupons on any single night.

Follow us on Facebook. There’s a Lost and Found “Featured” file on that page where you can find items that you left behind at the dance.

 

Please help the PNA achieve their sustainability goals. Consider carpooling, walking, biking, or riding the bus to the dance. If you drive, please park in the PNA parking lots.

All dances taught. No partner necessary.
Light, comfortable clothing recommended.
Please join us without perfumes, colognes, aftershave, scented lotions, etc.

 

More information for dancers.
Information for bands and callers.
Past caller set lists.
Bands and callers: please contact us at ECContraDance@Gmail.com

For information not already posted here: 206-440-9839 or ECContradance@Gmail.com

Enough of the suggestions, disclaimers, and notifications. Here is what you really want to know…

  • July 10 – Leah Wollenberg, Alex Sturbaum, and Ida Hoequist are Chance.  Anchored by Leah’s driving and dancing fiddle, Ida’s smooth-as-glass woodwinds, and Alex’s powerhouse rhythm guitar, the sound of this trio draws inspiration from a wide array of sources: traditional and contemporary Celtic music, as well as the folk music of England, Sweden, and Newfoundland.  You’ll dance to tender waltzes, mighty jigs and reels, and the occasional full-throated labor song – a sound rooted in tradition and firmly of the moment. Listen to their music here.  Ali Webb calls.
  • July 17 – Rufous is Manda Brown on fiddle, Nick Leininger on guitar, and Melissa Coffey on aerophone and fiddle.  Sarah Trop calls.
  • July 24 – It’s Heliotrope from Bellingham and Mount Vernon: Robin Brown, fiddle; Paul Englesberg, flute and concertina; Michael Hobart, guitar; Greg Sherman, bass.  Caitlin Bannan calls.
  • July 31 – PajamaJam: Rosie O’Neil on guitar and Cayley Schmid on fiddle.  Jesse Partridge calls.
  • August 7 – Oliver Scanlon (fiddle and/or mandolin) and Silas Hamilton (guitar, piano, fiddle, vocals, feet, or some combination thereof).  Koren Wake calls.
  • August 14 – Contra Quartet is Jesse Partridge (fiddle), Jay Finkelstein (guitar), Steve Cifka (cello), and Julie Bennett (percussion). You’ll dance to fluid melodies, solid rhythm, and harmony that holds it all together.   Amy Wimmer calls.
  • August 21 – Condor Sutra: Hayden Stern on fiddle, Dave Bartley on guitar &related instruments, and Marni Rachmiel on Aerophone & flute.  Otho Sandwick calls.
  • August 28 – Countercurrent is a powerhouse acoustic folk duo based in Olympia, Washington, featuring driving guitar (Alex Sturbaum), lyrical fiddle (Brian Lindsay), harmony vocals (both of them), and foot percussion (one of them).  You’ll dance to music drawn from deep traditional roots in Ireland and North America while incorporating new influences to create a sound that is at once unique and timeless. Elisabeth Monica calls.
  • September 4 – 3 Guitars: Dave Bartley, Ezra Jane Landsman, Alex Sturbaum on… guitars.  Eric Curl and Ben Douglas call.
  • September 11 – Alex Cumming & Audrey Jaber are a dynamic duo in the traditional folk music scene, known for their captivating performances and deep-rooted passion for folk traditions.  You’ll enjoy Alex’s traditional vocals and rhythmic accordion paired with Audrey’s infamous fiddling.  Lindsey Dono calls.
  • September 18 – Tzela /ˈtsɛ.lə/ is an instrumental folk group born from the ever flowing and energetic folk scene on Vancouver Island. They have a deep appreciation for the groove and rhythm that gets people moving, whether it be Celtic roots, Cape Breton rhythms or Quebecois foot percussion.  Shell Stowell calls.
  • September 25 – Dawn Chorus: Cedar Stanistreet (fiddle), Grace Hendrickson-Jones (flute), and Rosie O’Neil (guitar).  Susan Petrick calls.
  • October 2 – To be determined.
  • October 9 – Springtide is Willy Clemetson (fiddle), Elsie Gawler (cello), and Ethan Tischler (guitar).  They  are musicians, songwriters, and central figures in the Mid-Coast Maine fiddling scene who combine a love of high-energy traditional Celtic and Scandinavian fiddle music, heartfelt original tunes and songs, and spacious creative improvisation .  Andy Shore calls.
  • October 16 – The members of Swiftcurrent met at Northwest Folklife many years ago and have played together ever since. They are Barbara Calm (hammered dulcimer, bouzouki, and trombone.), Jason Foy (guitar, mandolin, various wind instruments), Ed Boggs (bass, fiddle, guitar), and Julie Bennett (percussion).
  • October 23 – Hayden Stern and friends.
  • October 30 – Raven and Goose return!  Dance to Corwin Zekley’s intense yet delicate fiddling with Grace Fellows‘ potent powerhouse piano.  You’ll hear a variety of music with roots in Celtic, jazz, country, & metal.
  • November 6 – Anita Anderson and friends.  Greg Frock calls.
  • November 13 – Ice Cream Truckers: Noah VanNorstrand (fiddle, mandolin & foot percussion), Kelsey Wells (fiddle & banjo), Helen Kuhar (guitar).  George Marshall calls.