Emerald city

(Last update: July 19, 2025)

 

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 125 people. This total includes paying & non-paying dancers, musicians, callers, children, and adults acting like children. (In short, everyone.)

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 EmeraldCityContra@pobox.com

For information not already posted here: 206-440-9839 or EmeraldCityContra@pobox.com

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

Callers will use the terms “larks” and “robins” for dance roles.

  • July 25 – The Luddite Ramblers: Craig Shaw (flute, whistles), Laurel Stone (fiddle), Olga Hauptman (fiddle), Jay Finkelstein (guitar). These local veteran musicians weave infectious dance rhythm, enchanting melody, and rich harmony. Koren Wake calls.
  • August 1 – The Sage Thrashers:  Hayden Stern on fiddle, Jesse Partridge on fiddle, and Patrick Gunning on guitar. Fiddles & guitar cavort merrily for our dancing pleasure! Craig Wolfe calls.
  • August 8 – A Band of Brothers: Dante and Eros Faulk, having played together since they were very young, weave and spin tunes like magicians. Don’t miss this rare chance to hear them together. Dante on cello, Eros on fiddle, are adept at Irish, Scottish, Canadian, old-time, and bluegrass, as well as many genres beyond. They blend new and old tunes with driving and innovative arrangements! Russell Owen calls.
  • August 15 – Anglerfish (Hayden Stern on five-string fiddle, Rae Eaton on bass, and Alex Sturbaum on mandocello) explore the depth of sonic spaces when they play for dances. Expect powerful grooves in low sonic registers! Tom Wimmer calls.
  • August 22 – Countercurrent is Brian Lindsay (fiddle & feet) and Alex Sturbaum (guitar & accordion). The powerhouse acoustic duo features fiddle, guitar, harmony vocals, and foot percussion. When dancers and listeners experience the blend of lyrical melodies, groovy chords, thumping percussion, and vocal harmonies all simultaneously, the reaction is invariably, “How does so much music come from just two people?!” Abigail Hobart calls.
  • August 29 – The SonoOnos play wicked, joyful tunes with lyrical harmonies and driving rhythms for maximum ‘danceability’.  Sono Hashisaki and Olga Hauptman (fiddlers), Laurie Andres (accordion), and Jay Finkelstein (guitar) draw from wide-ranging musical traditions, including Metis, Quebecois, northern, Irish, old timey and more for your dancing pleasure. Caller TBD.
  • September 5 – Contra Quartet is Jesse Partridge (fiddle), Jay Finkelstein (guitar), Steve Cifka (cello), and Julie Bennett (percussion). Jesse plays melodies effortlessly and Jay plays chords and rhythm to back up the melody. Julie plays even more percussion to emphasize the beat and the energy. Steve fills what’s left with growling low sounds, harmony, and maybe melody. Shannon Horst calls.
  • September 12 – Contra favorites, The Nettles, return to Seattle for the first time in years! The Nettles are a Celtic jam band that makes dancers move and groove. Laura Brophy’s inventive fiddle weaves through Kev Nettles’ rich guitar harmonies, propelled by the mighty rhythm engine of Julie Bennett on drums and Michael Proctor on bass. Don’t let your friends tell you what you missed! Isaac Banner calls.
  • September 19 – The Electrodes: Joe Bowbeer can coax brass, woodwind and techno out of his 5-string electric fiddle. Joe Micheals plays rock-solid rhythm on guitar. Marcy Kubbs fills out the middle with rich rhythmic chords on the piano. A positive charge meets an insatiable jig. Sparks will fly. Caller TBD.
  • September 26 – Peter & the Wolftones are George Penk (fiddle), Jesse Schafer (cello, & maybe guitar), and Heather Pinney (piano, & maybe fiddle). Caller TBD.
  • October 3 – Swiftcurrent – Barbara Calm (hammered dulcimer, bouzouki, octave mandolin, whistle, and trombone); Jason Foy (mandolin, guitar, flute, whistle, and Midi Aerophone); Ed Boggs (bass, fiddle, and guitar);  Julie Bennett (percussion). Caller TBD.