Emerald city

(Last update: December 19, 2024)

Emerald City Contra Dance

with the Seattle Folklore Society present

Contra dancing nearly every Friday 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 (or thereabouts). 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…

Schedule of bands and callers:

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

  • December 20 Heliotrope is Robin Brown on fiddle; Paul Englesberg on  flute(s), concertina, whistle, saxophone; Greg Sherman on upright bass; Michael Hobart on guitar.  Abigail Hobart calls.
  • December 27 Clever Hans is Hayden Stern (fiddle), Patrick Gunning (guitar), and Dana Christie (bass).  Victoria Fox calls.
  • January 3  The Hat Band.  Meg Tapley on flute, Syd Newell on fiddle, Jon Neff on guitar. Enjoy dancing to traditional dance tunes, rags, blues, swing, & klezmer, along with a mix of three-part harmonies.  Shannon Horst calls.
  • January 10  Natterjack – Hayden Stern on fiddle, Ezra Jane Landsman on guitar, and Alex Sturbaum on accordion.  David Kreiss-Tomkins calls.
  • January 17 Anita Anderson (piano), Brad Reynolds (fiddle), and Dave Bartley (several fretted instruments).  Jesse Partridge calls.
  • January 24 Rufous: Melissa Coffey (flute, whistles, & cordless vacuum cleaner); Manda Brown (fiddle); Nick Leinginger (guitar).  Elisabeth Monica calls.
  • January 31 SonoOnos is Sono Hashisaki and Olga Hauptman on fiddle, Laurie Andres on accordion, and Jay Finkelstein on guitar.  Joe Micheals calls.
  • February 7 – No dance at Phinney.  We take the night off to dance at Supersonic in Ballard.  Check here for information about the dance weekend.
  • February 14 Soundspel is Vienna Scheyer on fiddle, Elise Snoey on fiddle, and Patrick Gunning on guitar.  Tom Wimmer calls.
  • February 21 Hotseat.  Kelly Tabor calls.
  • February 28 CounterSutra: Brian Lindsay on fiddle & feet; Alex Sturbaum on guitar & accordion; Marni Rachmiel on flute, saxophone, & synthetic wind instrument; Dave Bartley on guitar, maybe mandolin, and who know what else.   Amy Wimmer calls.
  • March 7 Countercurrent is Brian Lindsay on fiddle, feet, & vocals; Alex Sturbaum on guitar, accordion, & vocals.
  • March 14 Indigo Bunting: Hayden Stern (fiddle), Drake Caraker guitar, and Julie Bennett (percussion)
  • March 21 Elise, Rosie & Claire
  • March 28 Campaign for Reel Time is a trio consisting of Betsy Branch on fiddle, Bill Tomczak on clarinet, saxomophone & percussion, and Mark Douglass on piano.
  • April 4 Bison Socks: Rosie O’Neil on guitar, Vienna Scheyer on fiddle, and Elise Snoey on fiddle. Sherry Nevins calls.