Emerald city

(Last update: August 11, 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.

  • August 15 – CHANGE OF PLANS – Betsy Branch on fiddle and Larry Unger on guitar. 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.  Otho Sandwick calls.
  • September 26 – Peter & the Wolftones are George Penk (fiddle), Jesse Schafer (cello, & maybe guitar), and Heather Pinney (piano, & maybe fiddle).  Valerie Cohen calls.
  • 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).  Richard Barnes calls.
  • October 10 – Victoria Fox calls with a band to be determined.
  • October 17 – Maya Roe calls with a band to be determined. (Yes, they are so good that we booked them two weeks in a row.)
  • October 24 – Pajamajam – Cayley Schmid (fiddle) of Sub Zero Glitter Fridge and Rosie O’Neil (guitar) of Bison Socks will express their mutual enthusiasm for music, dance, pajamas, and friends by shredding a variety of spicy pan-Celtic tunes.  Penelope Weinberger calls.
  • October 31 – Blueberry Jam: Sky Leuba and friends.  Sherry Nevins calls.
  • November 7 – Countercurrent returns!  Brian Lindsey (fiddle & feet) and Alex Sturbaum on guitar.  George Marshall calls.
  • November 14 – Christine Traxler on fiddle,  Susan Burke on fiddle, and Suzanne Taylor on flute & piano.
  • November 21 – The Baby Corns is Hayden Stern (fiddle), Vienna Scheyer (fiddle), and Rosie O’Neil (guitar).  Elisabeth Monica and Ben Douglas call.
  • November 28 – Ezra Jane Landsman and friends.  Koren Wake calls.
  • December 5 – No dance.  The Phinney Neighborhood Association sets up for their annual winter festival & craft show.  (If you show up anyways, someone might put you to work.)
  • December 12 – Natterjack is Hayden Stern on fiddle, Ezra Jane Landsman on guitar, and Alex Sturbaum on accordion.  Lindsey Dono calls.