Emerald city

(Last update: May 11, 2025)

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

Take note!
Friday May 23
No Emerald City Contra Dance

Dance at Northwest Folklife instead.

 

For all of the other dances, we have a 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.

  • May 16  Please welcome River Road (Boston and Western MA) on a West Coast tour. Dance to Sarah-Hadley Yakir on fiddle, Jesse Ball on mandolin & guitar, and Kristen Planeaux on accordion , flute and piano. Get your groove on with their mix of contemporary and traditional tunes, strong influences from Quebecois, New England, and maritime musical traditions. Annie Kidwell (Boston) calls.
  • May 23  No dance at Phinney – go to Northwest Folklife instead for 4 days of dance, music, food, crafts, & other fun.  We’ll see you there.
  • May 30  Raven and Goose: Corwin Zekley and Grace Fellows bring classic musicianship and dramatic arrangements of traditional tunes to contra dancing.  Angela DeCarlis calls.
  • June 6 George Wilson on fiddle, Laurie Andres on accordion & piano, and WB Reid on banjo-guitar & guitar.  Kelsey Hartman calls.
  • June 13 Bandwidth brings together three of Portland’s contra dance music veterans: Gordy Euler (fiddle, whistle, piano), Keith Moe (fiddle), and Carl Thor (piano, mandolin).  Get ready for an exciting and full spectrum of contra dance music.
  • June 20 Dave Bartley (various fretted instruments), Claude Ginsburg (fiddle), Marni Rachmiel (flute & Aerophone).
  • June 27 Hayden Stern (fiddle), Ezra Jane Landsman (guitar and similar instruments) and another musician to be named later.
  • July 4 No dance.  Enjoy some summertime fun.
  • July 11 Natterjack is Hayden Stern on fiddle, Ezra Jane Landsman on guitar, and Alex Sturbaum on accordion.
  • July 18 To be determined.
  • July 25 The Luddite Ramblers.