Emerald city

(Last update: April 17, 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

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.

  • April 18  The Hellions are coming! From Portland, OR. Combine the driving rhythm of George Penk’s fiddle, the soaring harmonies of Betsy Branch’s fiddle, and the propulsive accompaniment of Sue Songer’s piano and you get…The Fiddle Hellions. They started collaborating for Fiddle Hell, online in 2021, and had such a good time that they decided to become a dance band. George and Betsy light up the stage and dance floor alike with their twin fiddling, weaving their fiddle styles together beautifully. They are supported by the strong piano backup of Sue. They take special delight in sharing their vibrant energy with live dancers, exuding joy and making everyone in the room want to dance the night away. Suzanne Giradot calls.
  • April 25  Dance to the small orchestra Raccoon Carnival. Over a dozen musicians (plus raccoon herder, Sarah Comer) delivering fine-tuned arrangements and multipart harmonies designed to drive the dancers! Expect lilting jigs, growling hoedowns, and of course, the unexpected. Amy Wimmer calls.
  • May 2  Contra Quartet is Jesse Partridge on fiddle, Steve Cifka on cello, Jay Finkelstein on guitar, and Julie Bennett on percussion.
  • May 9  Vienna Scheyer on fiddle, Elise Snoey on fiddle, and Dave Bartley on guitar-like instruments. Abigail Golden calls.
  • May 16  Please welcome River Road on a West Coast tour. Dance to Sarah-Hadley Yakir on fiddle, Jesse Ball on mandolin & guitar, and Kristen Planeaux on keyboard. Annie Kidwell calls.
  • May 23  No dance at Phinney – go to Northwest Folklife instead. 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.
  • June 6 George Wilson and WB Reid.  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 To be determined
  • June 27 Hayden Stern (fiddle), Ezra Jane Landsman (guitar and similar instruments) and another musician to be named later.