English Country

WELCOME TO ENGLISH COUNTRY DANCING IN SEATTLE

. . . where old friends meet to dance and new friends are made.

Country dancers in a ballroom

  • Live music
  • No partner needed; we switch partners for every dance
  • Each dance is taught and called
  • Come early for a short workshop to get oriented
  • We are a fragrance-free dance community; for the enjoyment of all, please refrain from wearing scented products
  • We suggest you bring your own water bottle, and feel free to bring a snack to share at the break
  • Suggested donation $10-$20 

REGULAR EVENTS

Afternoon Tea Dances – 1st & 3rd Sundays
Workshops – 2nd Sundays

    Weeknight Dances – 1st & 3rd Fridays (through August)

    • Dance 7:30-10:00 pm, newcomers session 7:00-7:30 pm
    • Swedish Cultural Center, 1920 Dexter Ave N

    NEW! Weeknight Dances – 2nd & 4th Tuesdays (from September)

    • Dance 7:00-9:30 pm
      The first hour will feature easier dances and teaching
    • Swedish Cultural Center, 1920 Dexter Ave N
    • Tuesday dances are all gender-neutral

    UPCOMING DATES

    Fri, Aug 1, 2025 – Weeknight Dance

    Callers:  Peter & Mary Zarich
    Musicians:  Sande Gillette, Dave Bartley, and Guinevere Saenger

    Sun, Aug 3, 2025 – Tea Dance

    Caller:  Laura Mé Smith
    Musicians: Julie King, Sande Gillette, and Dave Bartley

    Fri, Aug 15, 2025 – Weeknight Dance

    Caller: Nan Evans (gender-neutral calling)
    Musicians: Olga Hauptman, Fred Nussbaum, and Julian Adamaitis

    Sun, Aug 17, 2025 – Tea Dance

    Caller: TBD
    Musicians: Dawn Corl and friends

    Sun, Sep 7, 2025 – Tea Dance

    Caller: TBD
    Musicians: TBD

    Tue, Sep 9, 2025 – Weeknight Dance

    Tuesday Night Launch Party!
    Callers: Rachel Pusey & Dilip Sequeira (gender-neutral calling)
    Musicians: TBD

    Sun, Sep 14, 2025 – Challenging Dances

    Is this for me?
    Caller: TBD
    Musicians: TBD

    Sun, Sep 21, 2025 – Tea Dance

    Caller: TBD
    Musicians: Brad Reynolds and friends

    Tue, Sep 23, 2025 – Weeknight Dance

    Caller: Lindsey Dono (gender-neutral calling)
    Musicians: TBD

    Sun, Oct 5, 2025 – Tea Dance

    Caller: TBD
    Musicians: Julian Adamaitis, Bonnie Aher, and Olga Hauptman

    Sun, Oct 12, 2025 – Intermediate Workshop

    Is this for me?
    Caller: TBD
    Musicians: TBD

    Tue, Oct 14, 2025 – Weeknight Dance

    Caller: TBD (gender-neutral calling)
    Musicians: TBD

    Sun, Oct 19, 2025 – Tea Dance

    Caller: TBD
    Musicians: TBD

    Tue, Oct 28, 2025 – Weeknight Dance

    Caller: TBD (gender-neutral calling)
    Musicians: TBD

    Sun, Nov 2, 2025 – Tea Dance

    Caller: TBD
    Musicians: TBD

    Sun, Nov 9, 2025 – Fundamentals Workshop

    Is this for me?
    Caller: Rachel Pusey (gender-neutral calling)
    With Anita Anderson on piano and recorded music 

    Sun, Nov 16, 2025 – Tea Dance

    Caller: TBD
    Musicians: TBD

    Tue, Nov 25, 2025 – Weeknight Dance

    Caller: TBD (gender-neutral calling)
    Musicians: TBD

    Sun, Dec 7, 2025 – Tea Dance

    Caller: TBD
    Musicians: TBD

    Tue, Dec 9, 2025 – Weeknight Dance

    Caller: TBD (gender-neutral calling)
    Musicians: TBD

    Sun, Dec 14, 2025 – Challenging Dances

    Is this for me?
    Caller: TBD
    Musicians: TBD

    Sun, Dec 21, 2025 – Tea Dance

    Caller: TBD
    Musicians: TBD

    ABOUT OUR WORKSHOPS

    Fundamentals Workshop

    These workshops will allow you some extra time to get more familiar with the basics you need to enjoy ECD events in Seattle and elsewhere. We’ll dance a few less complex dances, spend time on core figures (patterns), and answer some of those questions you’ve been puzzling over. Suitable for new dancers but all are welcome! 

    Intermediate Workshop

    If you are already comfortable with the basics of English County Dance (ECD) but want to be able to tackle more complex dances, this is a workshop to build your confidence and self-reliance. We’ll spend time on double figures of eight and heys, strategies for understanding and remembering a dance, and we’ll think about how to make a dance more than the sum of its parts.

    Challenging Dances Workshop

    A mixture of brain teasers, dances that reward a little polishing, and some old favorites too difficult for social programs. If you’re comfortable with double figures of eight and all kinds of heys, can execute complex figures without help from other dancers and keep your head while all about you are losing theirs, this might be for you.

    CONTACT US

    For information about English Country Dancing in Seattle, please contact:

    • info@seattleecd.org
    • Mary Stevens Zarich, 425-771-2973

    PAST PROGRAMS

    For programs of previous Seattle dances, click here.