English Country

WELCOME TO ENGLISH COUNTRY DANCING IN SEATTLE

. . . where friends meet to dance and new friends are made. We are friendly people who laugh together, play together, and dance together almost every week.

  • No partner needed. We switch partners for every dance.
  • Live music with some of the best musicians in Seattle.
  • Each dance is taught and called with at least one walk-through, having the music played to understand the pace of the dance.
  • We are a fragrance-free dance community. For the enjoyment of all, please refrain from wearing scented products.
  • We no longer require proof of vaccination.
  • Most dances are mask-optional. Exceptions are indicated.
  • For each event, we specify what calling style you can expect: gender-neutral means no gender terms, mixed means mostly positional with occasional gender terms.
  • We suggest you bring your own water bottle. Feel free to bring a snack to share at the break.

Friday Dances are generally the 1st, 3rd, & 5th Fridays, plus occasional other events.

  • Regular Friday dances are held at the Swedish Cultural Center (SCC), 1920 Dexter Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109.
  • Newcomers session from 7:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Dance from 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm.
  • Suggested donation $10.00 – $20.00, students under 26 years – $5.

Sunday Afternoon Tea Dances, generally 1st and 3rd Sundays each month.

    • Tea Dances are held at University Heights Center, 5031 University Way NE – Room 209
    • Dance: 3:30 -5:45 pm. Newcomers session 3:15- 3:30 pm.
    • Suggested donation $10 – $20.
    • You will need to use the code of 6160 to enter the building on the west side.

UPCOMING DANCES

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Informal house party in Green Lake. Contact us for details.

Friday, April 18, 2025

Location: Swedish Club, 1920 Dexter Ave N
Caller: Rachel Pusey (gender-neutral calling)
Musicians: Audrey Jaber and Alex Cumming
Time: 7:30 – 10:00 pm (newcomers session: 7:00 – 7:30 pm)
Suggested donation: $10 – $20

Sunday, April 20, 2025

Location: University Heights Center, 5031 University Way NE
Caller: Lindsey Dono (gender-neutral calling)
Musicians: Audrey Jaber and Alex Cumming
Time: 3:30 – 5:45 pm      Newcomers session 3:15 – 3:30
Suggested donation: $10 – $20
You will need to use the code of 6160 to enter the building on the west side.

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Informal house party in Green Lake. Contact us for details.

Friday, May 2, 2025

Location: Swedish Club, 1920 Dexter Ave N
Callers: Mary Stevens Zarich and Theresa Barker
Musicians: Hayden Stern and Anita Anderson
Time: 7:30 – 10:00 pm (newcomers session: 7:00 – 7:30 pm)
Suggested donation: $10 – $20

Sunday, May 4, 2025

Location: University Heights Center, 5031 University Way NE
Time: 3:30 – 5:45 pm    Newcomers session 3:15 – 3:30
Caller:  Russell Owen  (gender-neutral calling)
Musicians:  Julie King, Sande Gillette, and Dave Bartley
Suggested donation: $10 – $20
You will need to use the code of 6160 to enter the building on the west side.

Sunday, May 11, 2025

Fundamentals Workshop – Is this for me?
Location: University Heights Center, 5031 University Way NE
Time: 3:15 – 4:45 pm      
Teaching by Rachel Pusey
Anita Anderson on piano, and recorded music
Suggested donation: $10 – $20
You will need to use the code of 6160 to enter the building on the west side.

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Informal house party in Phinney/Ballard. Contact us for details.

Friday, May 16, 2025

Location: Swedish Club, 1920 Dexter Ave N
Caller: Dilip Sequeira (gender-neutral calling)
Musicians: Sande Gillette, Manda Brown, and  Dawn Corl
Time: 7:30 – 10:00 pm (newcomers session: 7:00 – 7:30 pm)
Suggested donation: $10 – $20

Sunday, May 18, 2025

Location: University Heights Center, 5031 University Way NE
Caller:   TBD
Musicians: Terry Wergeland and the Peregrine Philharmonic
Time: 3:30 – 5:45 pm      Newcomers session 3:15 – 3:30
Suggested donation: $10 – $20
You will need to use the code of 6160 to enter the building on the west side.

Friday, May 30, 2025

Location: Swedish Club, 1920 Dexter Ave N
Time: 7:30 – 10:00 pm (newcomers session: 7:00 – 7:30 pm)
Suggested donation: $10 – $20

Sunday, June 1, 2025

Location: University Heights Center, 5031 University Way NE
Time: 3:30 – 5:45 pm Newcomers session 3:15 – 3:30
Suggested donation: $10 – $20
You will need to use the code of 6160 to enter the building on the west side.

Friday, June 6, 2025

Location: Swedish Club, 1920 Dexter Ave N
Caller: Orly Krasner
Musicians:  Koren Wake and John Parejko
Time: 7:30 – 10:00 pm (newcomers session: 7:00 – 7:30 pm)
Suggested donation: $10 – $20

Sunday, June 8, 2025

Challenging Dances Workshop – Is this for me?
Location: University Heights Center, 5031 University Way NE
Time: 3:15 – 5:45 pm (no newcomers session)
Callers:  Charlene Kern and Laura Mé Smith
Musicians:  TBD
Suggested donation: $10 – $20
You will need to use the code of 6160 to enter the building on the west side.

Sunday, June 15, 2025

Location: University Heights Center, 5031 University Way NE
Time: 3:30 – 5:45 pm Newcomers session 3:15 – 3:30
Caller:  TBD
Musicians:  Terry Wergeland and friends
Suggested donation: $10 – $20
You will need to use the code of 6160 to enter the building on the west side.

Friday, June 20, 2025

Location: Swedish Club, 1920 Dexter Ave N
Callers: Peter Zarich and Theresa Barker
Time: 7:30 – 10:00 pm (newcomers session: 7:00 – 7:30 pm)
Suggested donation: $10 – $20

Friday, July 18, 2025

Location: Swedish Club, 1920 Dexter Ave N
Time: 7:30 – 10:00 pm (newcomers session: 7:00 – 7:30 pm)
Musicians: Terry Wergeland and the Peregrine Philharmonic
Suggested donation: $10 – $20

Friday, August 1, 2025

Location: Swedish Club, 1920 Dexter Ave N
Time: 7:30 – 10:00 pm (newcomers session: 7:00 – 7:30 pm)
Suggested donation: $10 – $20

Friday, August 15, 2025

Location: Swedish Club, 1920 Dexter Ave N
Time: 7:30 – 10:00 pm (newcomers session: 7:00 – 7:30 pm)
Suggested donation: $10 – $20

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, ladymary@stevens.net

PAST PROGRAMS

For programs of previous Seattle dances, click here.