Contra Dancing is a
modern version of what people used to do at Barn
Dances across America. It comes from English
Country Dancing and similar dances in France,
Scotland and elsewhere, that go back at least to
the 1500s in Europe. The dances are to live
music, typically old-time Appalachian, Irish or New England string
music, and to modern cousins of those
styles.
They are energetic dances, and the
tempo is usually a moderate to fast walking
pace. At a contra dance, in addition to
contras, you may encounter a variety of dances
such as squares, circles, waltzes, and others.
Each dance is usually
taught by a caller, who then calls the moves
during the dance. Comfortable shoes with
smooth rubber soles are a good choice for
footwear, but others wear a variety of shoes or
just bare feet. Lightweight and comfortable
clothes are recommended.
An Introduction to Contra
Dancing (from
the Atlanta Contra Dance group)
A newspaper
article on Contra Dancing
NPR News piece on the youth movement in contra dancing
A Blog
by a local writer about her experience at a contra
dance
Instructional Videos:
Contra
Dance Moves I
Contra Dance
Moves II
Videos of the Contra Dance in Tallahassee on December 14, 2011:
1) A
Contra
2) A
Square
3) Another
Contra
Video of the Contra Dance in Tallahassee on
January 13, 2023:
Click on the YouTube icon, on the left side of
this page
Videos
of other Contra Dances, mostly in
Tallahassee
An answer to the
question "Can you Contra Dance to almost any kind
of music?"
Contra Dancing
to Swedish techno hiphop, video from the Youth Dance Weekend 2008.
These conduct guidelines are intended to promote a fun, safe and comfortable atmosphere for our events.
Be respectful of other dancers, the band and caller.
Ask the person you are dancing with before dancing too close, swinging fast, adding extra turns or spins, doing a dip or lift, or using a lot of strength while dancing. If the other person seems to not be cooperating with what you want to do, don’t make them.
Be considerate of the dancers around you, when doing a dip or lift, or adding extra turns or spins.
Apologize as needed, if accidental inappropriate touching occurs. Physical or verbal harassment is not OK.
Accept when someone says ‘no’ to a dance. You can say ‘no’ to a dance too.
Inappropriate behavior will be addressed if it arises. We reserve the right to refuse admittance, or ask an individual to leave, if needed.
If there are any concerns that you may not be comfortable addressing on your own, please speak with a Dance Board member. Several of them will be wearing yellow name tags during the dance.
The Dancing Fish near
Gainesville
Bay St. Louis Contra
Dances (coastal
Mississippi) -- in your browser, search for
"facebook group bay st. louis contra dance" -- you
may have to join the group in order to see content
Contra Dances in the
Southeast
Florida Snowball in St. Petersburg, FL, late January
Palmetto
Bug Stomp in Charleston, SC, late
February-early March
Gamble Rogers Folk Festival
in St. Augustine, FL, mid-April
Florida Folk Festival
near Lake City, FL, Memorial Day weekend in May
with contra and other kinds of dancing every night,
and a smorgasboard of music
Mentone Dance Weekend
north of Birmingham, AL, third weekend in August
Florida State Fiddlers
Convention near Gainesville, FL, mid-October
with music the whole weekend long
Fall Ball in Tampa-St. Pete, FL, late October
Atlanta Dance Weekend in Atlanta, GA, mid-November
Tallahassee Old-Time Jam
at Blue Tavern - 2nd
and/or 4th Saturday of each month, 4:00 -6:00 pm,
1206 N. Monroe St. See the Facebook page, or
contact Mary at maryallgire "at" yahoo "dot" com
Irish Music Sessions at Blue Tavern - 3rd
Saturday of each month, 4:00 -6:00 pm, 1206 N.
Monroe St.
FSU
Old Time Ensemble - A music course at FSU
open to the community as well as regular FSU
students, with public performances
Friends of Florida Folk organization of musicians and other folk artists in Florida
Other Dancing
around Tallahassee
Capital
Twirlers Modern Western Square Dancing
Hot Pepper Steppers Appalachian Clogging
Mountain Dew Cloggers Contemporary Clogging
Tallahassee
Irish Step Dancers
Last revised 5/17/25