CONTRA Dancing

Where: The dances are held at Christ Episcopal Church - Parish Hall, 37497 Zach Fowler Road, Chaptico, MD.  

When: The 2nd Saturday of the month all-year*. The evening starts at 7:00 PM with a half hour beginner’s dance workshop followed by live music and dance from 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM. We will have a caller and live acoustic string band music by the Southern Maryland Open Band. Check the website calendar for the lineup of dances! Weather related cancellations are posted on the website.

Admission is $12 for non-SMTMD members; $8 for members.** Children 17 and under, when accompanied by an adult, and band members are free.

*Unless there is a schedule conflict, we are unable to book a caller, or other unforeseen reasons. See the calendar or Facebook page for updates about these changes.

**Note that SMTMD's rental fee for the church hall has increased, and as a result, we have increased our admission fees to help cover our expenses for events.

Contr--what?

Do-Si-Do? Allemande? Balance and Swing? Check out these dancers as they demonstrate some contra dance basics.

History: Contra dancing has its roots in Western Europe, notably, the British Isles and the Brittany region of France, with a very strong current day interest in North America and the U.K. The music might be of Celtic, Appalachian, or French Canadian extraction, and while retaining strong resemblance to its roots, has taken on a life of its own in North America, with many sub genres; collectively referred to by some as Old Time.

Like the music, Contra dancing goes back at least to 17th century Europe, notably the British Isles and the Celtic regions in France. It is thought to have evolved from English Country Dancing, and features reels, jigs, other types of dances where the men and women assemble in long opposing (contra) lines at the start of each dance, and change through several partners in the course of one dance. A typical contra dance consist of a set of geometric figures that are initially prompted by a caller, and ideally, after some repetitions, are memorized by the dancers, with the caller tending to call less and less. Normally, an evening’s dancing also features two waltzes with the final dance of the evening always being a waltz.

The footwork is not intricate or fancy, but the kinetic energy and the interaction with many dance partners, as in square dancing, places the focus squarely on the social aspects. An evening of Contra dancing is an evening of smiling, laughing, meeting new folks, and listening to great live music while getting a bit of a workout on the dance floor. 

Children are welcome, and all adult sponsored children 16 years of age or younger are admitted free of charge!! No special clothing is required, but you need to be comfortable, to move freely. A simple pair of flat soled shoes is recommended; leather soles are even better. There is also an ice cream social during the intermission, what more could you ask?

Southern Maryland Open Band

The Open Band is skillfully lead by Elgin Perry, one of the founding members of the group. Elgin will tell you, playing for such exuberant dancers is a hoot. And, a big bonus is that the band is truly "open." We are not an auditioned band. If you want to join the band, just bring your instrument to a dance around 6 PM for warmup and enjoy a fun night with a bunch of new friends.

Download the Waltz book here.

Download the Reel Medleys here.

Download the Jig Book here.

Can’t get enough? Here are some other groups hosting contra dances in Maryland.

• Folklore Society of Greater Washington

• Annapolis Contra Dance

• Baltimore Folk Music Society