Welcome to the Thursday Contra! See the schedule of upcoming bands and callers below.
Location: The Irish Center (a.k.a. Commodore John Barry Arts and Cultural Center),
6815 Emlen St., Philadelphia, PA 19119.
Look for the signs, and use the ballroom entrance, furthest from Carpenter Ave.
Beginner lesson: 7:30pm
Dance: 8:00pm to 10:30pm
Admission: sliding scale, pay what you wish. Suggested $10/$15/$20+.
Donations to Philadelphia Area Traditional Music and Dance, the nonprofit which sponsors the Thursday Contra dance, are always appreciated! (Link)
Contributions to the 100% free platform we use for donations are optional, and may be set to "Other" including zero.
Snacks are welcome. Please bring finger foods to share! (No peanuts or peanut butter please, due to allergies in our community.)
Our Thursday night dances strongly encourage up-to-date COVID vaccination. Masks are optional and welcome. If you test positive for COVID a few days after a dance, please send email to so we can alert others to a potential exposure. Please read more info about health precautions. We're looking forward to dancing with you!
| Date | Caller | Band | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 6 | Scott Higgs coordinating | Gambeson: Jared Bishop (fiddle), James McPeak (cello), Adam Bodine (guitar) | |
| Feb. 13 | Ridge Kennedy coordinating | Broadside Kinetic: Rachel Hall (concertina), Amy Ksir (accordion, winds), Tom Rhoads (guitar), Jim Speer (bass), with Ben Kennedy (piano) | |
| Feb. 20 | Michael Karcher coordinating | Raise the Roof: Mat Clark (fiddle), Judi Stellar (hammered dulcimer), Bob Pasquarello (bass), Kathy Talvitie (guitar) | |
| Feb. 27 | Sue Gola coordinating | SPUDS: Philly's phabulous open contradance band! | |
|
Mar. 6 |
Anne Kidwell | Nobody's Business: Hayden Stern (fiddle), Casey Murray (cello), Helen Kuhar (guitar) | |
| Mar. 13 | Bob Isaacs | Jump Fingers: Palmer Loux (fiddle), Bob McCluskie (violin, viola), Greg Loux (guitar), Carolee Rand (banjo, tenor guitar, banjo mando) | |
| Mar. 20 | Janine Smith | Dead Sea Squirrels: Cathy Mason (fiddle), Henry Yoshimura (guitar), Craig Edwards (fiddle, banjo, mando) | |
| Mar. 27 | Liesl Jandrey | Free Raisins: Audrey Knuth (fiddle), Jeff Kaufman (mandolin, feet), Amy Englesberg (piano, accordion) | |
| Mar. 29 | Save this fifth Saturday at Summit Church for the Medley Marathon FUNdraiser! The tradition continues: non-stop dancing with callers and bands seamlessly passing the calling and music one to another! (Details to come) | ||
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Dances continue every Thursday (except Thanksgiving). |
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But wait, there's more! PATMAD also sponsors
- The 3rd Saturday Contra Dance in Mt. Airy, continuing on March 15 with Rick Mohr and TWeLve at Summit Church.
- Allons Danser, Philadelphia's home for Cajun/Zydeco music and dance, continuing on Saturday, March 8 with Mo' Mojo at (note venue) the Commodore Barry Club.
(3rd Saturday and Allons Danser may have different COVID precautions from the Thursday night contra dance. Check their pages for the most up-to-date schedules and information.) - SPUDS, Philly's phabulous open contradance band.
All Hands In has been presenting games nights and other community-led events, along with some fun online dances with fantastic live calling. Tune in most Tuesday nights.
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