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Note: Due to weather conditions, the January dance, originally scheduled for Jan 24 and rescheduled to Jan 31, has been cancelled. Next dance will be in February.

Next dance will be
Saturday, September 26, 2026

Contra & Pre-Dance Potluck!

Music: The Outsiders
Caller: Victor Gascon ("Ladies & Gents")

The September 26 dance will begin with a short review of contra dance basics for new and out-of-practice dancers starting at 6:30pm. Dancing to follow at 7pm. The door opens at 6:15pm.

If you are joining us for the pre-dance potluck, please bring a dish to share. Water and paper products will be provided.

We are currently searching for a venue. For up-to-date info and late-breaking news, signup for our newsletter and text messages.

We are currently dancing at Arsenal Hill Park in Columbia, SC, generally on 4th Saturdays with some exceptions. For up-to-date info and late-breaking news, signup for our newsletter and text messages.

Schedule:

• 6:15pm Doors open
• 6:30pm Review of contra dance basics
• 7pm-9:30pm Contras

Where: Arsenal Hill Park, 1800 Lincoln St., Columbia, SC 29201
Suggested donation: $10 at the door, or in advance online (details below)

For up-to-date info and late-breaking news, signup for our newsletter and text messages.

Contra dancing is a great way to clear your head, get some exercise, meet new people, and enjoy live music in a smoke-free and alcohol-free environment! Every dance is taught before you do it and uses only a few easily learned movements, performed at a walking pace and directed by a caller. If you can walk, you can contra dance! No partner necessary. New dancers are always welcome. Invite your friends! Bring your family!

We hold regular monthly contra dances, usually on the fourth Saturday of each month. Remember to dress comfortably and bring clean, soft-soled, non-marking shoes. Bring water to stay hydrated and feel free to bring a snack to share. The first half-hour at our regular monthly dances includes time for socializing and a short review of contra dance basics for new and out-of-practice dancers.

Note: Children 12 and under must be supervised by an adult at all times. Children who are not participating in the dance must stay off the dance floor.

Donations and Reservations

Donations enable us to offer dances - donations pay for the dance hall, the caller, the sound reinforcement, and the musicians. The suggested donation is $10 per dancer. You can pay at the door by cash, credit card, ApplePay, Paypal, or check - or use Venmo and pay $10.50 to @contracola-sc. We don't expect donations for children age 12 and under.

You can also donate ahead of time and reserve your space on the dance floor. Per City of Columbia fire regulations, space is limited at Arsenal Hill to 49 occupants, and reservations help us keep track of how many people are in attendance. If you want to reserve, visit our September Donate/Reserve page.

If you can't attend but still want to contribute money toward paying for the caller and the music and other costs of putting on this dance, you can do that also at our September Donate/Reserve page. All donations are tax-deductible.

Social Media

• Like our Facebook page: @contracola (Columbia Traditional Music and Dance - ContraCola)
• Join our Facebook group!
• Follow us on Instagram: @contracola
• Watch our videos and look through our photo albums

Contra Dancing in the USA

For information about contra dances anywhere in the USA, organized by region and state, see Charlie Seelig's pages at www.contradancelinks.com.  Other resources for locating dances nationwide are the contra dance map created by Dwayne Johnson, and Ted Crane's contra dance database, which also contains contact info for bands and callers.

And don't forget to look at the Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS) webpages. You'll find some historical perspective there, as well as information on dance camps, links to related websites, and an online catalog for dance and music.

Looking for a Contra dance? Head over to trycontra.com, enter the zip code and you will get a list of local Contra dances nearby.

Nearby Dances

The following groups sponser dances within 3-4 hours driving distance of Columbia:

General

• trycontra: enter a zip code and find all dances near that location

South Carolina

• Harvest Moon Folk Society - Greenville
• Charleston Folk Society - Charleston

North Carolina

• Old Farmer's Ball - Asheville
• Fiddle and Bow Country Dancers - Winston-Salem & Greensboro
• Charlotte Country Dancers and Charlotte Dance Gypsies - Charlotte
• Research Triangle Park area - Chapel Hill, Durham, & Raleigh, NC including dances by Triangle City Dancers.
• Cape Fear Contra Dancers - Wilmington

Georgia

• Savannah Folk Music Society - Savannah
• Chattahooche Country Dancers - Atlanta
• Athens Folk Music and Dance Society - Athens

What is Contra Dancing?

People of all ages and lifestyles are welcome.   A dancer and his or her partner dance a series of figures, or moves, with each other and with another couple for a short time. They then repeat the same figures with another couple, and so on.

A caller, working with a group of live musicians, guides new and experienced dancers alike through a variety of dances. The caller teaches each dance before it is actually done to the music. This gives everyone an idea of what to expect so the movements can be easily executed.

The figures are similar to those of old-time square dancing. The figures are combined in different ways for each different dance.  After teaching a dance, the caller continues to call the figures while the music plays and the dancers dance, until the dancers appear to have mastered the figures.