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Promoting traditional English and American music and dance

Today's Dances & Events

Upcoming Dances & Events

Green Gates
Kelsey Hartman
Jon Berger
Roxanne Oliva
Todd Silverstein
Thursday, November 7, 2024: CONTRA at Christ Church East Bay in Berkeley. Kelsey Hartman with Green Gates: Jon Berger, Roxanne Oliva, Todd Silverstein More Info
Alan Winston
Friday, November 8, 2024: REGENCY/ENGLISH at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Palo Alto. Alan Winston with Divertimento
Preview the dances for Alan's Birthday Ball tonight! More Info
Presented by the BACDS, and the Bay Area English Regency Society.
Alan Winston
Caroline McCaskey
Patti Cobb
Shira Kammen
Thomas Dewey
Saturday, November 9, 2024: Alan Winston's Birthday Ball ( ENGLISH/SPECIAL ) at Hill and Valley Club - 1808 B Street (at Linden) in Hayward. Alan Winston with Tartan Suite: Patti Cobb, Caroline McCaskey, Thomas Dewey, Shira Kammen
For his 65th birthday, Alan Winston is putting together an evening of his own English dance choreographies, with fabulous music by Patti Cobb, Caroline McCaskey, Thomas Dewey and Shira Kammen - tunes by Rebecca King, Debbie Jackson, Patti Cobb, Larry Unger, and others. Dances are intermediate level; not the dance to attend if you've never done English dance before. Preview the dances on Friday the 8th in Palo Alto. More Info
Bay Area Country Dance Society
Saturday, November 9, 2024: CONTRA at First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto in Palo Alto. Dane Wallinga with The Corn Likkers: Ray Chen, Lael Sigal, Lauren Graves, Sharon McCorkell More Info
Bruce Hamilton
Craig Johnson
Valerie Rose
Saturday, November 9, 2024: ENGLISH at St. John's Presbyterian Church in San Francisco. Bruce Hamilton with Valerie Rose, Diana Gómez, Craig Johnson, William Allen More Info
Alan Winston
Lise Dyckman
Robin Lockner
Sunday, November 10, 2024: ENGLISH at First Unitarian Church of San Jose in San Jose. Alan Winston, Lise Dyckman with Mary Tabor, Robin Lockner, William Allen More Info
Bay Area Country Dance Society
Wednesday, November 13, 2024: WOODSHED at Los Altos United Methodist Church in Los Altos. Maybe you? More Info
Will Wheeler
Wednesday, November 13, 2024: CONTRA at The Polish Club in San Francisco. Tanya Merchant with Will Wheeler, Christian Conaway
Contra - beginner lesson at 7:30, dance 8:00-10:30 More Info
Brad Foster
Thursday, November 14, 2024: ENGLISH at Christ Church East Bay in Berkeley. Brad Foster with Ben Schreiber, Karen Axelrod…and friends
English dancing for all - newcomer lesson at 7:00; dance 7:30-10:00 Karen and Ben will be joined by the Fall Frolick Musician Workshop Participants. ››Note earlier start time! More Info
David Newitt
Brad Foster
Audrey Jaber
Shira Kammen
Christopher Jacoby
Jim Oakden
Friday, November 15 - Sunday, 17 November, 2024: FALL FROLICK WEEKEND ( SPECIAL/CAMP/ENGLISH ) at Bishop's Ranch in Healdsburg.
Join us for 2 days and 2 nights of English dancing, music-making, and workshops aplenty, beginning with something new: dinner on Friday night! All calling will be gender neutral. Special this year: Musicians Intensive Track led by Karen Axelrod and Ben Schreiber. Fall Frolick opens at 4pm on Friday, November 15 (New! with dinner included) and ends at 5pm on Sunday, November 17. Teaching Staff: Anna Rain * Brad Foster * David Newitt Music will be provided by: Audrey Jaber * Ben Schreiber * Chip Prince * Christopher Jacoby * Jim Oakden * Karen Axelrod * Shira Kammen Sound wizardry by Christopher Jacoby and Alicia Cover All for $440! Fall Frolick is a primarily English dance weekend sponsored by the Bay Area Country Dance Society to provide an opportunity for dancers, callers, and musicians to explore the extraordinary range of English country and related dance forms, and discover and learn from wonderful teachers and splendid musicians in a glorious setting. Fall Frolick is for all English country dancers and musicians, experienced and novice alike. Registrations must be received by September 6 to be considered in the lottery (if needed). Please register early: space is limited.
Bay Area Country Dance Society
Friday, November 15 - Friday, 18 October, 2024: SQUARE at Hillside Club in Berkeley.
Square dance with live old-time music! No experience necessary. Beginners welcome, kids welcome. The caller teaches each dance right before we dance it. You can ask anyone to dance. Most people switch partners after each dance. This is a queer-friendly event where everyone can dance any role they like. Nina uses the dance roles "owls" and "birdies." $20 general admission $15 member of the Hillside Club or of BACDS $25 supporter $6 student or low-income or pay what you can Please use cash or venmo BYOB: No hard alcohol. You are welcome to bring beer and wine. Bring dance shoes if you have them. No stiletto heels allowed.
Bruce Hamilton
Patti Cobb
Valerie Rose
Elizabeth Ingber
Tuesday, November 19, 2024: ENGLISH at All Saints Episcopal Church in Palo Alto. Bruce Hamilton with Valerie Rose, Elizabeth Ingber, Patti Cobb More Info
Bay Area Country Dance Society
Thursday, November 21, 2024: CONTRA at Christ Church East Bay in Berkeley. More Info
Bay Area Country Dance Society
Saturday, November 23, 2024: CONTRA at First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto in Palo Alto. Greg Frock with Magic Reelism: Sue Jones, David Wright, Cheryl McKinney, Del Eckels More Info
Kalia Kliban
Anne Goess
Jon Berger
Rebecca King
Saturday, November 23, 2024: ENGLISH at Christ Church East Bay in Berkeley. Kalia Kliban with Rebecca King, Anne Goess, Jon Berger More Info

Special Events

Alan Winston
Caroline McCaskey
Patti Cobb
Shira Kammen
Thomas Dewey
Saturday, November 9, 2024: Alan Winston's Birthday Ball ( ENGLISH/SPECIAL ) at Hill and Valley Club - 1808 B Street (at Linden) in Hayward. Alan Winston with Tartan Suite: Patti Cobb, Caroline McCaskey, Thomas Dewey, Shira Kammen
For his 65th birthday, Alan Winston is putting together an evening of his own English dance choreographies, with fabulous music by Patti Cobb, Caroline McCaskey, Thomas Dewey and Shira Kammen - tunes by Rebecca King, Debbie Jackson, Patti Cobb, Larry Unger, and others. Dances are intermediate level; not the dance to attend if you've never done English dance before. Preview the dances on Friday the 8th in Palo Alto. More Info
David Newitt
Brad Foster
Audrey Jaber
Shira Kammen
Christopher Jacoby
Jim Oakden
Friday, November 15 - Sunday, 17 November, 2024: FALL FROLICK WEEKEND ( SPECIAL/CAMP/ENGLISH ) at Bishop's Ranch in Healdsburg.
Join us for 2 days and 2 nights of English dancing, music-making, and workshops aplenty, beginning with something new: dinner on Friday night! All calling will be gender neutral. Special this year: Musicians Intensive Track led by Karen Axelrod and Ben Schreiber. Fall Frolick opens at 4pm on Friday, November 15 (New! with dinner included) and ends at 5pm on Sunday, November 17. Teaching Staff: Anna Rain * Brad Foster * David Newitt Music will be provided by: Audrey Jaber * Ben Schreiber * Chip Prince * Christopher Jacoby * Jim Oakden * Karen Axelrod * Shira Kammen Sound wizardry by Christopher Jacoby and Alicia Cover All for $440! Fall Frolick is a primarily English dance weekend sponsored by the Bay Area Country Dance Society to provide an opportunity for dancers, callers, and musicians to explore the extraordinary range of English country and related dance forms, and discover and learn from wonderful teachers and splendid musicians in a glorious setting. Fall Frolick is for all English country dancers and musicians, experienced and novice alike. Registrations must be received by September 6 to be considered in the lottery (if needed). Please register early: space is limited.
Eric Black
Daniel Steinberg
Rodney Miller
Friday, December 13, 2024: Triskaidekaphobia ( SPECIAL/CONTRA ) at Hillside Club in Berkeley.
A cavalcade of callers and musicians, calling will be Larks and Robins. The year was 1980 when Kirston Koths (1948–2024) moved to the Bay Area. A new caller from Boston, he started a 2nd Friday contradance in Berkeley. Contradance was new to the area—the only regular dance was in Palo Alto. BACDS did not yet exist, and when it formed Kirston became member #2. Kirston organized, managed, and called his Berkeley dance for 25 years, eventually asking BACDS to take it on. By then contradancing was flourishing in the Bay Area, with dances in Palo Alto, San Francisco, Mill Valley, Santa Cruz, and many nearby cities. Contradancing took hold in the Bay Area, as in much of the country, due to the efforts of the early organizers, and Kirston was one of them. Kirston wrote at least a dozen dances. “Nantucket Sleigh Ride,” with its distinctive dip-and-dive figure, was wildly popular in the ’70s in New England. His most memorable West Coast dance, and the namesake of tonight, is “Triskaidekaphobia”. In appreciation and in celebration of his contribution to this community we present this special evening.
Susan Petrick
Corwin Zekley
Grace Fellows
Tuesday, December 31, 2024: Special New Year's Eve contra dance - finishes with a toast after midnight ( CONTRA/SPECIAL ) at First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto in Palo Alto. Susan Petrick with Corwin Zekley & Grace Fellows [London]: Corwin Zekley, Grace Fellows More Info

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