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Promoting traditional English and American music and dance

Today's Dances & Events

David Newitt
Charlie Hancock
Shira Kammen
Jim Oakden
Saturday, March 29, 2025: One Charming Night - BACDS Playford Ball (SPECIAL/ENGLISH) David Newitt with Charlie Hancock, Shira Kammen, Jim Oakden, Caroline Armitage
It's the BACDS Playford Ball, our gala English dance event. For program, advance registration, and many more details, see the website. More Info
Susan Petrick
Saturday, March 29, 2025: CONTRA at First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto in Palo Alto. Susan Petrick with Little Big Band: Bob Silberstein, Marta Lynch More Info

Upcoming Dances & Events

Bruce Herbold
Bill Jensen
Cat Taylor
Tuesday, April 1, 2025: ENGLISH at All Saints Episcopal Church in Palo Alto. Bruce Herbold with Cat Taylor, Noel Cragg, Bill Jensen More Info
Eric Black
Anne Goess
Charlie Hancock
Will Wheeler
Tuesday, April 1, 2025: CONTRA at Christ Church East Bay in Berkeley. Eric Black with The Flagstones: Anne Goess, Will Wheeler, Charlie Hancock More Info
Bruce Herbold
Patti Cobb
Robin Lockner
Friday, April 4, 2025: ENGLISH at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Palo Alto. Bruce Herbold with Mary Tabor, Patti Cobb, Robin Lockner
English dancing for all - dance 7:30-10:00 More Info
Susan Petrick
Alex Sturbaum
Monday, April 7, 2025: CONTRA at First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto in Palo Alto. Susan Petrick with Engine Room: Alex Sturbaum, Noah Van Norstrand, Kelsey Wells
Special Monday Night dance with Susan Petrick and Engine Room! 7-10pm More Info
Bruce Herbold
Anne Goess
Charlie Hancock
Judy Linsenberg
Tuesday, April 8, 2025: ENGLISH at Christ Church East Bay in Berkeley. Bruce Herbold with Anne Goess, Judy Linsenberg, Charlie Hancock
English dancing for all - newcomer lesson at 7:25; dance 7:45-10:00 More Info
Starling
Wednesday, April 9, 2025: CONTRA at The Polish Club in San Francisco. John Little with Starling: Jared Kirkpatrick, Mo Brachfield
Contra - beginner lesson at 7:30, dance 8:00-10:30 More Info
Los Altos Woodshed
Wednesday, April 9, 2025: WOODSHED at Los Altos United Methodist Church in Los Altos. Maybe you? More Info
Starling
Thursday, April 10, 2025: BFUU- Improper English (SPECIAL/ENGLISH) at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists in Berkeley. Sue Rosen with Starling: Jared Kirkpatrick, Mo Brachfield
Improper English is a new English country dance series committed to gender-neutral (positional) calling. The initial run will be 2nd Thursdays, just down the street from BACDS’ usual Berkeley hall, during March–May while the dance there shifts to Tuesdays. Suggested donation is $25, or pay what you can. Note that masking (surgical, KN-95 or better) is required. There will be a beginners’ session before the dance at 6:50.
Presented by and the SF Bay Queer Contra Dance.
Alan Winston
Friday, April 11, 2025: REGENCY/ENGLISH at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Palo Alto. Alan Winston with Divertimento More Info
Presented by the BACDS, and the Bay Area English Regency Society.
Alan Winston
Daniel Steinberg
Rodney Miller
Saturday, April 12, 2025: CONTRA at First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto in Palo Alto. Alan Winston with Daniel Steinberg, Rodney Miller More Info
Humuhumunukunukuapu‘a Strathspey Society Band
Bruce Herbold
David Newitt
Bruce Herbold
Patti Cobb
Saturday, April 12, 2025: ENGLISH at St. John's Presbyterian Church in San Francisco. David Newitt, Bruce Herbold with Humuhumunukunukuapu‘a Strathspey Society Band: Betsy St. Aubin, Bruce Herbold, Heather MacKay, Patti Cobb More Info
Bruce Hamilton
Robin Lockner
Sunday, April 13, 2025: ENGLISH at First Unitarian Church of San Jose in San Jose. Bruce Hamilton with Mary Tabor, Robin Lockner, William Allen More Info
Lise Dyckman
Bill Jensen
Thomas Dewey
Elizabeth Ingber
Tuesday, April 15, 2025: ENGLISH at All Saints Episcopal Church in Palo Alto. Lise Dyckman with Elizabeth Ingber, Thomas Dewey, Bill Jensen More Info
Will Wheeler
Tuesday, April 15, 2025: CONTRA at Christ Church East Bay in Berkeley. Music by Dance Dinos: Leah Wollenberg, Will Wheeler, Lisa Miklós-Illés More Info

Special Events

David Newitt
Charlie Hancock
Shira Kammen
Jim Oakden
Saturday, March 29, 2025: One Charming Night - BACDS Playford Ball (SPECIAL/ENGLISH) David Newitt with Charlie Hancock, Shira Kammen, Jim Oakden, Caroline Armitage
It's the BACDS Playford Ball, our gala English dance event. For program, advance registration, and many more details, see the website. More Info
Starling
Thursday, April 10, 2025: BFUU- Improper English (SPECIAL/ENGLISH) at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists in Berkeley. Sue Rosen with Starling: Jared Kirkpatrick, Mo Brachfield
Improper English is a new English country dance series committed to gender-neutral (positional) calling. The initial run will be 2nd Thursdays, just down the street from BACDS’ usual Berkeley hall, during March–May while the dance there shifts to Tuesdays. Suggested donation is $25, or pay what you can. Note that masking (surgical, KN-95 or better) is required. There will be a beginners’ session before the dance at 6:50.
Presented by and the SF Bay Queer Contra Dance.
Erik Hoffman
Tuesday, April 29, 2025: Berkeley Contra with Community Band! (SPECIAL) at Christ Church East Bay in Berkeley. Erik Hoffman with Community Band (contact Erik Hoffman for details): Erik Hoffman More Info
Alan Winston
Rebecca King
Michelle Masek
Thursday, May 8, 2025: BFUU-Improper English (ENGLISH/SPECIAL) at Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists in Berkeley. Alan Winston with Alicia Cover, Michelle Masek, Rebecca King
Improper English is a new English country dance series committed to gender-neutral (positional) calling. The initial run will be 2nd Thursdays, just down the street from BACDS’ usual Berkeley hall, during March–May while the dance there shifts to Tuesdays. Suggested donation is $25, or pay what you can. Note that masking (surgical, KN-95 or better) is required. Beginner orientation at 6:45pm, dance at 7:00.
Presented by and the SF Bay Queer Contra Dance.
HEY DAYS 2025
Sunday, June 15 - Sunday, 22 June, 2025: HEY DAYS 2025 (CAMP/ENGLISH) at Green Mountain Retreat in Los Gatos.
Hey Days (BACDS English Dance and Music Week) June 15-22 – a residential camp in the Santa Cruz mountains with English Country Dance, longsword, border morris, singing, a music track, storytelling, and more. Staff includes Joanna Reiner-Wilkinson, Andrew Swaine, Rachel Pusey, Daisy Black, Jan Elliot, Shira Kammen, Jim Oakden, Lisa Scott, Chip Prince, Michelle Masek, Rebecca King, McKinley James, Sound engineers Christopher Jacoby and Alicia Cover. Advance registration required; registration opens January 2; postmark lottery deadline February 1. To get periodic announcements about Hey Days click here
Anne Goess
Craig Johnson
Jeff Spero
Sunday, June 22 - Saturday, 28 June, 2025: BACDS Family Week (SPECIAL/CAMP) at Monte Toyon Camp in Aptos.
It's Family Week’s 32nd year. The camp is a special place for families of all sizes, ages, and configurations. Bring your kids, your grandkids, your mom, or just yourself! Activities include circus arts, crafts, maypole dance and parade, Teddy Bears’ picnic, theater (maybe even a mummer's play…), instrumental and singing sessions, and of course, lots of dancing! Registration is now open at our newly revised website (https://bacds.org/familyweek/), which has all the information about this year’s amazing staff, pricing, COVID policy, work-trade discounts, and of course, what sort of wonderful activities to expect. We can also be contacted at familyweek@bacds.org if you want to chat with someone about the details of our camp experiences.

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