Address
Contra College 2016
c/o David Buesch
109 Murray Court
Redwood City, CA 94061
Email Address
info@ContraCollege.com
Phone Number
650 257 7214
Sponsored By
Bay Area Country Dance Society
In Collaboration With
North Bay Country Dance Society
Traditional Dancers of the Golden State
Traditional Dancers of Santa Cruz
© Joyce Fortune 2012
Contra College (January 23-24, 2016) will be an urban weekend in downtown Palo Alto, California, focused on teaching Contra dance to new and intermediate dancers, and where experienced dancers can improve their skills, help newer dancers, or practice the other gender role.
The weekend will be from Saturday 9:00 a.m. to Sunday at 3:00 p.m. and includes the Saturday night (8:00-11:00 p.m.) Palo Alto Contra Dance and Sunday evening (4:00-7:00 p.m.) Contra College Graduation Dance (open to the public). In total, there will be 10.5 hours of Contra College sessions and 6 hours of regular contra dance time.
An integrated curriculum and careful pacing will allow dancers to build skills slowly over the course of the weekend and to internalize what they’ve learned as they go along. There will be plenty of explanations and question-and-answer time. The group’s small size will allow for individualized attention and the dances will be selected to help everyone gain confidence and feel at ease. The carefully-crafted curriculum will emphasize dances that are simple while still being varied and well-choreographed.
On Saturday afternoon, there will be a Callers' workshop for new and experienced callers that will be led by Susan Petrick. Attendees will be guest callers at the Sunday evening Contra College Graduation dance.
The cost of the weekend is $125, which includes teaching, music, and dancing, as well as lunches and snacks. Early registration (postmarked by December 31st) is $100. Some financial assistance is available; so, don't let finances stop you from attending and learning! See details on the registration form.
The lead caller/teacher for the weekend is Eric Black with sessions also taught by Susan Petrick and Jim Oakden. Eric and Susan live, dance, and call locally, but both have called dances and lead weekends across the country. Jim Oakden is a musician, teacher, and dancer, and brings a huge breadth of knowledge and experience to inspiring people to move on the dance floor. Live music for Saturday will by Ben Schreiber and Jim Oakden, and on Sunday by Debra Tayleur, and Anne Goess. On Sunday evening, The Treble Makers (Debra Tayleur, Anne Goess, and Chip Curry) will play for the Contra College Graduation Dance.
For more information on the staff, schedule, program, or registration process, please select the appropriate topic at the top of the page. To read more about the Contra College weekend, please read the article found on page two of the December 2015 issue of the Bay Area Country Dancer.
Out-of-town dancers are encouraged to inquire about housing with local dancers.
The goal of Contra College is to enable every person, who wants to attend, to participate in this unique learning environment. Here are two ways that you can help.
For more information or making a donation, please contact David Buesch (Organizer).
Contra College 2016 will be held in the upstairs Fellowship Hall at First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto, 625 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto California, 94301, the main location of Palo Alto Contra Dance. It is approximately one mile from the Palo Alto CalTrain stop and a short walk from University Avenue, which has many opportunities for dinner. The church has a small parking lot in back with parking on nearby streets and public parking garage one block away.