This page is an historical archive, and therefore is out of date and will not be updated. Please visit our updated homepage at http://mit.edu/fdc for current information about the MIT Folk Dance Club.

Contra Dance for All: @ MIT
Every Tuesday in September and October

Great live music every time!

MIT students and the general public are welcome at all our dances.

Most dances are in the Student Center (84 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge MA).
Click here for directions and parking information.

No partner or experience is necessary. All dances are taught.

Free snacks at the break!

Want to play in the band or learn to call?
Students and others are welcome to sit in with the band or call dances.
To find out more, and for booking inquiries, email fdc-request [at] mit.edu

Check out our Photo Gallery.

Schedule

All dances are from 8:00 to 10:30 PM.

September 11, 2012

Beginner Special
Register for our Fall Class. Earn a certificate for attending 6 of the next 7 dances.
Pay for 6, get 7 dances. (MIT and Wellesley students always dance free.)
All first timers: Your 2nd dance is free.
Caller: Chris Lahey
Music: La Banane Enchantée. Sit-in musicians welcome.
In Student Center 491 (4th floor).

September 18, 2012

Equinox Gala
Caller: Jeff Kaufman
Music: Edward Wallace, Eric Eid-Reiner, & Friends. Sit-in musicians welcome.
In Lobdell Dining Hall (Student Center 2nd floor).

September 25, 2012

Harvest Festival
Caller: Kristin Seibert
Music: Audrey Knuth, Jeff Kaufman, and Rick Kaufman. Sit-in musicians welcome.
In Student Center 491 (4th floor).

October 2, 2012

Autumn Leaves
Caller: Jeff Kaufman
Music: Julie Vallimont, Neil Pearlman, & Jon Cannon. Sit-in musicians welcome.
In Student Center 491 (4th floor).

October 9, 2012

Columbus Day
Caller: Dereck Kalish
Music: JumpStart. Sit-in musicians welcome.
In Student Center 491 (4th floor).

October 16, 2012

October Daze
Caller: Jack Mitchell
Music: Julie Vallimont, Cedar Stanistreet, & Eric McDonald.
In Student Center 491 (4th floor).

October 23, 2012

Klezmer Style Contra Dance
Caller: Ron Blechner
Music: ContraKlez with John Chambers, Audrey Knuth, Cal Howard, & Ben Pasamanick. Sit-in musicians welcome.
In Student Center 491 (4th floor).

October 30, 2012

Halloween Dance
Caller: Ann Cowan
Music: Agnostic Fiddle Insurgency with Deadward Wallace (fiddle), Ghoulie Metcalf (fiddle), Cedar Frankensteinistreet (fiddle), and Max Grueman (guitar). Sit-in mutations welcome.
In Student Center 491 (4th floor).

November 6, 2012: No dance. Contras are back to 2-3 times per month.

November 13, 2012

Peace Day Party
Callers: Dereck Kalish & Ben Sachs-Hamilton
Music: Jonah Sidman & Bethany Waickman. Sit-in musicians welcome.
In Student Center 491 (4th floor).

November 20, 2012

Thanksgiving Party
Caller: Chris Lahey
Music: Cathy Mason (fiddle) & Henry Yoshimura (guitar), with a Southern sound. Sit-in musicians welcome.
In Student Center 491 (4th floor).

December 4, 2012

Early Winter Festival
Caller: Dave Eisenstadter
Music: Rebecca Bosworth-Clemens, Cedar Stanistreet, & Jonathan Cannon. Sit-in musicians welcome.
In Student Center 491 (4th floor).

December 11, 2012

Holiday Gala
Caller: Dereck Kalish subbing for Tony Parkes
Music: Cedar Stanistreet, Jonathan Cannon, & Amy Englesberg. Sit-in musicians welcome.
In Student Center 491 (4th floor).

January 8, 2013

New Year Celebration
Caller: Laura Johannes
Music: Johanna Bobrow (fiddle), Eric Mumpower (clarinet, bass clarinet), & Julie Vallimont (piano, accordion). Sit-in musicians welcome.
In Student Center 491 (4th floor).

January 22, 2013

Pre-Semester Fiesta
Caller: Jeff Kaufman
Music: Kathleen Fownes & Max Newman. Sit-in musicians welcome.
In Student Center 491 (4th floor).

January 29, 2013

Spring Preview
Caller: Dave Eisenstadter
Music: The Free Raisins: Audrey Knuth (fiddle), Amy Englesberg (piano), & Jeff Kaufman (mandolin, trumpet). Sit-in musicians welcome.
In Student Center 491 (4th floor).

February 12, 2013

Mardi Gras Party
Caller: Tod Whittemore
Music: Nor'easter. Sit-in musicians welcome.
In Lobdell Dining Hall (Student Center 2nd floor).

February 19, 2013

Mid-Winter Gala
Caller: Jeff Kaufman
Music: Audrey Knuth, Amy Englesberg, & Rebecca Bosworth-Clemens. Sit-in musicians welcome.
In Lobdell Dining Hall (Student Center 2nd floor)

February 26, 2013

President's Day/Purim Party
Caller: Dereck Kalish
Music: Jonathan Cannon (guitar), Amy Alvey (violin), & Audrey Knuth (fiddle). Sit-in musicians welcome.
In Student Center 491 (4th floor)

March 5, 2013

March Winds
Caller: Rickey Holt
Music: JumpStart: Gene Albert (bass), Paul Lizotte (fiddle), Victor Troll (piano), Nancy Fiske (clarinet), and Bruce Randall. Sit-in musicians welcome.
In Student Center 491 (4th floor)

March 12, 2013

Klezmer Style Contra Dance
Caller: Jacob Bloom
Music: ContraKlez. Sit-in musicians welcome.
In Student Center 491 (4th floor)

March 19, 2013

St. Pat's Day
Caller: Tom Roby
Music: Contraindicated with Johanna Bobrow (fiddle), Eric Mumpower (clarinet, bass clarinet), & Julie Vallimont (piano, accordion).
In Student Center 491 (4th floor)

$Tom Roby pic$

April 2, 2013

April Fools Dance
Caller: Rachel Shapiro
Music: The Frontline Fiddlers: Edward Wallace, Julie Metcalf, Jonah Sidman, Cedar Stanistreet, & Jeremy Wilmer, with Jonathan Cannon (guitar)
In Student Center 491 (4th floor)

April 16, 2013

Pre-NEFFA Gala
Caller: Tony Parkes
Music: Vertical Expression, a contra-ceilidh band from the UK
In Student Center 491 (4th floor)

April 30, 2013

Spring Fling
Caller: Daniel Friedman
Music: Contra Corners: Jeff Kaufman (piano & brass), Rick Kaufman, & Stephen Thomforde (Scottish small bagpipes, recorder & brass)
In Student Center 491 (4th floor)

May 7, 2013

May Day Gala
Caller: Ann Cowan
Music: Jonah Sidman (fiddle) and Owen Morrison (guitar). Sit-in musicians welcome.
In Student Center 491 (4th floor)

May 14, 2013

End of Semester Fiesta
Multi-Caller Evening: Dereck Kalish, Chris Lahey, Ben Sachs-Hamilton, Ron Blechner, & more
*** All Area Callers Invited!
Music: Cloudfire, with Julie Vallimont (piano), Andy Reiner (fiddle, mandolin, vocals), & Andrew Hlynsky (drums)
In Student Center 491 (4th floor)

June 11, 2013

Arbor Day Party
Caller: Chris Lahey
Music: Cedar Stanistreet, Rebecca Bosworth-Clemens, & Amy Englesberg. Sit-in musicians welcome.
In Student Center 491 (4th floor)

Amy Englesberg and Rebecca Bosworth-Clemens pic

June 25, 2013

Summer Solstice Special
Caller: Dave Eisenstadter
Music: Julie Metcalf & Larry Unger
In Student Center 407 (4th floor), with A/C

July 2, 2013

Pre-4th Special
Caller: Ron Blechner
Music: Contraindicated with Johanna Bobrow (fiddle), Eric Mumpower (clarinet, bass clarinet), & Julie Vallimont (piano, accordion).
In Lobby 13. Enter at 77 Mass Ave (across the street from the Student Center)

July 16, 2013

Bastille Day
Caller: Paul Wilde
Music: Jonah Sidman (fiddle) & Ben Leddy (banjo)
In Student Center 407 (4th floor), with A/C

July 30, 2013

Mid-Summer Gala
Caller: Dereck Kalish
Music: Corey Walters (flute & mandolin), Nora Smith (fiddle), & Christopher Jacoby (guitar)
In Student Center 407 (4th floor), with A/C

August 6, 2013

Fall Anticipation
Caller: Ben Sachs-Hamilton
Music: Debby Knight with Carol Bittenson & Paul Lizotte
In Student Center 407 (4th floor), with A/C

Trying to remember who that awesome band was a few years ago? Check out our web archive at http://mit.edu/fdc/www/old/ .

Suggested donation

Free for MIT and Wellesley Students!
Suggested donation: $3 from other students; $6 from the general public.

For More Information

Send an email to fdc-request [at] mit [dot] edu

See the Folk Arts Center's website Folk Dancing 'Round Boston for a guide to other folk dances in this area, including contras.

E-mail List

To subscribe to our email list, send a blank email to fdc-contra-dance-subscribe[at]mit[dot]edu , or fill out this form:

Updated 26-August-2012.

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