This page tries to keep track of all contra dances in New Jersey including dance camps and weekends along with other events in New Jersey which include contra dancing. Because most of the information is gathered from web sites and the listings are not updated as frequently as the web sites, dancers should visit the web sites for up-to-date information. If you are aware of any dances, dance series or other events that should be included on this list, please e-mail me.
Bloomingdale - Folk Project Fall Festival: Weekend music and dance camp in October. Register in advance. Web site: http://www.folkproject.org/.
Bloomingdale - Swingin' on a Star: Afternoon and evening of music and dancing (Scandinavian and contra with a catered dinner in the fall. Part of the Folk Project Fall Festival (but you can register for this one day portion). Pre-registration required. Web site: http://www.folkproject.org.
East Hanover - Swingin' Tern: The dances are sponsored by The Folk Project and held on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month at the The First Presbyterian Church Parish House, 14 Hanover Road. Admission is $10 per adult, $5 per student with Student ID. The beginner's workshop starts at 7:30 PM with the dance following at 8 PM - 11 PM (unless otherwise indicated). INFORMATION: (973) 822-2137, (973) 989-4429. Web site: http://www.folkproject.org/.
East Hanover - Swingin' Tern - New Year's Eve: This annual dance is sponsored by The Folk Project and held on New Year's Eve at The First Presbyterian Church, 14 Hanover Road with a potluck supper at 7pm and dancing from 8pm to 1am. Advanced registration recommended. Tickets will cost $20 each if requested by 12/24, $25 each after that and at the door. [Students: $12 advance, $15 door]INFORMATION: (973) 822-2137, (973) 989-4429. Web site: http://www.folkproject.org/.
Lawrenceville - Rum and Onions: The Princeton Country Dancers sponsor this annual Halloween dance on or near the night of Halloween at the Lawrenceville Intermediate School. There is an afternoon dance (basics workshop at 2:30pm) from 3:00pm to 5:30pm followed by a pot-luck supper, starting at 6:00pm, then an evening dance (basics workshop at 7:00pm) from 7:30 until 11:00pm. Web site: http://www.princetoncountrydancers.org.
Port Murray - Folk Project Spring Festival: Weekend music and dance camp in May at YMCA Camp Bernie. Register in advance. Web site: http://www.folkproject.org/.
Princeton - Community Dance: Come one and all to join in the fun of an old-fashioned barn dance for all ages! There is always live music & professional calling. All Dances are taught; no experience or partners are necessary! Great fun for the whole family, from toddlers to grandparents! Dances are from 4:00pm to 6:00pm (or 3:00pm to 5:00pm, check site for details). All Dances are held at the Suzanne Patterson Center Monument Drive, Princeton, NJ (behind Princeton Borough Hall & police station, near intersection of Routes 27 & 206). Admission: $4/person, $12/family. A potluck follows the community dance and is before the evening dance. Web site: http://www.princetoncountrydancers.org.
Princeton - Wednesday: The Princeton Country Dancers sponsor dances on Wednesdays at Suzanne Batterson Center on Monument Drive, behind Borough Hall and the police station, near the intersection of Routes 27 and 206. All dances taught/prompted. New dancers welcome. No partner needed. Please bring soft-soled shoes to dance in. No fragrances please. Regular admission is $8. Students/Seniors (65+) - $5 with ID. The Pick-Up Band (PUB) is open to all. Introduction to Basics at 7:40 pm, followed by dancing from 8:00 to 10:30 pm. Dances may get progressively more difficult, so come early if you want practice! Contact leader for information. Contra dances may include traditional & modern contras, squares, mixers and couple dances. Web site: http://www.princetoncountrydancers.org.
Princeton - Saturday: The Princeton Country Dancers sponsor contra dances on 4th Saturdays at Suzanne Batterson Center on Monument Drive, behind Borough Hall and the police station, near the intersection of Routes 27 and 206. All dances taught/prompted. New dancers welcome. No partner needed. Please bring soft-soled shoes to dance in. No fragrances please. Introduction to Basics at 7:40 pm, followed by dancing from 8:00 to 10:30 pm. Dances may get progressively more difficult, so come early if you want practice! Regular admission is $10. Students/Seniors (65+) - $5 with ID. The Pick-Up Band (PUB) is open to all. Unless otherwise stated, the dance begins with an Introduction to Basics at 7:40pm. Dances may get progressively more difficult, so come early! Contact leader for information. Contra dances may include traditional & modern contras, squares, mixers and couple dances. Web site: http://www.princetoncountrydancers.org.
Princeton - Community/Family Dances: The Princeton Country Dancers sponsor dances on various Sundays during non-summer months at Suzanne Batterson Center on Monument Drive, behind Borough Hall and the police station, near the intersection of Routes 27 and 206. Band practice at 2pm with the dance form 3pm to 5pm. All dances taught/prompted. New dancers welcome. No partner needed. Please bring soft-soled shoes to dance in. No fragrances please. Cost is $5/person; $15 per family. The Pick-Up Band (PUB) is open to all. Contact leader for information. Contra dances may include traditional & modern contras, squares, mixers and couple dances. Web site: http://www.princetoncountrydancers.org.
Princeton - New Year's Eve: Dance (contras and English) at the Suzanne Patterson Center(behind Borough Hall in Princeton, near the intersection of Rt. 206 and Nassau St.) Admission at the door: $20 regular admission, $10 for students, $15 seniors (65+) - with ID. Discount for advance sales. No Partner required! To protect the floor of the hall, please bring clean soft-soled shoes to dance in. Decorating at 7pm; beginners' workshop at 7:30pm; dance begins at 8pm. Web site: http://www.princetoncountrydancers.org.
Princeton - Adult School: PCD is happy to announceÊthat the Princeton Adult School is offering aÊclass in contra dancing. This is a great opportunity to introduce your non-contradancing friends and family members to your favorite dance form and to fine tune your own dancing.ÊIn the heat of the moment at a contra dance, it's not always easy to pick up fine style points to add finesse to your dancing, so don't miss this chance to expand your horizons! This class will provide a solid grounding in basic contra dance figures and on the elements of good dance style. We'll dance to exciting live music, with sweet Irish jigs, driving Scottish tunes, and boisterous French-Canadian reels. No partners are needed. Beginners and people with two left feet are absolutely welcome. Classes are every Tuesday from 7:30pm-9:30pm at the Littlebrook School, Princeton. Web site: http://www.ssreg.com/princeton/.
Princeton - Contra/International: The Internationals meet the Contras! Princeton Friday Night Folk Dancing and Princeton Country Dancers. Share some fun! 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. - Contras for Everyone. 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. - Request Dancing. Location: Suzanne Patterson Center. Admission: $5.00. Web site: http://www.princetoncountrydancers.org.
Princeton - Callers' Workshop: Bob Isaacs will lead a series of workshops for anyone interested in calling contra dances. No previous calling experience is necessary. Each session will address a specific topic and include some calling practice. Topics include teaching walkthroughs, working with musicians, choreography; but, there's much, much more! Interested students can pursue further development in PCDÕs caller training program. The workshops will be held at Suzanne Patterson Center, 1 Monument Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540, before the regularly scheduled Wednesday and Saturday dances. More details: Contact Bob at isaacsbob@hotmail.com. Please register by 1/20. Students will receive a course manual (over 80 pages of great stuff!), and we need to be sure to have enough copies. The cost is $50 for the series; a limited number of scholarships are available. For more information on scholarships, contact Larry at lkoplik@comcast.net. Web site: http://www.princetoncountrydancers.org.
Stockton - New Jersey Farm to School Network: Fundraiser, including dancing for the organization. At Woods Edge Wools Farm, 78 Bowne Station Road. Food and drinks for sale. 5pm to 9pm. Admission: $10 is advance, $15 at the door. Web site: http://www.njfarmtoschool.org/.
Titusville - Lambertsville Country Dancers: sponsor dances at the Titusville United Methodist Church, 7 Church Road (off Rt. 29/River Road). Starting with our January 1st, 2010 dance, LCD dances will be moving, as the Titusville United Methodist Church will no longer be available to us. Please stay tuned for more information as we look for a new location. Dance from 8:00pm-10:45pm, newcomers session at 7:30pm. Admission $8, students $5. Home-made tasty treats for the break are always appreciated. Please bring clean non-marking shoes for dancing. Questions about the dance? Want to volunteer to be a dance manager or run the sound system? Call or email: Susan Pierson at ecokids-AT SIGN-verizon.net or (215) 348-8471. Web site: http://www.lambertvillecountrydancers.org/.
Trenton - Winter Cotillion: The Princeton Country Dancers sponsor this annual event in December. 5:00 pm Candlelit Pot-Luck Dinner; 6:30 pm Seasonal Entertainment by Local Dance Teams + Carol Singing for All; 7:00 - 10:00 pm Contra and English Dancing + Concert by the Cotillion Singers. Bring a ready to serve (pre-cut) dessert to share at the break! Festive or spiffy dress encouraged + Admission $12 Students $6 Web site: http://www.princetoncountrydancers.org.
This page is part of the Contrdancelinks.com web site. For more information about contra dancing, visit these other site pages:
*The Colorado link will bring you to Dancing on the Web. The Iowa link will bring you to the Central Iowa Barn Dance Association. The Maine link will bring you to the Downeast Friends of the Folk Arts. The New Mexico link will bring you to the New Mexico Folk Music and Dance Society. The Utah link will bring you to Utah Contradance Information. These fine organizations and individuals already have complete listings for these states and there is no reason for me to duplicate their efforts.
**As far as I know, there are no regular dances or events in Louisiana, Mississippi, South Dakota or Wyoming, but I have created pages if something changes in the future.