Join us for joyful community contra dancing to live music

PARK AVENUE CONTRA

Contra is intergenerational social dancing done in long lines of couples. It's aerobic, with minimal footwork: we dance with a brisk walk, lots of swinging, twirls, and lots of smiles. The caller teaches the dance pattern, which you then repeat it with each couple you meet going up and down the line. You'll choose a different partner for each dance. Pretty soon you'll have interacted with nearly everyone in the hall! (P.S. Contra is not country line dancing, as fun as that is.)
Contra dance music: Dancing to live music is special these days! We mostly dance to zippy reels and jigs. The musicians improvise off the tunes in a wide range of styles -- New England, Appalachian, French-Canadian, jazzy, Irish, electronic, and eclectic!
On 2nd Tuesdays, Rick & Chloe Mohr lead our By-Ear Open Band. All musicians welcome to join in! Details are here.
On 4th Tuesdays, Box & String (Sarah Gowan & Bill Quern) invite one or two guest musicians to play with them.

Admission is sliding scale, payable by Venmo or cash at the door.
- Dancers: $10 - $15
- 2nd Tuesday musicians: $5 - $10
What to wear: Cool, loose, layered clothing, also flat shoes with non-slippery, non-grippy soles.
Parking is on the street, and the meters are off in the evening. The venue is a close to the Swarthmore train station and 109 bus stop.
Coming directly from work? The PAC Center has tables set up for people who arrive early and have brought their dinner. The Swarthmore Co-op and many restaurants are within a few blocks if you want to pick up something
(K)N95 masks required: Contra dancing is aerobic and we dance up close with each other. We want to keep people as safe as we can. If you forget, we have a few masks available at the door.