Contra Dancing: American Style Barn Dancing with Attitude!

Contra dancing continues to change and develop. To get an idea of the type of dancing we do, please have a look at some of the videos below. But we don't limit ourselves to contra dances. We also dance a wide range of other wonderful dances, from 17th Century Playford dances to 21st Century Ceilidh Dances, including Jane Austen style dances, English Barn Dances, Contra Waltzing and the Polka! We'll do anything that is fun!

Monthly dances with live bands - next dance February 18th.
Weekly dances every Monday evening in Ashford, Kent.
Dancing for over-50s - Tuesday afternoons in Maidstone, Kent.
Dancing for over-50s - Thursday afternoons in Ashford, Kent.

The weekly dances have an emphasis on teaching as well as dancing. If you have never done this type of dancing before we will help you to get started so that you can join in and have fun on your first night.

We also teach all the (optional) spins, twirls and variations that Americans put into their dancing, so, whether you are an experienced dancer or an up-and-coming beginner, we hope to help you enhance your dancing and add to your enjoyment of the evening.

We are happy to run free workshops for any groups that want a taster of contra dancing.

Now that we are establishing a group of keen contra dancers in the area, we have booked some of the top bands and callers in the world so that we can dance to live music once every month or so on Saturdays.

If you are interested please let us know - send John Sweeney a note at info@contrafusion.co.uk and we will put you out mailing list so that you get all the news about news dances and workshops.

Contra Dance at Warren Wilson College, North Carolina

2008 Youth Dance Weekend Techno Contra

For the full story behind the one below, please see http://vimeo.com/1786406. This is an extract from that page: "While the progression is based on contra, a kind of folk dancing, the music is Swedish hiphop and the dancers pull from swing, hiphop, sexy, tango, dirty... anything goes really, as long as it is on the rhythm. Mixmashing cultures and styles to our whim is what we are all about. The basic progression is agreed upon, and every thing else is improv around it."

While we are not planning to use this type of music initially, we do hope to achieve some of the styling used by these dancers. And in the future, who knows...

2008 YDW Techno Contra from Forrest O. on Vimeo.

Contra dancing in Glenside, Pennsylvania

Contra Dance Kaleidoscope - Bird's-Eye View

Asheville (North Carolina) Contra Dance Featuring Night Watch

Fiddlegang playing at a Contra Dance in Cecil Sharp House, London

Asheville (North Carolina) Contra Dance - Dancing to Crowfoot

Contra Dance at the Concord (Massachusetts) Scout House

Montpelier (Vermont) Contra Dance

If you like dancing you will love contra dance. If you have never danced before contra dance is a great place to start.

And if you do dance already, you can use some of your skill and style to enhance your contra dancing, whether it be barn dancing, ceili (ceilidh) dancing, Irish dancing, Appalachian clogging, traditional dance, Playford, country dance, Modern Jive, Ceroc, LeRoc, swing, Lindy Hop, waltz, tango, quickstep, salsa, merengue, round dancing, square dancing, line dancing, partner dancing, two-step, west coast swing or anything else.

Ashford Contra Dance is the place to learn more dance skills. We will be running workshops on contra dance and on associated styles such as the freestyle waltz.

The hall in Hothfield has a large car park, and is only five minutes from J9 on the M20, so it is easily accessible from Maidstone, Sittingbourne, Faversham, Whitstable, Canterbury, Dover, Folkstone, Hythe, New Romney, Rye, Tenterden, Cranbrook, Staplehurst, Headcorn and all the villages in between.