Welcome to the Orlando Contra Dance! We feature high-tempo, gender-neutral dancing. We are Florida’s only gender-neutral contra series. Dancing is open to EVERYONE and FREE FOR STUDENTS and RETURNING BEGINNERS (2nd dance is FREE)!
New? Curious? Check out the video below or our What’s Contra? page!
We dance on 2nd and 4th Fridays. Scroll down for details on our next few dances. Holidays, semester breaks, and regional events happen, so CHECK THE SCHEDULE before going!
Social media:
- Facebook – Event announcements and conversation
- Discord – Contra Knights (UCF student club) announcements and conversation
- Instagram and YouTube – Announcements, photos, and videos
- You can sign up for email announcements.
- MeetUp brings people here!
Here’s the first dance we did at UCF in Fall 2022. Almost nobody here knew how to dance 90 minutes earlier. You can do it, too!
We’re beginner-friendly and we’ll teach you everything you need to know. If you can walk, you can dance! No partner or experience needed. There are more videos on our What’s Contra? page and there’s an FAQ, too.
Visit our Dances and Events page for the full schedule.
NEXT ORLANDO CONTRA DANCE:
| WHO | Everyone! Contra is intergenerational. We have dancers from 7 to 70+! |
| WHEN | FRIDAY APRIL 26 6:30 Door opens 6:40 Intermediate workshop – for those who have come at least once 7:00 sharp! Beginner lesson! 7:30 – 10:30 Dance 10:30 Dessert at Jeremiah’s Italian Ice |
| WHERE | Winter Park Ballroom Dance Co., 6904 Aloma Ave (click for map)., Winter Park, Florida (next to Jeremiah’s Ice Cream). The floor is suspended hardwood with a poly finish. |
| PARKING | Plenty! Free! |
| CALLER | Angela DeCarlis (Gainesville) – Calling is gender-neutral. |
| MUSIC | Coral Riff (Tampa/St. Pete area) Sarah Mitchell – flute/tinwhistle, hammered dulcimer, concertina, foot percussion Kathie Aagaard – fiddle Wes Maluk – tenor banjo, guitar, percussion Sherry Mattos – keyboard |
| LEVEL | Beginner/intermediate. Dances start easy and get more complex later. First-timers should be ready to dance for the lesson at 7:00. |
| COST | $15. Students and job seekers: FREE! Your second contra ever: FREE! |
| ATTIRE | Wear what’s comfortable, see videos. This is athletic, so you will sweat. Hopefully a lot! Dress lightly and bring a water bottle. No perfumes, please. Stilettos and very high heels discouraged! |
| BRING | Bringing snacks is encouraged! This is an alcohol-free event. |
THE DANCE AFTER THAT:
| WHO | Everyone! Contra is intergenerational. We have dancers from 7 to 70+! |
| WHEN | FRIDAY May 10 6:30 Door opens 6:40 Intermediate workshop – for those who have come at least once 7:00 sharp! Beginner lesson! 7:30 – 10:30 Dance 10:30 Dessert at Jeremiah’s Italian Ice |
| WHERE | Winter Park Ballroom Dance Co., 6904 Aloma Ave (click for map)., Winter Park, Florida (next to Jeremiah’s Ice Cream). The floor is suspended hardwood with a poly finish. |
| PARKING | Plenty! Free! |
| CALLER | Alice Raibourn (Orlando) – Calling is gender-neutral. |
| MUSIC | McIntyre (Orlando): Lisa McIntyre – guitar George Houston – percussion Terry Henson – bass Sharon Hartmann – fiddle |
| LEVEL | Beginner/intermediate. Dances start easy and get more complex later. First-timers should be ready to dance for the lesson at 7:00. |
| COST | $15. Students and job seekers: FREE! Your second contra ever: FREE! |
| ATTIRE | Wear what’s comfortable, see videos. This is athletic, so you will sweat. Hopefully a lot! Dress lightly and bring a water bottle. No perfumes, please. Stilettos and very high heels discouraged! |
| BRING | Bringing snacks is encouraged! This is an alcohol-free event. |
CONTRA KNIGHTS (STUDENT) DANCES:
Contra Knights is UCF’s student contra dancing club, sponsored by Orlando Contra Dance. We are seeking UCF student officers to restart on-campus dances. If interested, email info@orlandocontra.org. Meanwhile, come to our Winter Park dances, where students dance FREE!