Welcome to the Greater Orlando Contra Dance and to Contra Knights, the student contra-dancing club at the University of Central Florida! Our dances feature high-tempo, gender-neutral dancing. We are Florida’s only gender-neutral contra series.
New? Check out the video below or our What’s Contra? page!
Scroll down for details on our next few dances.
We dance:
- 2nd and 4th Fridays: Greater Orlando Contra Dance, open to EVERYONE! FREE FOR STUDENTS!
- Thursdays: Contra Knights UCF student club dances for students and under-30s. You don’t have to be a student or attend UCF. These are FREE!
- Holidays, semester breaks, and regional events happen, so CHECK THE SCHEDULE!
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 of our first school year. 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.
Scroll down a section for the campus dance for students and under-30s.
Visit our Dances and Events page for the full schedule.
NEXT GREATER ORLANDO CONTRA DANCE:
| FEATURE | Friday the 13th! If you’re so inclined, wear a danceable costume or T-shirt manifesting bad luck. Winner by group acclamation gets a free dessert at Jeremiah’s after the dance. (Must participate in Jeremiah’s outing to collect prize.) |
| WHO | Everybody! (Dance is not restricted to students and under-30s.) |
| WHEN | FRIDAY OCTOBER 13, 7:00 – 10:30 pm. Door opens at 6:30 pm. Beginner lesson at 7:00 sharp! Dance 7:30 – 10:30. |
| WHERE | Winter Park Ballroom Dance Co., 6904 Aloma Ave., Winter Park, Florida (next to Jeremiah’s Ice Cream). The floor is suspended hardwood with a poly finish. |
| PARKING | Plenty! |
| CALLER | Joe Harrington (Orlando) – Calling is gender-neutral. |
| MUSIC | Gadabouts: Marietta Massey – banjo and percussion David Massey – keyboard Bill Paine – mandolin Kathie Aagaard – 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! |
| 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! |
CONTRA KNIGHTS (STUDENT) DANCES:
| WHO | Students and under-30s (roughly, we’re not checking) are invited. UCF affiliation NOT required! |
| WHEN | MOST THURSDAYS, 8:30 – 11 pm during Fall semester. Beginner lesson at 8:30 pm! Check INSTAGRAM or DISCORD to confirm time and location. |
| WHERE | UCF Student Union room 221. The floor is hard plastic laminate. |
| PARKING | Parking Lot H2. Our circular campus is confusing. Please note where your car is and map the walk in your favorite smartphone map app. |
| CALLER | Students and Joe Harrington – calling is gender-neutral. |
| MUSIC | Caller will DJ a mix of traditional and contemporary contra dance music. |
| LEVEL | Beginner/intermediate. Dances start easy and get more complex later. First-timers should be ready to dance for the lesson at 8:30. |
| COST | 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. Flip-flops, stilettos and very high heels discouraged! |