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 1st and 3rd Fridays. Scroll down for details on our next few dances. Schedule changes 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.
NEXT ORLANDO CONTRA DANCE:
| WHEN | FRIDAY NOVEMBER 15 |
| CALLER | Drew Thomas (Tallahassee) |
| MUSIC | The Little Mercies (Tallahassee): Bronwyn Chelette – Bass, guitar, banjo Shanice Richards – Fiddle, guitar Rosalee Walsh – Fiddle, banjo, mandolin |
THE DANCE AFTER THAT:
| WHEN | FRIDAY DECEMBER 6 |
| CALLER | Kenny Greer (Berea, KY) |
| MUSIC | McIntyre (Orlando): Lisa McIntyre – guitar George Houston – percussion Terry Henson – bass Sharon Hartmann – fiddle |
Visit our Dances and Events page for the full schedule.
Details (except as noted above):
| WHO | Everyone! Contra is intergenerational. We have dancers from 7 to 70+, ranging from first-timers to experts! Typically 20+ people come, including 5+ beginners. |
| WHERE | Winter Park Ballroom Dance Co. 6904 Aloma Ave Winter Park, Florida Click for map Just East of Jeremiah’s Italian Ice The floor is suspended hardwood with a poly finish. |
| SCHEDULE | 6:30 Door opens 6:40 Intermediate workshop – 2nd timers through advanced dancers, held if 4 attend 7:00 sharp! Beginner lesson! 7:30 – 10:30 Dance 10:30 Dessert at Jeremiah’s Italian Ice (3 minute walk) |
| 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! |
| PARKING | Plenty! Free! |
| CALLING TERMS | Calling (dance instruction) is gender-neutral. |
| 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 to share 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!