American Contra Dance: Our most regular longest running dance series held 2nd,, 4th, and 5th Saturdays from September to June (with a few exceptions). What is American contra? Imagine a Jane Austen scene with dancing, but less formal, more jovial, and music such as Irish fiddle music and Scottish reels. It’s for all ages and it’s a good ol’ time. See here for links to more info.
American Square Dance: In Spring 2026 there were four “Square Dance and Potluck” events running on the third Saturday of the month, starting February 21st , plus 3/21, 4/18, and 5/16. We are following that with four more ‘third Saturday” square dance / potlucks in Fall 2026 (9/19, 10/17, 11/21, 12/19). Many will have tried Square Dance in their school days, but here’s a brief description. Four couples arrange themselves on the sides of an imaginary square, all facing inward (every couple sees a couple across from them and one on each side). There are various bits of choreography involving all of the couples and sometimes one, two, or three couples. There is a caller that will call throughout the dance, and may vary the dance, and may call in a rhyming patter, such as “Corn in the crib and wheat in the sack, meet your partner and turn right back.” With just four couples in a set, it is beginner friendly.
Workshops: “A day to learn and a lifetime to master”. Are you a new dancer? While country dance is generally pretty accessible compared to foxtrot or salsa, workshops are a great place to begin in a low stress environment. Are you an experienced dancer wanting to enrich your experience? In the workshops we delve into those flourishes, twirls, dips, eye contact, and all the finer points of dance.
See here for more workshop info.
The Open Band Orchestra:
The open band dances are where musicians can just show up to play and where new callers can try their hand at calling. There are designated people to lead the band on melody and rhythm and also a caller to support callers by handing over the mic and offering guidance. For the last dozen or so years, the open band regulars have maintained a set list that they add to and subtract from for any given evening’s dance. There are many open band regulars, so they now refer to themselves as the Open Band Orchestra (OBO). Generally, weekly practices are held for the six weeks leading up to each open band dance. There is a mailing list that updates folks about the open band schedule and to announce any practice sessions.
Over the last dozen years, the OBO has exuberantly played from a repertory of about 150 jigs and reels (and 20 waltzes) for energized dancers. The list continues to grow as players share their newest favorites. The initial list was compiled at a magical, weekend dance camp where there were no organized, professional bands. Instead, it was a bunch of folks showing up with their instruments, happy to play together, and many more folks showing up with their feet, ready and eager to dance together.
The music in the set lists is available as PDF sheet music for musicians who sight-read, but since most of the music is traditional music, most of it is widely known, and experienced players will do fine to drop in. Just be early enough to make sure the space and sound equipment can accommodate everyone comfortably.
-Info compiled by Sally Sheedy, a long time contributor to the OBO and a BCDS website maven.
See here for more Open Band Orchestra info.
Volunteer Program:
Are you an painter? An organizer? A computer geek? A cook? A carpenter? A people person? An audio tech? Join us! This is a volunteer-run organization and we need all sorts. We endeavor to be friendly and professional with congenial good spirit and enough gumption to keep things running smoothly and to try new ideas.