We're hosting a special class in conjunction with the awesome Brooklyn Contra group. Their next dance is Friday, April 26th, and you can sign up for a special Brainery group lesson starting at 7pm, before the official dance and lesson begin at 7:30pm. The $25 price gets you the extra 1/2 hour lesson and admission to the dance, which runs until 11pm. 

Sign up here: http://brooklynbrainery.com/courses/contra-dance-lesson-with-brooklyn-contra

What it's all about:

If swing dancing and square dancing met in a bar, you’d get contra dance.

Contra dancing is an easy but energizing type of community folk dance with roots in the UK, New England, and Appalachia--and if you can walk, you can definitely contra dance! You’ll dance to fantastic live music with a partner, although bringing a partner is not at all necessary--it’s a great way to meet new people without having to make much conversation.

Couples form parallel lines (like in Madeleine) and over the course of the dance, they interact with the couple next to them, moving up and down the dance floor and interacting with every other couple in their line. There's no fancy footwork involved, and each dance is taught from the stage, by the “caller”, similar to square dancing. We dance until 11pm or so and then head to Sheep Station for drinks, conversation, & Aussie pub food afterwards. We swear, you'll be hooked!

What You'll Learn:

Our class starts at 7:00pm at the Brooklyn Lyceum (4th Avenue & Union) and will give you a major step up from those other beginners who show up for the regular lesson at 7:30.

Don't forget to bring:

Shoes you could walk in quickly in (i.e., no spike heels or flip flops), a water bottle, and a willingness to hold strangers' hands. Read answers to FAQs here.