Winter is a great time for contra dancing!

Posted on November 29, 2025 by doonemackay

Come cheer up, and warm up, at a community contra dance, on Saturday, December 13th, in Williamstown, MA. We’ll have live music in the New England tradition by George Wilson and Selma Kaplan, and calling by Luke Donforth.

This month, we will start with an introductory lesson at 7:15 PM. This is little earlier than the 7:30 start time you may be accustomed to. Please do come for the lesson if you can — Luke’s lesson is fun, engaging, and leads smoothly right into the evening’s dance program. It’s a perfect start for you or a friend who’s been hesitating to try something new — also a good refresher if you danced long ago and want to ease back into it — and a great way to help welcome newcomers to our community dance if you’re a regular.

Where: in the Community Hall of the First Congregational Church, 906 Main Street, Williamstown, MA
When: 7:15PM – 10:30PM, on Saturday, December 13th
Music by George Wilson on fiddle, with Selma Kaplan on keyboard

Calling by Luke Donforth, using Larks and Robins role terms
Cost: pay-what-you-can, donations of $12 – $20 recommended, but no one turned away for lack of funds
Respiratory Health Policy: Please stay home if you feel at all unwell, and we’ll be glad to see you next month. Masks are welcome, but not required. Windows open.

Music will be provided by George Wilson on fiddle with Selma Kaplan on keyboard. The two have been supporting contra dances with dynamic traditional music for well over thirty years. George’s fiddling, strongly influenced by Cape Breton and French Canadian styles, will lift your feet, and Selma’s piano will provide a solid and sensitive rhythmic foundation.

Additionally, this month, we’re having a playgroup from 10AM – 12PM, in the Williamstown Public Library. Anyone with an interest in learning to call, seeing what goes into calling, or just being a biddable dancer to help new callers learn, is very welcome.

As a community contra dance in a small college town, we try to be welcoming to a wide range of people and abilities. Contra dancing is a group activity, perfect for meeting neighbors, making new friends, or just enjoying live music and a low stakes, pleasant social activity. Come alone or with friends – no need to bring a partner. In contra dancing it is usual to find a new partner for each dance within the evening, and you’ll end up dancing with everyone in the hall, more or less. Newcomers, and families with children, please do come for the introductory lesson at 7:15.

We’d love it if you were to print and share the poster, to help new people find the dance!

October is for Music and Dancing – Community Contra Dance in Williamstown

Posted on October 7, 2025 by doonemackay

On Saturday, October 11th, Quena Crain will call for our community contra dance here in Williamstown. And we’ll have music by Rebecca Weiss on fiddle with Seamus Connor on guitar. We hope you can come!

The dance will run 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. in the Community Hall of the First Congregational Church, 906 Main St., Williamstown. Larks and Robins role terms. Admission is pay-as-you-can, $12 – $20 suggested. No one turned away for lack of funds. This month, the dance is free for students at Williams College, thanks to funds from the student life committee.

Come alone or with a partner; most people change partners for each dance throughout the evening. New dancers and families with children are encouraged to arrive by 7:30 for instruction in the basics.

There will also be a free workshop for musicians interested in learning to play contra dance music led by Eric Buddington, at Goodrich Hall (863 Main St, Williamstown, MA 0126) for 1:30-3:30 on the 11th. (The main door for the building is under the bell tower, near the driveway. We’ll be in the first floor meeting room, which has a piano. When you walk in, use the door to the left. You can park in the WCMA parking spots or on Spring street.)

It’s always a pleasure to have Quena call — she has been calling for contra dances much of her life, in small communities and also at large festivals across the country. She is really good at helping everyone in the room enjoy the dance in a relaxed, fun, social way. You’ll probably smile most of the evening. Also, whenever Quena calls for us, it seems more of our friends and neighbors from nearby Vermont come too, which increases the fun for all.

Our three performers: Quena with a big smile and microphone, Rebcca with fiddle in her lap, and Seamus in red bandanna with mandolin.

Music this month will be, for the first time ever, by Rebecca Weiss on fiddle playing with Seamus Connor on mandolin and guitar. Rebecca has played contra dance fiddle for many years, carrying on the musical and community building ethos of the late, beloved David Kaynor. She’s played for our dance several times, most recently with “Joy Factor” and before that with “Three out of Four Musicians Walk into Thirty-Two Bars”. Seamus you may know as a member of our dance organizing committee, and from the dance floor, but they are also adept with both mandolin and guitar, with a fluid and adaptable approach that brings out the best in their fellow musicians. This duo promises to be a treat to listen and dance to.

As always, please feel welcome to help more people find our dance by printing and sharing our flier, available at https://northberkshiredance.org/poster/

Respirational Health Policy: Please stay home if you feel ill or have cold symptoms, and we’ll be glad to see you next month! Masks always appreciated but not (currently) required. Be aware that contradance isn’t made to social distance, as whoever your partner, you’ll wind up dancing with everyone in the room. You may wish to bring a spare mask to change into for comfort throughout the evening.

December 14th Dance — You Need Not be Mathematically Inclined

Posted on December 6, 2024 by doonemackay

On Saturday, December 14th, we’re having another friendly contra dance (it’s just about habitual by now). Maggie McRae will call to music by three out of Four Musicians Walked Into Thirty Two Bars. What more would you like to know?

Where: the Community Hall of the First Congregational Church, 906 Main Street, Williamstown, MA
When: 7:30 – 10:30 PM
Who: You! (And a bunch of other lovely people who also feel like attending a low key social event with live music and dancing as an excuse to move a little while winter settles in)
How Much: please contribute what you can, $12 – $20 suggested.

Maggie McRae will call. Her fun and easy teaching style will help everyone relax and enjoy dancing.

Music will be provided by three out of Four Musicians Walked into Thirty-Two Bars, a band of life-long musicans who enjoy playing traditional New England tunes, sometimes with their tongues in their cheeks. The three musicians are George Wilson and Rebecca Weiss on fiddle, with Becky Hollingsworth on piano.

For extra fun, we’re hosting a pre-dance calling workshop/practicum in the Williamstown Public Library, from 2 – 3:30. Bring a dance you’d like to workshop calling for in a friendly group setting – or come to see how it works, and help out as a biddable dancer on the floor.

Covid Policy: Please stay home if you feel ill or have cold symptoms. We’ll be glad to see you next month! Masks appreciated but not required. Be aware that contradance isn’t made to social distance, as whoever your partner, you’ll wind up dancing with everyone in the room. You may wish to bring a spare mask to change into for comfort throughout the evening.

Poster: Help more people find the dance, if you feel so inclined. Print and hang our flier! Available at https://northberkshiredance.org/poster/

June 8th, Contra Dance in North Adams

Posted on May 31, 2024 by patdunlavey

Saturday, June 8th: come to a delightful community contra dance! North Berkshire Community Dance will hold its monthly contra dance with calling by Peter Stix, and live music provided by an open band, at All Saints Episcopal Church, 59 Summer St., in North Adams.

All are welcome. Come alone, or with friends – most people change partners for each dance throughout the evening. New dancers and families with children are encouraged to arrive by 7:30 for instruction in the basics.

Peter Stix will call all dances, starting the evening with easy dances friendly to newcomers and families with children. The caller teaches new moves and skills as needed, so that beginners can dance with everyone right from the start.

Music will be provided by an open band, led by George Wilson on fiddle and Becky Hollingsworth on keyboard. “Open band” means that anyone with an acoustic instrument is welcome to join. A list of likely tunes is available at https://northberkshiredance.org/tune-list/

Contra dancing is a living tradition in New England; for hundreds of years, neighbors and friends have made their own social entertainment in this highly collaborative dance form. Our summer 2024 series in North Adams will be even more participatory than currently common. In addition to the open band, we will have an introductory calling workshop for curious dancers. Please check out the details at www.NorthBerkshireDance.org

The dance will run 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. in the Community Hall of the All Saints Episcopal Church, 59 Summer St., North Adams. Admission is pay-as-you-can: $5 – $15, or barter equivalent, suggested.

April is the Coolest Month (Or it would have been if T.S.Eliot had tried contra dancing?)

Status

Okay, maybe I just didn’t have a good title. Still, the dance will be friendly, lively, and fun, and the music will be of poetic loveliness.

North Berkshire Community Dance will hold its monthly contra dance on Saturday, April 13th, with live music by “Spare Parts”, and calling (teaching) by Jonathan Greene. The dance will run 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. in the Community Hall of the First Congregational Church, 906 Main St., Williamstown. Admission is pay-as-you-can: $12 – $20 suggested.

All are welcome. Come alone, or with friends — most people change partners for each dance throughout the evening. New dancers and families with children are encouraged to arrive by 7:30 for instruction in the basics.

Jonathan Greene, the caller, will teach all the dances, using “gents and ladies” role terms. Jonathan regularly calls at the popular Lenox, MA contra dance series, and lately has been coaching new callers at a “callers club” dance series in Housatonic.

Berkshire County band, “Spare Parts” will provide live dance music, performing the traditional fiddle tunes in rich and elegant arrangements. Bill Matthiesen on piano and Liz Stell on flute combine with one or more “spare parts du jour.” For our April 13th dance, fiddler Eric Buddington will round out the sound with his much lauded improvisational flair. Spare Parts has performed for period events, contradances, English dances, weddings, parties, concerts, and dance camps from Alaska to Maine. Their historic dance music has been used worldwide in motion pictures (Bright Star) and theater productions as well as television programs including Mercy Street (PBS), Antiques Roadshow and numerous programs on the History Channel (even SpongeBob SquarePants!).

Covid Policy: NBCD encourages masks, but no longer requires them. Be aware: whoever your partner, you’ll wind up dancing with everyone in the room. You may wish to bring a spare mask to change into for comfort throughout the evening. Masks are also available at the door — small donations appreciated.

Exposure notification from North Berkshire Community Dance

Posted on December 12, 2023 by doonemackay

Dear dancers,

A dancer who was at the Williamstown, MA community contra dance on Saturday, 12/9, informed us that they have tested positive for Covid today (Monday, December 11). So far their symptoms are mild congestion and tiredness. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.

As always, if you test positive for Covid-19 in the 10 days after attending our dance, please let us know. And as with any exposure notification, we encourage everyone who attended Saturday’s dance to take reasonable precautions, including monitoring themselves for Covid-19 symptoms and considering testing. Please refer to CDC recommendations.

dance@northberkshiredance.com

New England Classic Contras – Saturday, December 9th

Posted on November 30, 2023 by doonemackay

North Berkshire Community Contra Dance invites you to come and dance: Saturday, December 9th, in Williamstown, MA. Andy Davis will call a program of New England classics (including some “old chestnuts”), to live fiddle music by George Wilson and Selma Kaplan.

The dance will run 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. in the Community Hall of the First
Congregational Church, 906 Main St., Williamstown. Admission is
pay-as-you-can: $12 – $20 suggested, and barter is also welcome. Masks are optional, though encouraged — if you feel ill in any way, please stay home and come again next month.

Andy Davis will teach all dances in an inclusive and welcoming style, using gender-free phrasing. His goal is to put everyone at ease so they can have fun and dance. Music will be provided by George Wilson, whose dynamic fiddling, strongly influenced by Cape Breton and French Canadian styles, has been popular with contra dancers and concert-goers since the late 1970s. George will be accompanied by Selma Kaplan on keyboard. Selma is an accomplished pianist, composer, and arranger, and one of the most requested dance musicians on the East Coast.

While we expect this dance to be a pleasure for all who come, sadly, Tony Parkes, whom we had originally scheduled to call a program of “old chestnuts”, will not be here. He will be home recuperating from a serious illness. You can see his latest health update and write him an encouraiging note here: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/tonyparkes Here’s a snapshot of Tony calling the first dance in our current series, back in May of 2019:

Thank you, Tony, for helping us all enjoy community dancing!

Contra dancing is a living tradition in New England. (And when we say “contra dance”, we really mean community events with group dances in various formations which could be more specifically described as squares, and circles, as well as contras, and other longways sets.) For hundreds of years, neighbors and friends have made their own social entertainment in this highly collaborative dance form.

New dancers and families with children are encouraged to arrive by 7:30 for instruction in the basics. All are welcome. Come alone, or with friends — most people change partners for each dance throughout the evening. We hope to see you there!

Come Dance on July 8th

Posted on July 4, 2023 by doonemackay

The North Berkshire Community Contra Dance will hold its monthly dance on Saturday, July 8, with friendly high-energy dancing to caller Peter Stix and live music from Berkshire musicians Tony Pisano, Eric Buddington, Butch DeGiorgis, Seamus Connor and Doone MacKay.

Contra dancing is the contemporary face of a living tradition. Both the dance and its music can be traced to roots in 17th century England, France, and Scotland, but have been vigorously mixed and remixed in New England and nearby regions since. The music is live, the dances are taught, and anyone is welcome, with or without a partner — people change partners fluidly for each dance.

Peter Stix will call (teach) all dances, starting the evening with easy dances friendly to newcomers and families with children. The caller teaches new moves and skills as needed, and everyone is welcome. Come alone or with friends.

Many of the band have played together at dances and jams around the county for a generation — locals may recognize them from the dance floor and informal Saturday morning music at Mass MoCA. Tony Pisano on accordion joins Eric Buddington and Doone MacKay on fiddle, Butch DeGiorgis on mandolin and penny whistle and Seamus Connor on guitar.

The dance will run 7:30 to 10 p.m. in the Community Hall of the First Congregational Church. 906 Main St., Williamstown. Admission is pay-as-you-can, $12 – $20 suggested, and barter (especially help with cleanup) is also welcome.

Covid Policy: NBCD continues to require masking for this July 8 dance — because contra dance isn’t made to social distance. No matter your partner, you’ll wind up dancing with everyone in the room. (Having a spare mask to change into can help with comfort when dancing in warm weather.)

June 10th – Delightful Dance

Posted on June 3, 2023 by doonemackay

Covid Policy Survey

Posted on May 29, 2023 by doonemackay

How do you feel about our Covid policy at the North Berkshire Community Contra Dance (Williamstown, MA)? Let us know if it’s too much, too little, or just right by taking this survey:

https://tinyurl.com/NBCDCovidSurvey2023