Dance Links on the Web
This is not by any means a comprehensive list; it merely suggests a number of places to start.
- FolkFire is the resource for dancers in the St. Louis area. It contains information and listings for dozens of groups.
- The Donna Page gives you well-researched recommendations about where to find the best dancing in St. Louis.
- The Wikipedia has a wonderful explanation of contra dancing. Don't miss it!
- Design your own dance with this tool from the Seattle Dance web site. Warning: it only works in Internet Explorer!
- The Country Dance and Song Society is a national organization of people involved in traditional dance. Childgrove is an organization member of CDSS, whose board visited us in 2005.
- Kiran Wagle's list of articles about contradance - last updated in the last century, so there are a lot of broken links. The remaining ones, however, contain golden nuggets.
- Doug Plummer has a lovely collection of contra dance pictures.
- So does Bob Bennett.
National Lists of Dances
Several people maintain national or regional lists of dances. Some are quicker than others in updating changes; some changes are more widely publicized than others. Be sure to check several different lists if you cannot immediately find what you are looking for. If you find schedule information that is not maintained by the dance organizers themselves, it is generally a good idea to call ahead or send email before making plans.
- The Country Dance and Song Society lists their affiliates with web pages.
- Ted Crane's Dance Database is the best place to look if you're travelling out of town and looking for a local dance. His clickable map of the US is excellent.
- Bob Stein's index
- Charlie Seelig's index
- Dwayne Johnson's clickable map of contra dances
- Seth Tepfer's TheDanceCalendar.com is a self-updated dance calendar of dance events across the country
- Gender-Role Free Dance - It includes information on gender-free dances around the country.
Regional Lists of Dances
- Colorado Contra
- CONNtra CONNection - lists contra dances in Connecticut
- Contra Dance in Virginia
- Contra Dancing in Greater Boston
- Contra Dancing in the Southeast (on the Atlanta site)
- Gypsy Jordan's Index of Indices
- Contra Dancing in Texas
- The Contra Sene lists dances in Southeastern New England, including Eastern CT, RI, Southeastern MA, Cape Cod, and Martha's Vineyard.
- The Dance Gypsy keeps track of dances in CT, Western MA, ME, NH, Upstate NY, VT, Eastern Ontario, and Quebec.
- The DEFFA Newsletter ("Down East Friends of the Folk Arts") has information on nearly 20 dances in Maine and coastal New Hampshire.
- The Gainesville Old Time Dance Society links to over a dozen dances in FL.
- The Lexington page offers connections to selected dances in AL, GA, IN, KY, MO, NC, OH, PA, SC, TN, and WV.
- Michigan Dance Calendar
- Monadnock Folklore Society - New Hampshire Contra Dances
- The New England Folk Festival Association (NEFFA) - New England Contra Dances. NEFFA has a fabulous section on the history of New England contra dancing from
1944-1994. - The St. Louis page contains links to dances in AR, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MO, and TN.
- The Three Rivers Contra Dance Page lists dances in WA, OR, ID, and British Columbia.
International Lists
- Folk Dancing in the Netherlands has an extensive set of links to all sorts of folk dancing in the Netherlands and beyond. This is probably the best place to start if you're looking for dancing in continental Europe.
- Folk Dancing in Australia lists all sorts of folk dancing Down Under.