Edinburgh Contra Dance - December 6

Information

Contra dance comes all the way from America and is cousin to the familiar Scottish ceilidh. Contra is a little smoother and gentler, the figures are a little different, and the music has a different accent.

Live music from Sam Baxter (fiddle) and Heather McAslan (piano). Sam Baxter is a fiddle player and singer based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Sam is especially inspired by the traditional music of the British Isles, Canada and Scandinavia, playing in a style that is truly his own. Sam is a sought-after collaborator, he can be found playing in the Newcastle Based folk-dance collective ‘DIY Ceilidh’, with folk-singer / song-writer ‘Catch the Sparrow’ and in duo with Scottish violinist Merle Harbron. Sam has also toured in Norway with the Synneva Gjelland Band and worked with electronic music producer Jen Mac.
Heather McAslan is a pianist, mandolinist and caller from Glasgow who grew up learning piano and social folk dance from a young age. This instilled a love of traditional music and dance which is yet to wane! Heather is known for her creative piano playing, which never fails to get first-time dancers and seasoned festival-goers on the floor. Heather's musical projects span the UK and across the Atlantic Ocean.She is a co-founder of Brighton Ceilidh Collective’s Rant series and a Director of the Acadia Festival of Traditional Music and Dance.

All dances will be called by Connecticut native and now Edinburgh local, Rachel Shapiro Wallace. Rachel is a renowned contra dance caller, a regular at folk festivals across the UK and USA. Rachel will make sure everyone knows where to be when, with style.

All are welcome, family friendly, no partner needed, no experience necessary, all dances taught. 15-minute welcome session for new dancers starts at 7:45pm. Dance runs 8:00pm until 10:30pm including a break. Children 12 and under are free. Edinburgh Contra Dance have been running occasional dances since 2016. Come along and give it a go!

Inclusiveness In order to make our dance as inclusive and welcoming as possible our callers either use the terms 'Larks' and 'Robins' as role names, or call 'positional' style, without using role names at all. Many dances in North America and in the UK have also switched to using these gender-neutral calling styles with great success.

Covid Safety Covid Safety Information: we ask that you only attend the dance if you are feeling well - we'll be happy to refund advance tickets if you can't make it on the day due to illness. We don't require masking but respect those who wish to dance masked. We have handwashing facilities on site and will ventilate the hall as much as possible.

We intend to make the dance as welcoming and as safe as possible.

all photos by Doug Plummer