Dances run regularly through the school year, Sept-June.
Beginner’s lesson: 7:30PM. Dancing: 8:00PM unless listed otherwise.
Location: Cesar Chavez School Gym, 1510 W 14th, in Eugene (Google Map) (Directions).
No Partner or experience needed!
Families are Welcome!
Bring soft soled shoes that won’t mark the floor.
Cost: $6 for members, $8 general. Arrive by 7:30 PM and get $1 off admission. Students with ID get another $1 off.

Special offer for folks new to contra dancing: When you pay the admission charge at your first dance in Eugene or Corvallis, you will be offered a coupon for free admission to a regular dance evening, valid in either Eugene or Corvallis. When you redeem that coupon, you will be offered a 50% discount coupon for your next dance in either Eugene or Corvallis.

EFS also hosts two camp "retreat" weekends for contra dancers:

Cascade Contras: A full weekend for contra dance enthusiasts, Cascade Contras takes place each April at SKY Camp (the Springfield Kiwanas Youth camp) on Fall Creek Reservoir. The camp offers two full evenings of contra dancing, four contra dance workshops with live music, and a set of other music, dance, and calling workshops. Our special kitchen staff prepares all meals on-site: a snack Friday evening, breakfast, lunch, and dinner Saturday, and Sunday breakfast and lunch. Campers may select from shared bunk cabins, with perhaps six campers per room, or may bring their own tents or campers/trailers.
Midsummer Madness: Midsummer Madness offers a low-key dance retreat for contra dancers, families, and friends. The event takes place the last weekend of July in odd years (appropriate for this "odd camp"), at Camp White Branch, off the old Cascades highway, near the headwaters of the McKenzie River. The camp offers three sessions of contra dancing (Friday and Saturday nights, and Sunday morning), and opportunities for daytime recreation, including a swimming pool with diving board, and "the dreaded water slide." The regular camp kitchen staff prepares meals on-site: breakfast, lunch, and dinner Saturday, and Sunday breakfast and lunch. Campers may select from a set of cabins or bunkhouse beds, or may bring their own tents or campers/trailers. For more information, you can check out the 2009 flier and registration form.

EFS Contra Dance Calendar — Dec 2009 - June 2010

SUNDAY, August 15th: Lift Ticket with Woody Lane: Special dance co-sponsored with the Corvallis Folklore Society in CORVALLIS at Gatton Hall (the normal location for Corvallis dances).
Saturday, September 11th: Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers with Sherry Nevins: Special Scandi extras: This evening's dance will feature a few special Scandinavian dances, as the band features this music in their mix and instrumentation. (Tbe musicians: Bronwyn Bird — nyckelharpa, accordion; Andy Reiner — fiddle, mandolin; Mariel Vandersteel — fiddle, hardingfele; Stash Wyslouch — guitar, melodica)

Sherry Nevins heads down from Seattle to kick off our fall dance series.
Saturday, September 25th: Lisa Ornstein, Kevin Carr, & Josie Mendelsohn with Woody Lane: Afternoon Fiddle workshops:
2:30 pm — The Music of Tommy Jarrell
4:00 pm — French-Canadian Tunes

Known for his smooth contras, fast squares, and superb programming, Woody Lane calls extensively throughout the Pacific Northwest and has a growing reputation throughout the country. Also an accomplished clogger, he often accompanies the band as a foot percussionist, raising the energy level on the dance floor to wonderful heights. He has brought his exciting brand of calling to dances from Alaska to Florida to Boston, and has done many calling tours around the U.S.. He has also been on staff at many music and dance camps, including The Corvallis Dance Weekend, Fiddle Tunes, Lady Of The Lake, and Cascade Contras.
Saturday, October 9th: Unleashed! with Joyce Miller
Saturday, October 23rd: Wild Hair with Sue Baker
THURSDAY, November 11th: Wild Asparagus with George Marshall: Special THURSDAY dance. (Danceable Feast appears this weekend. NO SATURDAY DANCE THIS WEEK!
Saturday, November 27th: Full Moon with William Watson
Saturday, December 11th: Three-Fingered Jack with Erik Weberg
Saturday, December 25th: NO DANCE — HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Contradance/Potluck e-mail list: For notification of Eugene and Corvallis mostly contra dance events and potluck dinners - anyone may subscribe to this list. To subscribe, send an e-mail from the account where you want to receive the newsletter to: majordomo@peak.org
In the BODY (not the subject line) put this single line: subscribe efs-contradance. Instructions for unsubscribing will be included at the end of each email that we send you. (Or visit this web page to subscribe to the EFS contra dance mailing list.)

Corvallis car pool: Leaves at 7:00 from the parking lot accross from New Morning Bakery in downtown Corvallis.

Directions to EFS Contra dances

Ceasar Chavez Middle School:

From the North:: Go south on HWY 99 to Chambers St, and turn right (south).; After the light at 13th, turn left (east) onto 14th Ave.; Cesar Chavez School and gym are on the right: Follow the driveway to the 40 parking spaces. You may also park in the “pause parking” and “bus stop” zones.
From the south:: Get on Chambers via 18th or any other street, and head north.; Turn right at 14th, and turn left into the driveway at the school sign.
Via bicycle:: The school is right on the bike path that follows Amazon Creek. There is a paved pathway at the east side of the school between the bike path and the school grounds.
There is limited automobile parking: Please carpool or ride your bike!

Teddy Roosevelt Middle School:

From the North:: Go south on HWY 99 to Chambers St, and turn right (south).; Continue through the lights at 11th and 13th, and turn left (east) at the light at 18th Ave.; Take 18th east for just over one and 1/4 mile, passing the busy lights at Willamette and Oak, and turn right (south) at the next light at Pearl.; Pass 19th, and continue 1/2 mile south to the next light, at 24th, and turn left.; In less than 1/4 mile, you’ll see the school on the right.; Turn IMMEDIATELY into the first driveway, and park on one fo the several small lots behind the school.
From the south:: If you head north on Willamette or Amazon parkway, turn right onto 24th.; If you head north on Hilyard, you will find the school on your left, at the corner of 24th.; You may have to turn left onto 24th and drive around the school to get into its parking lots.
Via bicycle:: Take the Amazon Creek bike path to 24th street. Head east along 24th to the school.
There is limited automobile parking: Please carpool or ride your bike!

Regional Dance Internet Resources

Do you have something to say to Willamette Valley dancers? Want to share a ride? find a ride? You can connect here at Oregon Contra Connection

There are two email lists with local dance information, one for Eugene and one or Corvallis. These are cheap, easy, and environmentally friendly.

To subscribe by email:
Send an email to either: efs-contradance-request@peak.org
or: cfs-contradance-request@peak.org

In the message body, say "subscribe". Wait for an email reply and follow instructions. Unsubcribing is the same, but say "unsubscribe". Change your email by unsubscribing from the old account and also subscribing from the new.

To subscribe via the web:
Visit either: http://maillist.peak.org/mailman/listinfo/efs-contradance
or: http://maillist.peak.org/mailman/listinfo/cfs-contradance

Spencer Creek Grange Barn Dances: 3rd Saturdays

Spencer Creek Grange Barn Dances (Traditional square dancing, waltzes, and line dancing.)

Live music by the Old Time Fiddlers
Caller is Alan Ede of Corvallis
3rd Saturdays, 7-10 p.m.
2010-2011 calendar:
Oct. 16
Nov. 20
Dec. 18
Jan. 15
Feb. 19
Mar. 19

Donations accepted at the door. The Spencer Creek Grange is located on the southwest side of Eugene, at the corner of Lorane Hwy. and McBeth Rd. (Google map to the location)

Corvallis Contra Dances: 1st and 3rd Saturdays

Corvallis Folklore Society: Dances usually held at First Congregational Church, 4515 SW West Hills Rd, Corvallis (Map). From 99W, go west on Western, stay right as it veers left after the traffic light at 35th St. Church is on the right. Go to second driveway on the west side of the building, head back to the parking lot, and go to the east end to enter Gatton Hall directly. Please bring clean soled shoes to dance in to help protect the dance floor. Cost: $6 CFS/EFS members; $7 general admission. There are sometimes potluck dinners held before the dance at 6PM. Info: call 541-745-1002 (Karen and Frank Griswold) or email: contramaniac@gmail.com. See Corvallis Dance Schedule.

Out of Town Contra Dances

Ashland: 1st & 3rd Saturdays (Medford & Talent, resp.)

Astoria: Monthly dances, usually 3rd Sat, at the Netel Grange, Craig Holt at (503) 325-0278.

Bend Community Contra Dance: Second Saturdays (and some 4th Saturdays!), October through April on the west side of the river in Bend at Kenwood School Gym on Newport at 8th (map). Dance workshop at 7, music begins at 7:30, admission $7. For more information contact Kate Beardsley at (541)330-8943 or email katebeardsley@hotmail.com.

Coos Bay: 3rd Sat contra dances, intro session 7:00, dance 7:30-10:00

Corvallis: 1st and 3rd Saturdays, CFS Contra Dances

La Grande: 2nd Saturdays, NE Oregon Folklore Society

Hood River: 2nd Sat contra dances

Newport: Usually fifth Saturdays (roughly quarterly).

Portland: English dances almost every Friday and Contra dances almost every Saturday through the year. Instruction at 7:30, dance at 8:00. Check the Portland Country Dance Community web site for details and their schedule.

Seattle, WA: Matt Fisher’s Guide to dances in Seattle

For links to contra dances in other areas, check: Contra Dance Links on the Web or The Dance Gypsy.