Contra dance is a form of folk dancing originating in the 17th century from a variety of dance styles in England, Scotland, France and more. It’s a social dance that one can attend without a partner, although the dancers form couples in long lines the length of the dance hall. Couples then progress up and down the lines. The dance is led by a caller who teaches a sequence of moves or patterns without any challenging footwork. The music is live and includes Irish, Scottish, bluegrass, old-time American and more, usually involving a fiddle or other stringed instrument like a guitar, banjo or mandolin.
Locally, Bend Community Contra Dance has been around more than 15 years. On the brink of bankruptcy, new board members are kicking off another season this fall, hoping to rally community support.
“It brings community together,” Board Secretary Sandra Peevers told the Source. “It’s a great way to meet people, for people that want to increase the amount of friends they have… It’s just a whole lot of fun.”
Contra dances are held in Bend the second Saturday of the month from October through April. At the beginning of the evening, a caller explains the dance moves for newcomers before the live music begins, then continues calling the dance moves throughout each song. Families and singles are welcome. Each month, different musicians will be featured. The first band on Oct. 11 will be the High Country Dance Band but Peevers stresses that Contra dancing is not country. She says musicians come from all over the region.
Peevers is one of the new board members hoping to prevent the art from disappearing. They’ve launched a fundraising campaign and put out an SOS plea for financial assistance. The Portland Country Dance Community offered a matching $500 grant and Peevers says the group is in the process of reorganizing into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Any funds raised will be used to pay for the musicians, equipment, venue and other associated costs. Peevers says they also need volunteers to help on dance nights.
“We have somewhere between three and 400 members who are on our mailing list already, so we want to grow that list and…just get the word out,” Peevers says. “It’s a really fun dance and it’s not a difficult dance.”
Dances are held at Pine Forest Grange on Boyd Acres Road in NE Bend. The entry fee is by donation, so attendees pay whatever they can afford. Peevers says the hope is that it averages out to $10 a person. And she remains optimistic, “I see no reason why it shouldn’t become very vibrant into the future years… It shouldn’t be daunting for anybody who wants to come and give it a try.”
Bend Community Contra Dance
Second Sat. of the Month, Oct.-April 7-9:30pm
Pine Forest Grange
63214 Boyd Acres Rd., Bend
Donations
This article appears in the Source September 11, 2025.
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