Because waltzes and some other couple dances (hambo, schottische) are played at the beginning of a dance evening or just before or after a break, I have made a list of groups and dance series which appear, on description, to be as informal in attitude as the crowd you'll see and meet at a contra dance. That means, for the most part, I have not included groups that appear to have an emphasis on attire, manners, etc. (Regency, Vintage), tend more toward dance performances or dance competition. It does not mean that simply because a group includes tango and swing along with waltzes during an evening, that I have not included them (there have been plenty of times I've heard a contra dance band strike up a swing tune after the last waltz). These inclusions and exclusions are not meant to place a value on any type of dancing, just that I have to limit, at some point, what types of dancing I will include on these lists. This is an adjunct page to my links about contra dancing.

Many of these groups will have lessons as part of an afternoon or evening of dancing or includes a separate class schedule for different types of couple dances. Some groups always have live music, others a mix and still more others play recorded music (which allows for a wide variety of tunes for waltz, for instance).

As always, if you have additions or corrections for this list, please e-mail me.

New links are simply new to me, not necessarily new to the World Wide Web. Change in URL means that a link has changed its WWW address or URL.

Waltzes and more

• Alaska, Anchorage: The Dancing Bears hold workshops for couple dances on Tuesday nights as part of the contra dance program and have a holiday waltz party in December.
• Alaska, Anchorage: Paul Arneson's Mostly Waltz night on 1st Saturdays.
• California, Berkeley: Vintage Invasion has dance parties on the 4th Friday of the month.
• California, Berkeley: Friday Night Waltz in East Bay features mainly waltzes, along with other dances like polka, one step, swing, cha cha, Lindy, schottische, mazurka, merengue, samba, and tango. 2nd and 4th Saturdays. Some live music dates.
• California, Berkeley: Victorian dance classes, especially waltzes, on 4th Fridays with recorded music.
• California, Davis: Victorian/vintage waltz classes on Wednesday nights.
• California, Los Angeles: Ballroom Dance Club and International Folk Dance Club at UCLA holds dances and lessons including waltzes.
• California, Palo Alto: Friday Night Waltz features mainly waltzes, along with other dances like polka, one step, swing, cha cha, Lindy, schottische, mazurka, merengue, samba, and tango. 1st and 3rd Fridays. Some live music dates.
• California, Sacramento: Sacramento Ballroom Society holds dances with mostly ballroom (waltz, but also swing and latin (bolero, salsa, tango, rumba) on 2nd and 4th Fridays.
• California, San Diego: Waltz & Such with classes on Friday (recorded music?). They are dedicated to spreading the joy of vintage social dance through weekly informal classes, practice sessions, and special dance events. Their focus is on having FUN, and dancing with musicality. More towards the vintage side.
• California, Stanford: Stanford Waltz Weekend covers a wide range of waltz variations (traditional and contemporary forms side-by-side) plus tango, swing, Latin, ballroom, vintage and club dances in late June.
• California, Stanford: Stanford Cross-Step Waltz Weekend: Richard Powers with Angela Amarillas in late January.
• California, Stanford: Waltzlab (on-site or on-line
• Canada, Ontario, Toronto: First Fridays. Excellent live and DJ'd music for waltzes from slower to fast, plus some polkas, blues and schottische.
• Colorado, Boulder: Waltz Dances on 5th Fridays. Live music.
• Colorado, Boulder: Waltz Etcetera including waltz, swing, polka, tango, foxtrot, hambo, blues, etc. on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month. Alternate site.
• Colorado, Boulder: Tea Dances on the 2nd Sunday of the month including tango, waltz, foxtrot, one-step, or just dance cheek-to-cheek to the original music of the American social dance. Live music.
• Colorado, Fort Collins: Ballroom Dance Evenings on 1st and 3rd Saturdays with waltz, tango, Viennese waltz, foxtrot, quickstep, rumba, samba, cha-cha-cha and iive with occasional Charleston, Merengue, Polka, etc.
• Colorado, Fort Collins: The Friends of Traditional Dance host various waltz events throughout the year. New entry (November 23, 2019)
• Connecticut, East Hartford: Mostly waltz, usually 1st or 2nd Sundays. Three of every four dances are waltzes. Live music.
• Connecticut, New Haven: Social waltz on 2nd or 4th Fridays including waltz, tango, schottische, lindy hop, one-step, polka, hustle, samba and foxtrot. Recorded music with some exceptions.
• Florida, Gainsville Waltz Gainsville has dances which include waltzes and some other partner dances on the Sunday following the 3rd Saturday. There are associated dances on Tuesdays.
• Georgia, Atlanta: WaltzPlay holds regularly scheduled dances every Sunday afternoon. In addition to waltzes of various tempos, they do many other types of dances also: swing, ragtime tango, one-step, polka, Hambo, etc. Some dates with live music.
• Illinois, Urbana: Evening of Waltzing and More about once every three or four months sponsored by the Central Illinois English Country Dancers, the Dance Club and the Urbana Country Dancers with live music. Change of URL (May 6, 2013)
• Kentucky, Lexington: Mostly Waltz - A Vintage Sampler on the first Friday of each month with live music. Each event includes lots of waltzes, plus an occasional polka, schottische, tango, one-step, foxtrot, blues, or other favorite dance. Live music.
• Kentucky, Berea - Waltz Weekend: Richard & Angela to return for workshop October 16-18, 2009 to be held at the Folk Center in Berea
• Maryland, Glen Echo: Waltz time on (usually) 1st and 3rd Sundays. Included in the day of waltzing are always a few other couples dances, including swing/lindy, tango, hambo, zwiefacher, schottische and polka. Live music.
• Maryland, Glen Echo: Classes, including some, at times, on folk waltz and Viennese waltz, on Wednesdays. This is one of several classes including swing and Charleston and Blues Dancing.
• Massachusetts, Greenfield: There are occasional waltz events at the Guiding Star Grange on various dates with live music along with mostly waltz events on 1st Fridays with recorded music. Change of date (August 7, 2013)
• Massachusetts, Medford: Mostly Waltz, generally on the last or next to last Sunday. A variety of waltz tunes and tempos will be played, and every third number will be a different couple dance - polka, hambo, schottis, swing, tango, one-step, zwiefacher, etc. Live music. Change of URL (March 6, 2012)
• Massachusetts, Whately: Whately Dance Barn holds occasional Mostly Waltz dances with live music.
• Minnesota, Minneapolis: Tapestry Folk Center hosts occasional Mostly Waltz events with live music. (regularly scheduled dance on 4th Sundays starting January 2012) Added mention of 4th Sunday (January 18, 2012)
• Missouri, St. Louis: Childgrove Country Dancers hold waltz parties with waltzes and other social dances on 2nd Sundays. Live music.
• New York, Ithaca: Dancing to a Waltz Jam. This is CNY's only "waltz jam" with an open band. This takes place once per month at 7pm, first Friday of the Month for one hour preceding the regular Friday Contra dance which starts at 8 pm.
• New York, New York: Dance on various Sundays. Change of date (January 12, 2012)
• North Carolina, Charlotte: Waltzes on various Wednesday nights with Dennis Spring and Lesly Spring from 7:30pm to 9:30pm.
• North Carolina, Durham: Although the evening (early evening on 3rd Saturdays) is dedicated to mostly waltz, the mix will also include a few tunes from other dance styles such as Swing, Charleston, Tango, One-Step, Blues, Foxtrot, Polka, Schottische, etc. Classes at various times.
• North Carolina, Durham: Waltzing practice on 1st and 3rd Thursdays and waltzing as part of a dance sampler on 2nd Thursdays. New entry (October 15, 2011)
• Ohio, Cincinnati: Classes on Wednesday nights.
• Ohio, Cleveland Heights: Waltzes on 2nd (or thereabouts) Sundays.
• Ontario, Ottawa: Dances on various dates New entry (September 24, 2013)
• In Oregon, Nehalem: at the White Clover Grange, there is Wild Waltzing on 2nd Saturdays. New entry (December 11, 2010)
• Oregon, Portland: Waltz Eclectic occasionally indulges in swing and latin dances that are performed in one place on the dance floor, but our basic passion is for dances that travel while spinning and whirling about until we are giddy (including blues, various types of waltzes, tango vals, one-step, foxtrot and polka). Every Thursday to eclectic CD music, some Sunday brunches and potlucks to CDs and various live music dates.
• Oregon, Portland: Random Waltz has been supporting waltzing in Portland, Oregon since September 2007 with a regular events every Monday with a focus on turning waltzes and eclectic music and a mix of waltzing and the basic elements of scandinavian, vintage, swing and argentine tango dancing on most Sundays. The last Monday of the month is a 'waltz jam', with live music. We encourage musicians of all levels of inability.
• Pennsylvania, Broomall: Mostly Waltz, usually on the 4th Sunday and occasional other Sundays with a program which includes other couple dances, such as polka, one-step, schottische, swing, tango, etc. Live music. Also a series of lessons at various times.
• Pennsylvania, Pocono Manor: Pocono Waltz Weekend from October 30 through November 1, 2009.
• Rhode Island, Providence: Mostly Waltz for Rhode Island: waltz dances on various Sunday afternoons. Basic 45 min lesson followed by waltzes and other social dances to live music. Change of URL (July 19, 2011)
• Virginia, Charlottesville: Waltzing with Gaye on various Wednesdays to live music.
• Virginia, Greenwood: Waltzes on various 2nd and 4th Sundays just before the Greenwood contradance with live music.
• Virginia, Greenwood: Waltz practices (and other couple dances) on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month. New entry (January 11, 2011)
• Washington, Seattle: Seattle Mountaineers Folk Dance, every Tuesday with taped international folk dance music that includes waltzes, schottisches, polkas and more.
• Washington, Seattle: Waltz, etcetera weekly Monday dance. We play about half waltzes and half other dances (the etcetera part), like blues, swing, salsa, cha-cha, nightclub 2-step, and so on. Some live music dates.
• Washington, Seattle: Sonny Newman's Dance Hall on the 2nd Friday of each month with live music and recorded music during the breaks. Waltz lesson before the dance.
• Washington, Seattle: Dance for Joy! features classes, workshops and events in Waltz, Swing, Zydeco and Blues.
• Washington, Seattle: Waltz Weekend in late February.
• Washington, Seattle: 4th Sunday, afternoons, at the Century Ballroom. New entry (May 13, 2011)
• Washington, Seattle: 3rd Fridays at the Seattle Central College Activity Center. New entry (December 31, 2017)
• Wayne Albright and Gaye Fifer, waltz instructors and dance callers with basic videos.
• Susan de Guardiola's videos. New entry (March 24, 2012)

Scandinavian

Again, I have tried to emphasize groups and dance series which are not performance oriented and appear to be as informal as the crowd that you'll see and meet at a contra dance.

• Event listings: The Hardanger Fiddle Association of America lists events preserving and promoting Norwegian Hardanger fiddle and related traditions of Norwegian music and dance.
• Event listings: Northern California Spelmanslag has Scandinavian Music and Dance Events Elsewhere in the United States.
• Event listings: Skandia Folkdance Society's calendar of events in the Pacific Northwest and other locations.
• British Columbia, Vancouver: Scandinavian Dancers of Vancouver dance schottis, waltz, hambo, polka, etc. on Wednesday nights. Some live music dates.
• California, Alta: Camp Norge Folkedans Stevne includes Norwegian dance and music workshops and parties during weekends in late March and in late October/early November.
• California, Mendocino: Scandia Camp Mendocino is an annual week-long residential camp in June which presents participants the opportunity to learn in depth about the folk music, dance and cultural traditions of Scandinavia.
• California, Northern: Northern California Spelmanslag consists of a central organization and four member groups: Nordahl Grieg Leikarring, Nordic Footnotes, Mid-Peninsula Scandinavian Dance Group, and Scandiadans. It organizes and presents festivals which include extensive instruction in both folk dance and folk music, concerts with dance demonstrations, and dance parties.
• California, Sacramento: El Dorado Scandinavian Dancers (EDSD) is an enthusiastic group who enjoy doing old favorite dances and learning new ones.
• California, San Diego: Learn old-time regional, pattern and turning dances from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. Have fun learning from expert instructors. All ages and abilities, and singles and couples are welcome. Schottis, Polka, Waltz, Hambo, Polska and more. Class meets most Wednesday evenings September through May. Dance parties with live music (and minimal teaching) are monthly during summer and on the fifth Wednesday of each month September-May. There's a Fifth Wednesday Dance Party with live music on April 29, 2009. (619) 286-0355. Wednesday, 7:30-10pm. $6-$8. Folk Dance Center, Dancing Unlimited, 4569 30th St., San Diego.
• California, Santa Barbara: Scandinavian Dancing in Santa Barbara and Ventura County on every other Saturday afternoon.
• California, Southern: Bob's Dance and Music aka Dancin-Fool.com has information about Scandinavian Dance & Music in and around Los Angeles.
• Colorado, Boulder: are a performance group promoting the dance and music of Scandinavia including a monthly social dance on the 2nd Saturday of each month, and also an annual Spring workshop with teachers from Sweden or Norway, teaching both dance and music. Change of URL (September 7, 2015)
• Connecticut, Wethersfield: Please join us for our monthly Scandinavian dances, Sunday afternoon 3:00-5:30pm, usually at Temple Beth Torah, 130 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT. (The “Always on Sunday” international folk dance follows 7-10pm at the same location.) New entry (June 9, 2018)
• District of Columbia: The Annual Spring Springar Spree occurs in May with a weekend of couples dancing to fiddle music.
• Florida, Tampa: Wednesday nights
• Idaho, Boise: The Scandinavian Society of Southwestern Idaho dances on the 3rd Friday of each month. Live music. New entry (January 21, 2012)
• Illinois, Downings Grove: Scandinavian Turning Dance Basics Class on Sunday evenings with live music for most classes. (Site is down; e-mail DancingRoo@aol.com for information)
• Maryland, Bethesda: Beginning and Advanced Scandinavian dance classes on Tuesday (and some Thursday) nights (and occasional Saturdays or Sundays) including hambo, schottish, waltz, snoa, zwiefacher, and other couple turning dances and dances from Boda, Orsa, Rattvick, Follinge, Viksta, Varnas, Telemark, and Valdres, as well as others, including your requests.
• Maryland, Greenbelt: Scandia D.C. is dedicated to the enjoyment of Norwegian and Swedish couple turning dances. 3rd Saturdays except summer. Gammaldans such as hambo, schottish, snoa (polka), mazurka, pols, reinlender, and Scandinavian waltz. Also bygededanser (regional and village dances such as Telespringar, Rorospols, Bodapolska, Bingsjopolska, etc.) from many different parts of Norway and Sweden. Live music.
• Massachusetts, Arlington: Speledans is the Boston area's Scandinavian folk dance organization. Dances on 1st and 3rd Saturdays, 2nd Sundays and 3rd Fridays (check ahead for Friday dances). Dances includes hambo and schottische.
• Massachusetts, Mansfield: New England Folk Festival in late April includes a number of Scandinavian dance events in its programming.
• Massachusetts, Montague: Scandinavian dance, music for traditional couples dancing on 3rd Sundays. Live music.
• Michigan, Ann Arbor Fourth Saturdays from September to April except December.
• Minnesota, Minneapolis: Listings for several dances (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Sundays, occasional Friday).
• Minnesota, Minneapolis: Tapestry Folk Center hosts 1st Sunday Scandinavian dancing (including waltz, schottish, polka, and snoa) with live music.
• Minnesota, Minneapolis: 2nd and 4th Sunday Scandinavian Dance. Dances include gammaldans (waltz, polka, schottische, mazurka, and hambo) plus polskas, pols, springars, mixers and more. Live music.
• Minnesota, Nisswa Nisswa-Stamman is an annual Scandinavian Folk Music Festival which includes some dancing and is held in June.
• Missouri, St. Louis: Scandinavian Bygdedans (village dancing), or general international couple dances on various Sundays. Dances are occasionally taught or reviewed.
• Nebraska, Omaha: Wednesdays plus a weekend in February
• New Hampshire, Littleton: Nordic Fiddles & Feet, a week of Swedish and Norwegian music and dance in late June/early July.
• New Jersey, Bound Brook: Two Thursday evenings per month.
• New Mexico, Socorro: Southwest International Folk Dance Institute's Folk Dance Camp in August includes Scandinavian dance as a major part of its offerings.
• New York, New York: Wednesday nights with gammaldans favorites (schottis, waltz, hambo, polka), and featured polskas or other bygdedans (regional dance) variations from Sweden and Norway with live music.
• Oregon, Astoria: Scandinavian Midsummer Festival in mid-June includes participatory dance and lessons.
• Oregon, Portland: Scandieclectic does un-choreographed social dancing on many Sundays, mostly waltz, as they do at Argentine vals tango or Waltz Eclectic dances, based on the fundamental traveling rotary ideas of traditional scandinavian folkdances, combined with cross-step waltz--danced to an eclectic mix of traditional scandinavian, folk-waltz, and modern music. Also see the Random Waltz site.
• Oregon, Portland: Norske Runddansere sponsors dances every Monday night except holidays with an hour of instruction during non-summer months and workshops and special dances at various times throughout the year.
• Oregon, Portland: Portland Scandinavian Midsummer Festival in late June.
• Oregon, Salem: Portland dancing includes listings for the monthly Scandia of Salem's Fourth Friday (but not always) dance.
• Vermont, Fairlee: Ski Dance Weekend with skiing, dancing and music-making in late January. Updated URL (January 17, 2010)
• Utah, Salt Lake City: Salt Lake Scandi Dance on 2nd Saturdays, 1st and 4th Mondays, and 2 workshops each year New entry (September 26, 2014)
• Washington, Bainbridge Island: Scandinavian dancing with easy mixers to bygdedans on 1st Saturdays during non-summer months.
• Washington, Bellingham: Monthly Scandinavian Dance Parties are held at Norway Hall on the second Saturday of the month to live music.
• Washington, Bellingham: Classes on Wednesday evenings at Norway Hall.
• Washington, Burlington: Classes on Monday evenings at Burlington Lutheran Church.
• Washington, Lynnwood: Scandinavian dance parties on 1st and 3rd Fridays with live music.
• Washington, Poulsbo: Nordic dancing with instruction on Mondays.
• Washington, Port Angeles: Scandinavian and ballroom dancing on Sundays.
• Washington, Seabeck: Springdans Northwest, annual dance and music weekend held in April.
• Washington, Seattle: Skandia Folkdance Society holds dance parties on the 1st and 3rd Fridqys of the month (sometimes 5th Fridays) along with classes and other events at other times.
• Washington, Seattle: Classes in Scandinavian dancing on Wednesday and Thursday evenings at the Phinney Neighborhood Center.
• West Virginia, High View: Buffalo on the Danube weekend which includes Scandinavian and other international music and dance.
• West Virginia, Shepherdstown Upper Potoma Scandinavian Fiddle and Dance Weekend in late January.
• Wisconsin, Dodgeville: Folklore Village Farm hosts occasional Scandinavian dance and music events
• Wisconsin, Dodgeville: Hardanger Fiddle Association of America Annual Workshop and Meeting in July.
• Background: What Is A Hardanger Fiddle?
• Bands: Andrea Hoag, Loretta Kelley and Charlie Pilzer are featured artists on recordings such as "Hambo in the Snow".
• Bands: Ingevalds Spelmän is a Scandinavian dance band in Lawrence, Kansas. They organize and play for community Scandinavian social events that include potluck meals, opportunities to socialize, dance, and enjoy the music. New entry (February 9, 2017)
• Organizations: Hardanger Fiddle Association of America.
• Organizations: American Nyckelharpa Association.

This page is part of the Contrdancelinks.com web site. For more information about contra dancing, visit these other site pages:

*The Colorado link will bring you to Dancing on the Web. The Maine link will bring you to the Downeast Friends of the Folk Arts. The New Mexico link will bring you to the New Mexico Folk Music and Dance Society. The Utah link will bring you to Utah Contradance Information. These fine organizations and individuals already have complete listings for these states and there is no reason for me to duplicate their efforts.

**As far as I know, there are no regular dances or events in Mississippi, South Dakota or Wyoming, but I have created pages if something changes in the future.

http://www.contradancelinks.com/waltz.html
Produced by Charlie Seelig
This page last updated on November 29, 2019.