We will be continuing to dance at the Shiloh Center through at least the end of May.  We are continuing to investigate other venues.  Contra Council will keep the community updated as we continue to discern which venues might best suit the needs of our community.  Please feel free to email us with any questions or concerns!

Just as a heads up, the weekly dance will return to Friday nights starting in March.  March 16 will be our first Friday dance of the season.

Make sure to check out the directions page for more information about parking and venue information for the Shiloh Center.

Directions

We’d love for all of you to attend as many dances as possible. A full dance hall is great for everyone — the band, the caller, experienced dancers, and brand-new beginners all benefit from a bunch of nice long lines full of people like you.

With that in mind, we are delighted to announce the Pittsburgh Contra Dance Season Pass! Starting now, Spring 2018 Season Passes are available for $110.  Not only is this very nearly half-price for a full season of dancing, it’s also a great way to show your support for the local dance community! You can sign up at any Friday dance, or pay securely online by following this link: https://pittsburghcontra-secure.herokuapp.com/season-pass.html

Announcement on dance location from January 6th-February 24th. We will be dancing at the Shiloh Center- at 3832 Mintwood St. Pittsburgh, PA 15201 from the beginning of January- end of February 2018 as we are looking for a more permanent location. We will be keeping the dances on Saturday evenings, due to our already confirmed arrangements with the bands and callers.

We are excited to be dancing at the Shiloh Center and we looking forward to dancing with you there!

A few things to note about the location:

Bus Transportation: There is ample bus transportation with stops very close to the venue! The 54, 64, 86, 87, 88, and 93 all make stops near by.

Parking: may be a little more difficult to find, however, there is street parking. There is also a parking lot at 37th and Mintwood (two streets over- we will have signs up directing you there!). We cannot park at the Health Department parking lot.

Accessibility: Unfortunately this location is not ADA accessible.

If you have any questions about this location, or suggestions for a longer term venue- please reach out to us at pittsburghcontradance@gmail.com or at (412) 945-0554

ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT DANCE LOCATION FROM THE CONTRA COUNCIL:

It has become clear over the last few weeks that Winchester Thurston is not working out as a home for our dances.  The school recently informed us that we cannot hold dances in the gym at all during their basketball season, which is a big chunk of the year.  The other spaces available at the school are too small or otherwise unsuitable as a permanent location for us.  This is disappointing, especially since we were very upfront about the effects of dancing feet on a polished floor before we agreed to the arrangement.

We are working now to find a stable, long-term solution for our dance venue and will share information as we investigate options. We want to be as transparent as possible with the community about this process. Please get in touch with the contra council if you have any suggestions or leads on potential venues.  Email us at pittsburghcontradance@gmail.com or call us at (412) 945-0554.

We want to emphasize that our dances will continue.  Right now there’s a question of where our dances will find their home, but this community surely will continue to come together to share dancing and music.  We are trying hard to minimize the confusion caused by changes in location so that coming together to dance is as easy as possible for everyone.  Please sign up for our weekly emails, if you haven’t already, you can do so here http://eepurl.com/bO9PaT, or check our website (pittsburghcontra.org) or our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pittsburghcontra/) for updates about dance location and scheduling.

FUTURE DANCES:

For December, it is confirmed that dances will be held every Saturday: For the 9th, the 23rd and the 30th at the dance studio at Winchester Thurston.  The Holiday Ball on Saturday the 16th will be held at the Swisshelm Park Community Center (1050 Windermere Dr, Pittsburgh, PA 15218).

For January and February, we are working to arrange to hold dances on Friday nights in the small room at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Oakland, which is where the Fall Dance Weekend is held (419 S Dithridge St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213).  This plan is not yet confirmed–we will keep the community informed about developments.

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the contra council.  We are sorry that our dance life is a little out of rhythm right now, but we hope to be back in step together as soon as possible.

We’re delighted to unveil a new Pittsburgh Contra shirt design, available at the Fall Dance Weekend. This year’s design features Pittsburgh icon, Dippy the Diplodocus.

We won’t have extras of every possible type/size/color combination available at the dance. Pre-order to guarantee exactly the shirt you want! (you’ll pay at the weekend when you pick up your shirt)

T-Shirts, “Performance” T-Shirts, Racerback Tank Tops, and Hoodies:
https://www.customink.com/g/ceq0-00b6-mapa

We’d love for all of you to attend as many dances as possible. A full dance hall is great for everyone — the band, the caller, experienced dancers and brand-new beginners all benefit from a bunch of nice long lines full of people like you.

With that in mind, we are delighted to announce the Pittsburgh Contra Dance Season Pass for Fall 2017! Sign up for a season pass and gain unfettered access to every weekly contra dance in our fall season, September 8 through December 30 (15 dances). As a season pass holder, you’ll also receive two single-use guest tickets (to help you spread the joy of contra), and a personalized “Seasoned Dancer” name-button.

Starting now, season passes will be available for $100. You can sign up at any weekly dance, or sign up online by following this link — not only is this is a hefty discount for a full season of dancing, it’s also a great way to show support for the community!