Downtown Amherst Contra Dance

06/15/2026

We dance on the third Wednesday of every month!

This month, Hannah Chamberlain visits us from Maine to call to a dynamic duo of:
🎻 Eileen Kalfass (fiddle)
🪕 Larry Unger (banjo, guitar)

WHEN:
Wednesday, June 17
7:00pm intro lesson
7:30pm - 10:00pm dance (with a short break in middle)

WHERE:
Pacific Lodge Hall, 99 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002

COVID precautions:
⚠️⚠️ NEW ⚠️⚠️ Masks are recommended, but not required.
Windows will be open, with box fans for increased ventilation.
If you have any symptoms, please stay home and rest, and we will see you next dance.

COST:
🎵 $15 - $20 general
🎓 $10 - $15 students (we have a limited number of free admissions for Five College students... arrive early and ask!)
⭐️ FREE for volunteers: email [email protected]
⚠️⚠️ NEW ⚠️⚠️ First-time dancers will now pay to attend 7:00pm lesson and dance, and get a come-back-free coupon!

No one will be turned away for lack of funds — ask about the Dancing for All Fund at the door.

Please bring your own water bottle and a pair of soft-soled shoes!

05/16/2026

Join us this Wednesday in Amherst for a great evening of dancing! Please note this dance is MASK-OPTIONAL.

Sue Gola calls to amazing music by Crossover Trio:
🎻 Carol Bittenson (fiddle)
🎹 Alex Cu***ng (keyboard & accordion)
🪈 Len Bittenson (fiddle & recorder)

WHEN:
Wednesday, May 20
7:00pm intro lesson
7:30pm - 10:00pm dance (with a short break in middle)

WHERE:
Pacific Lodge Hall, 99 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002

COVID precautions:
⚠️⚠️ NEW ⚠️⚠️ Masks are encouraged, but not required.
Windows will be open, with box fans for increased ventilation.
If you have any symptoms, please stay home and rest, and we will see you next dance.

COST:
🎵 $15 - $20 general
🎓 $10 - $15 students (we have a limited number of free admissions for Five College students... arrive early and ask!)
⭐️ FREE for volunteers: email [email protected]
⚠️⚠️ NEW ⚠️⚠️ First-time dancers who attend 7:00pm lesson get a come-back-free coupon!

No one will be turned away for lack of funds — ask about the Dancing for All Fund at the door.

Please bring your own water bottle and a pair of soft-soled shoes!

04/17/2026

tldr: The Amherst Contra is piloting 2 policy changes starting at our next dance (May 20):
1) Masks encouraged, rather than masks required
2) First-time dancers get "Come back free" coupons, rather than free admission

Full message:
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To our dancing community,

Thank you to everyone who filled out the Amherst Contra survey earlier this year, giving feedback on our masking requirement at the Downtown Amherst Contra Dance!

Considering both the community's feedback as well as our financial situation, your DACD committee has unanimously decided to pilot two changes to our dance policies:

1) We are piloting a policy of "masks encouraged" at our dances, rather than "mask required."
- We will continue to look for other ways to mitigate disease risk at our dances, including good hall ventilation whenever possible. - Rest assured we did not make this difficult decision lightly -- we appreciate and respect the variety of thoughts that have been expressed. We've made our decision taking these thoughts into account, along with the science and other factors of our dance series.
- As we have done for the past six years, we commit to continuing to monitor and evaluate the disease risk -- as well as continuing to monitor our community's sentiments.

2) First-time dancers attending our lesson will receive "Come back free" coupons, instead of free admission to their first dance.
- Many other dance series have found this incentive structure to work well.
- As always, any dancer has the option to use our Dancing For All Fund to cover or supplement their admission.

We will be piloting both of these changes beginning with our next dance on May 20, 2026.

Our website and advertising will be updated with these changes soon, but please help us get the word out!

With love,
Your Downtown Amherst Contra Dance committee
(Robbin D, Moe I, Liz N, Len B, Julian B, Hannah J, Gumby F)

04/13/2026

Join us in Amherst for a fabulous evening of contra!

Our own Hannah Johlas calls to tunes by the talented duo Mo & Michael:
🎻 Mo Brachfeld on fiddle
🎸 Michael Solomon’s on guitar

WHEN:
Wednesday, April 15
7:00pm intro lesson
7:30pm - 10:00pm dance (with a short break in middle)

WHERE:
Pacific Lodge Hall, 99 Main St, Amherst, MA 01002

COST:
🎵 $15 - $20 general
🎓 $10 - $15 students (we have a *limited number* of free admissions for Five College students... arrive early and ask!)
⭐️ FREE for volunteers: email [email protected]
💖 FREE for first-time dancers who attend 7:00pm lesson

No one will be turned away for lack of funds — ask about the Dancing for All Fund at the door.

COVID precautions:
N95 or equivalent mask required, worn snugly unless taking a sip of water. Windows will be open, with box fans for increased ventilation. If you have any symptoms, please stay home and rest, and we will see you next dance.

Please bring your own water bottle and a pair of soft-soled shoes!

03/20/2026

If you left something at our most recent dance, please contact our Lost & Found coordinator Hannah J. ([email protected])

She can work with you to reunite you with your item(s) before the next dance; or your item will be added to our lost-and-found box in the coat room at future dances.

Left behind at our March dance:
- a grey linen button down shirt, size L

03/18/2026

Band's warming up, so come out tonight and dance to Cojiro + Grace and Quill calling!!

01/28/2026

Unexpected snow days means ample time for data entry!
If you haven't completed our mask requirement feedback form yet, it only takes a minute AND provides us with valuable information as we continue to consider potential policy changes.

Link in comments!

01/10/2026

Please fill out this community survey on mask requirements at Amherst contra dances! (it's anonymous!)
https://forms.gle/TdoEhtbg9vR1WR4c6
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The Downtown Amherst Contra Dance committee is discussing a potential change to our mask requirement at dances. We have continued to monitor trends with severe respiratory illnesses, and are pleased that year after year, the severe cases of COVID-19 have significantly decreased in number. Additionally, we serve a community whose feedback includes dancers who are requesting to dance without a mask. At the same time, some members of our community continue to express concerns about catching viral illnesses at dances and long COVID. Even if a decision is made to make masks optional, we will continue to encourage folks to wear a mask, especially during respiratory illness seasons. And as always, if you feel sick, please stay home and recover.

Before making any changes, we genuinely want to hear from you, as a member of our community. We welcome all feedback regarding a change, whether positive, negative, or a mix. Your perspectives and experiences are important to us, and will help us consider all sides throughout this process. Additionally, we will continue to reserve the right to adjust our policy at a future date, especially in the case of increased infections during seasonal respiratory illness waves.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and for continuing to support our dances in whatever ways you can. We value this community deeply and are committed to making thoughtful choices that balance accessibility, safety, and sustainability.

Thank you for your feedback,
Your DACD organizing committee
(Gumby, Robbin, Hannah, Julian, Len, Liz, Moe)

The Downtown Amherst Contra Dance committee is discussing a potential change to our mask requirement at dances. We have continued to monitor trends with severe respiratory illnesses, and are pleased that year after year, the severe cases of COVID-19 have significantly decreased in number. Additional...

01/09/2026

We're excited to announce that our new website is live!
The overall content should feel familiar, with some updated look and feel and some content made a little easier to find. Let us know if you have any feedback or encounter any issues.

01/07/2026

Update: And we're back up!

Website and email may be down for some folks. We're swapping website providers, and (insert technical details here).

Should be back soon. If you need to contact us 'til then, please feel free to reach out to us here, or our group Downtown Amherst Contra Dance.