Capital City Contra
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Come dance contra with us! We usually dance on the 3rd Saturday from 7-9pm at the First Presbyterian Church in Springfield, IL - NW corner of 7th and Capitol.
Check our posts for details, and click the SIGN UP button to sign up for our mailing list! Introducing Capital City Contra, a volunteer-run organization building community relationships and hosting public contra dances with live old-time music jamming in the Springfield, IL area! What is contra dancing? Contra is an American folk dance that is danced socially today around the world by folks of all ages and experience levels! Contra is a group partner dance danced to live music with steps called by a caller. With roots in UK and African folk traditions, old-time genre music and contra dancing are folk-fusion art forms that embody the cross-cultural musical and dance exchanges that happened within melting-pot America in its early stages - a country formed by immigrants brought together by choice, necessity, and by force. For this reason, contra dancing and old-time music are the cultural heritage of everyone on American soil, and it is a tenet of Capital City Contra to ensure that our dances are accessible, inclusive, and welcoming to all. What to expect at our dances:
While traditionally American partner dances have been called with "ladies and gents" terminology, there is a growing movement in the worldwide contra dance community to transition to gender-neutral terminology, such as "Larks" for Leads who are on the Left, and "Robins" for follows who are on the Right. Genderless calling seeks to create a dance environment where dancers of all ages and genders are welcome to dance a lead or a follow role. Capital City Contra is committed to maintaining a contra community culture that supports folks of all ages in learning to dance all roles. In partnership with First Presbyterian Church and Lincoln Land Community College, Capital City Contra dances will happen monthly on a pay-what-you-can $0-25 sliding scale basis. Occasionally, additional special dances take place. Musicians are welcome to bring instruments and join in with our volunteer old-time band playing live music for dances. Interested in becoming a contra dance caller? Send us an email for more information! We hope you'll join us for a do-si-do and look forward to dancing with you soon!
08/10/2026
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We're not going to hold a dance on Saturday, Aug. 15. but will return in September.
BUT FEAR NOT!! We will be dancing again on Saturday, September 19! Mark your calendars and invite a couple friends, make it a wonderful fall evening of dancing with us!
Thanks so much for continuing to support this dance group! See you again soon!
Keith Tuxhorn
Dance coordinator
07/16/2026
COME dance with us on Saturday July 18 from 7-9pm.
Location
1st Presbyterian Church, 321 S. 7th St. in Springfield, northwest corner of Capitol and 7th Streets.
Live music with Peaches and Bacon. Caller Keith Tuxhorn.
• We want everyone to learn, be comfortable dancing and have fun.
• We start with beginners' lessons, then dances to match the skill level of the dancers in the hall.
• No partner or costume needed; dress casual and comfortable.
• Water and snacks provided.
• Admission is free, with free-will donations to help defray costs.
Parking and Entry
Limited parking behind the church (enter off Capitol Avenue). Street parking nearby. Enter through the back door of the church, where someone will direct you to the dance in the basement.
Video from 5/16 Contra dance. Thanks to Sallie Roberts for the video. Please join us Saturday 6/20 for a night of dancing!
06/18/2026
COME dance with us on Saturday June 20 from 7-9pm.
Location
1st Presbyterian Church, 321 S. 7th St. in Springfield, northwest corner of Capitol and 7th Streets.
Live music! Our musicians for this dance will be fiddler William Wilkey from Peaches and Bacon and P. T. Grover, former long-time member of the Foghorn String Band. Caller Keith Tuxhorn.
• We want everyone to learn, be comfortable dancing and have fun.
• We start with beginners' lessons, then dances to match the skill level of the dancers in the hall.
• No partner or costume needed; dress casual and comfortable.
• Water and snacks provided.
• Admission is free, with free-will donations to help defray costs.
Parking and Entry
Limited parking behind the church (enter off Capitol Avenue). Street parking nearby. Enter through the back door of the church, where someone will direct you to the dance in the basement.
06/16/2026
Hi dancers! Some news, and a couple requests...
DANCE LOCATION
Our group got some good news on our dance location. We have been confirmed to have our dance space every 3rd Saturday through September AT First Presbyterian Church, Springfield, and it looks good for our dance dates through December, too! So, plan on coming to the church at the NW corner of 7th and Capitol through the rest of the year!
DANCE DATES - 3rd SATURDAYS
Put these 3rd Saturday dance dates we've confirmed into your calendar:
• June 20
• July 18
• August 15
• September 19
And these are the Saturdays we will probably get, but haven't been 100% confirmed yet:
• October 17
• November 21
• December 19
INVITE SOME FRIENDS TO DANCE!
One of our dancers invited 12 dancers to come dance with us last month--and they did! We all had a great time, with almost 30 people attending!... We ask you to keep in mind any kind of groups you're involved in that may enjoy trying out our easy and fun dance style, and encourage them to show up.
ADMISSION IS STILL FREE-WILL
Our dance admission is whatever you are able to donate. If you can't contribute, come anyway, we still want you to have a fun night. We suggest $5-10 if you can swing it, that amount will defray most of the costs we have to put on the dance. But help however much you can, and get over here to dance!
NEXT DANCE: SATURDAY JUNE 20, 7-9PM
The next dance is THIS SATURDAY, June 20, from 7-9 pm. Live music, all dances taught and called, casual dress. See you then!
05/10/2026
Join us Saturday 5/16/2026 for fun on the dance floor with Capital City Contra Dance!
Saturday, May 16, from 7-9 pm
1st Presbyterian Church
321 S. 7th Street
Springfield, IL
corner of Capitol and 7th Streets
LIVE MUSIC by Peaches and Bacon
Caller Keith Tuxhorn
All dances start with a beginners’ lesson and simple dances. Dances are then selected for the dancers in the hall.
No partner or costumes are required - dress casual and comfortable.
Water and snacks are provided, and dancers are welcome to bring a snack to share.
Admission is free, with donations encouraged to help defray costs. We suggest $5-10, but whatever you can do is fine; we want you to be here to enjoy the dance.
Parking and Entry
Some parking is available behind the church (enter off Capitol Avenue), and also on and across the street. Enter through the back door of the church, where someone will direct you to the dance in the basement.
Please invite friends to come with you and join us; more dancers add to the fun!
04/16/2026
Join us Saturday 4/18 for fun on the dance floor with Capital City Contra Dance!
Saturday, April 18, from 7-9 pm
1st Presbyterian Church
321 S. 7th Street
Springfield, IL
corner of Capitol and 7th Streets
LIVE MUSIC by Peaches and Bacon
Caller Keith Tuxhorn
All dances start with a beginners’ lesson and simple dances. Dances are then selected for the dancers in the hall.
No partner or costumes are required - dress casual and comfortable.
Water and snacks are provided, and dancers are welcome to bring a snack to share.
Admission is free, with donations encouraged to help defray costs. We suggest $5-10, but whatever you can do is fine; we want you to be here to enjoy the dance.
Parking and Entry
Some parking is available behind the church (enter off Capitol Avenue), and also on and across the street. Enter through the back door of the church, where someone will direct you to the dance in the basement.
Please invite friends to come with you and join us; more dancers add to the fun!
03/15/2026
🌱🌱🌱Come dance in the beginning of Spring with us! Next
Saturday, 3/21 at First Presbyterian Church of Springfield, Illinois, at 7PM. Come solo or bring family and friends! All levels of ability welcome. Live old-time music!🎻🪕🎻
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