Contra Omaha

05/26/2026

https://www.3newsnow.com/papillion-lavista-ralston-bellevue/patriotic-square-dancers-celebrate-memorial-day-weekend-battle-for-relevance-in-2026

The Omaha Area Square Dance Council held its annual festival as dancers look to bring more interest to to the hobby.

05/11/2026

04/20/2026

Dance practice is on for tomorrow night, April 21, 2026. Come and join us to explore your Scandinavian heritage! (Join us even if you don't have any Scandinavian heritage and you just like to dance!) We meet almost every Tuesday night at Morning Star Lutheran Church, 331 S 85th St, Omaha, NE from 7 to 9 pm. In May we'll be dancing under the historic Danish windmill in Elk Horn, IA at the Tivoli Fest in Elk Horn Iowa! Come and see how much fun we have!

04/13/2026

Join us for the April Contra Dance! Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 7:30 pm at Seymour Elementary School, in Ralston, NE.Contra dancing is derived from Old English dancing (a la Pride and Prejudice). It is very similar to square dancing, but danced in long lines instead of squares - and it's much more active! All ages are welcome! No experience necessary, no partner necessary - all dances are taught and it's great fun! (As well as great exercise!) There are callers to walk you through all the moves and terrific live music! All you need is a smile and comfortable shoes aren't too grippy! Admission: $6.00 adults $3.00 students Live music: River Town String Band Caller: Kate McBride

04/13/2026

In the heart of the Peterborough Town House in New Hampshire, a silence has ended. For decades, the hall echoed with the driving rhythm of contra dance tunes, anchored by the rich, booming bass of a massive Chickering grand piano. Known affectionately to locals as “Bob’s Piano,” after the legendary musician Bob McQuillen who played it for 60 years, this instrument is more than just wood and wire.

After a year of silence and meticulous craftsmanship, the piano has returned home fully restored. The restoration project, a massive undertaking fueled by community donations and grants from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, was officially completed in November 2025. As the town prepares for a grand celebration in April, we take a look back at the incredible journey that saved this 1890s masterpiece from the dump.

Read more in the latest issue of the CDSS News: https://cdss.org/publications/read/cdss-news-magazine/

Photos by restorer Jim laleggio. Bob McQuillen photo courtesy of the Monadnock Folklore Society.
[Image description: a collage of photos of the piano and its restoration. Clockwise from the upper right: (1) The restored piano, with the desk that spells out “McQuillen” in the scrollwork, standing on the stage in the Town Hall (2) Bob McQuillen playing the historic Chickering piano in the Peterborough Town House (3) A row of restored dampers installed in the piano (4) Jim installs ribs into the open soundboard (5) Jim sets the hammers on the line of keys (temporarily) removed from the piano.]

03/16/2026

Join us for our March Contra! Saturday, March 21, 2026 at Seymour Elementary School, Ralston, Nebraska. Contra dancing is derived from Old English dancing (a la Pride and Prejudice). It is very similar to square dancing, but danced in long lines instead of squares - and it's much more active! All ages are welcome! No experience necessary, no partner necessary - all dances are taught and it's great fun! (As well as great exercise!) There are callers to walk you through all the moves and terrific live music! All you need is a smile and comfortable shoes aren't too grippy! Admission: $6.00 adults $3.00 students Live music: River Town String Band Caller: Josh Tucker

01/17/2026

NEFFA attracts over 2000 attendees from all over the country and overseas and features close to 1000 performers. The Festival is unique because of the participatory nature of the events. Not only are there concerts and performances, but there are also opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to engage with music, dance, and folk arts culture. There is music everywhere! You will find jam sessions, instrument workshops, group singing, and traditional music throughout the Festival.

The Festival is known for its varied social dance program, which includes: Contra and traditional square dancing, international folk dancing, couple dancing, waltzing, English country, Scandinavian, and more. There are plenty of introductory workshops, as well as sessions geared towards intermediate and advanced dancers. A particular favorite is the no walk-through contra dance medley, which originated at the NEFFA Festival.

2026 is our 82nd annual Festival and we hope that you will join us!

NEFFA Festival Homepage: https://www.neffa.org/festival-home/

12/14/2025

Join us for our Christmas/December Contra! Saturday, December 20th, 2025 at Seymour Elementary School, Ralston, Nebraska. Dress in your Christmas best! Contra dancing is derived from Old English dancing (a la Pride and Prejudice). It is very similar to square dancing, but danced in long lines instead of squares - and it's much more active! All ages are welcome! No experience necessary, no partner necessary - all dances are taught and it's great fun! (As well as great exercise!) There are callers to walk you through all the moves and terrific live music!
All you need is a smile and comfortable shoes aren't too grippy!
Admission: $6.00 adults
$3.00 students

11/21/2025

7 years ago at NEFFA Folk Festival, Mansfield, MA