photo: What a great Ball! Circles in Wrights of Lichfield
Every week
Join us for our regular Wednesday evening English Country Dance at Merion Friends Meeting Activities Building (logistical details below).
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CDSS Executive Board visits Philadelphia
January 22-26th
The Exec Board of the Country Dance & Song Society (CDSS), of which GCD is a longtime affiliate, will be visiting Philadelphia for five days in January.
Mark your calendars for this chance to have extra dancing, discussing, eating, singing, and fun together!
Schedule in brief
- Wednesday, January 22
ECD @ Merion: CDSS Board members Luanne Stiles and Juliette Webb join Robert Mills to call the regular Wednesday GCD evening. - Thursday, January 23
Contra @ The Irish Center, Mt. Airy: Coordinating-caller night, with CDSS board members invited to participate. - Friday, January 24
Community Picnic + Contra @ Park Ave in Swarthmore: Board members David Smukler (NY) and Diane Silver (NC) calling. Boxwood leading SPUDS open band. - Saturday, January 25
Community Picnic + ECD @ Summit Church: GCD callers, with TBA locals and guest CDSS board members playing. - Sunday, January 26 11am - 2pm
All Community Meeting @ The Irish Center, Mt. Airy: with the CDSS Board. Come share your ideas, concerns, questions!
Lots more information here: CDSS Exec Visit full schedule and details. We could also use some help with hosting, meals, driving, etc. Please reach out to Sandy Rotenberg if you can lend a hand with any of these.
1st Saturday Workshop & Evening Dance, February 1st
Orly Krasner from NYC calling
Music by Robert Mills, Paul Oorts, and David Knight
3:00 - 5:30 Afternoon Workshop
7:30 - 10:30 Evening Dance
- The Saturday events are programmed for **intermediate and experienced dancers.
- Admission: Sliding scale, see prices below.
- Location: Summit Presbyterian Church, Mt. Airy
- Tea break will be in the parlor. Please bring ready-to-serve bite-sized snacks to share.
Next Wednesday Open Band coming up! February 5th
Play for some or all of the evening. Please start practicing! See the Open Band page for the program and all the details about tempo, character, video links etc for each dance.
From the GCD Board
GCD Code of Conduct: This year, the GCD Board formalized a code of conduct which reflects the values that have always been a part of our community. Please read them now and again!: Code of Conduct PDF.
New COVID guidelines (11/2024): Masks are optional but welcome for all GCD dances. Please stay home if you have potential symptoms. Also if you or a household member has had a positive test within 10 days, unless you now have tested negative. We inform our participants if anyone tests positive following a GCD event. Thus 1) you will be asked to sign a contact information form the first time you attend a GCD event, and 2) If you test positive within 3 days of attending a GCD event, you must let the board know (your identity will not be revealed in the public email sent out). Full COVID policy PDF.
Regular Dances and Events
| When? | What? | Where? |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesdays Year round (occasional exceptions) 7:30 pm – Arrive for new dancers' orientation |
English Country Dancing
Sliding scale Admission: |
Merion Friends Meeting Activities Building |
| First Saturdays October - May 3:00–5:30 pm – Afternoon Workshop | ECD for intermediate and experienced dancers** see below
Sliding-Scale Admission: |
Summit Church, Mt. Airy |
| Mt. Airy Barn Dance 1st Sundays, November – April 2:00–3:45 pm |
Old time fun for all ages: FaceBook page
Adults $5-10, kids and teens (age 4-18) $3-5. |
Summit Church, Mt. Airy |
Before you come...
On Wednesday evenings and at the Mt. Airy Barn Dance, new dancers are always welcome! Each dance is taught, then prompted. You don't need to bring a partner, as we change partners throughout the session. Friendly folk will ask you to dance. English Country Dancing is community dancing, where one of the pleasures is interacting with everyone in the room.
Please wear flat-soled shoes.
** First Saturday workshops and evening programs are more difficult than on Wednesdays. The programs are intended for intermediate and experienced dancers who know standard figures, such as casts and leads, siding, single and double figures of eight, and all manner of heys.
Venues
Germantown Country Dancers holds dances in two locations:
Merion Friends Meeting Activities Building 615 Montgomery Ave, Merion, PA 19066 (on the Main Line)
Summit Church, Mt. Airy, Westview & Greene Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19119
Join us!
Do you appreciate the events GCD sponsors for dancers and musicians? For a small amount, you can become an Official Member of this great organization! (With the side-benefit of guaranteed Ball admission if you register in time.)