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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May Day!
Photo by Sarah Gowan
Belmont Plateau in Fairmount Park, 5:50am (yes). The Morris teams will dance the sun up, with songs, maypole, and general revelry as everyone holds tight to their cups of coffee and sprigs of garden flowers. Usually winds up around 7:30. Rain or shine.
Don't miss it!
May 3rd
1st Saturday Workshop & Evening Dance
Bruce Hamilton from Palo Alto, CA
A Joyful Noise - Kathy Talvitie, Barbara Greenberg, Daniel Beerbohm
What Bruce does when he's not dancing!
3:00 - 5:30 Afternoon Workshop: letting yourself dance intuitively... nonverbal conversations ... finding the gifts, the moments of generosity. A few dances you probably don't know, and bit of storytelling, too.
7:30 - 10:30 Evening Dance: more of the same, with more dancing, less teaching.
- 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.
Sunday, May 4th, 2-5 pm
Fish & Chips Tea Dance
Our annual rehearsed Open Band, led by Bob Pasquarello
Sue Dupre calling.
- You're encouraged to wear black and white, just for fun.
- Admission: $10+
- Location: Summit Presbyterian Church, Mt. Airy
- Tea break will be in the parlor. Please bring ready-to-serve bite-sized snacks to share!
The Teen Barn Dance
Saturday, May 10th
Meeting on 2nd Saturday evenings at Summit Church, November thru May. Details here: Teen Barn Dance.
Dance camp time!
It's time to register for your summer fun. Weeks with English Country Dancing and weeks for families tend to fill up fast. CDSS Camp Weeks.
You might also enjoy the dance camps Hey Days, run by the Bay Area Country Dance Society (BACDS) in June, and Ashokan Northern Week in July.
GCD organizational matters
First Aid Kit: Merion Friends has put a large new First Aid kit in the hall. It is on the kitchen counter next to the (inside) door.
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.
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.)