10 Years of Brooklyn Contra

Contra dance has always been a way to adapt a formal dance culture to be more accessible to everyday working people. Looking back on the time since our founding in 2010, we’ve been thrilled to co-create a community dedicated to sharing the joy of connection through contra dance with as many people as possible, now and into the future, and always mindful of the words of Pete Seeger: “When you bring people together for any purpose whatsoever, you’re in politics.“ 

For us, that has meant creating “participatory folk culture” as an alternative to the profit-driven culture fabrication of modern capitalism and the more stuffy versions of culture that separate audiences from performers. Throughout these past ten years, we tried our darndest to spread the idea that there is magic in the flow of dancers and musicians and that culture is best made by all those who enjoy it. This has manifested as a welcoming, purposeful aesthetic, a call back to our folksy roots while speaking to modern sensibilities, our collaborations within and outside of the folk dance scene, the progressive political role we play, both explicitly and implicitly, at a time when building community is so essential, and in a host of other ways.

That’s not to say we haven’t faced challenges over the past ten years. Financial, organizational,  and individual struggles, and the constant quest for affordable space in NYC have prevented us from doing all we would like. Specifically, we’ve never had the capacity to do all the organizing work we hope to do in our community and across participatory folk culture traditions. 

Today, Brooklyn Contra continues that mission by changing with our community. We are constantly rethinking ways in which we can be accessible to people of all social and economic backgrounds, and a warm and welcoming community to all people.