“Square dancing just got fierce.” -San Francisco Bay Guardian.

If you’ve heard me yak on about this Queer Contra dance thing I’m helping organize in the Bay Area, and you’re curious and want to check it out, our first dance of the new season is this Sunday at Ashkenaz in Berkeley, from 6 to 9. And before you ask– the dance is aimed at queer folk, but we genuinely welcome anybody of any sexual orientation.

And also before you ask — you absolutely do not have to have any dance experience whatsoever to join in our dance. We are very beginner-friendly; all the dances are taught and called; and there are always lots of beginners at our dances, so you’ll be in good company. (All ages are welcome, and we don’t serve hooch.)

If you haven’t heard me yak on about contra dancing, here’s a little more about it. Contra is a boisterous, flirtatious, energetic dance form that’s related to both American and English country dancing. (Try to imagine a Jane Austen hoedown.) It’s danced in a set of two parallel lines; each couple progresses up and down the set, so everyone gets a chance to dance with everyone else, making it friendly and social. (You don’t need to come with a partner — lots of people come to the dances alone, and we switch partners quite promiscuously throughout the evening.) The music is lively and bouncy, similar to both old-time American and traditional Scots-Irish, and we always dance to live music. The SF Queer Contra is “gender-free,” which means anyone can dance with anyone regardless of gender, and anyone can take the “lead” or “follow” position in any dance.

And it’s more fun than a barrel of monkeys. (I’ve always wondered about that phrase, by the way. A barrel of monkeys doesn’t actually seem like that much fun to me.) It’s joyous and boingy, flirty and friendly, goofy and exhilarating, and I always leave the dance with a gigantic grin on my face.

You can visit our Website for more info about who we are, or to get a feel for the dance by looking at more photos. (If you visit our Website, don’t be fooled by our out-of-date calendar — we know, we’re working on it, it’ll be updated soon.) And again, our next dance will be at Ashkenaz in Berkeley, which is at 1317 San Pablo Avenue (near Gilman St.), from 6 to 9 pm. If you’re a newcomer, it’s good to get there early if you can, to get more of the teaching. Admission is 10 bucks on a “pay what you can” sliding scale, and nobody is ever turned away for lack of funds. Drop me a note if you have any questions. Hope to see you there!