At Cincinnati Contra Dance, we believe that everyone can find joy in dancing, embrace their unique rhythm, and contribute to creating a vibrant and connected community.
Our Mission
We are dedicated to providing a lively and welcoming space for individuals to enjoy contra dancing, learn new dance moves, and connect with others who share a passion for folk dancing.
Our Vision
Our vision is to foster a thriving contra dance community in Cincinnati, where people from all walks of life come together to experience the joy and camaraderie of traditional folk dancing.
Our local Cincinnati Contra Bands
We are very fortunate to have such a large number of excellent bands who provide live music for the dances on a rotating basis. Here are our current groups:
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Gem City Revelers
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O Come All Ye
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Serendipity
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Sweet Corn String Band
Please see this link if you are interested in playing with our Open Band or bringing your band into our band rotation.
Our Callers
We not only have a large number of excellent bands, we also have a sizable group of fine callers who lead the dances on a rotating basis. Here are our current active callers:
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Liz Burkhart
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Frank Buschelmann
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Bob Duffy
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Steve Edwards
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Margaret Ann Goodman
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Kenny Greer
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Dan Kappus
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Beth Mast
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Nicholas Rockstroh
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Darlene Underwood
Cincinnati Contra Bylaws
The latest version of the bylaws was adopted at the 10/25/21 membership meeting. Please click here to see the document.
Our Board
These are the board members elected by the membership for the 2024-2025 term:
Executive Committee
Steve Edwards – Facilitator
Philip Ogston – Co-Facilitator
Larry Lankford – Treasurer
Cori Yaeger – Secretary
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Committee Members At-large
Valerie Allendorf
Bonnie Carpenter
Deven Corzine
Audrey Eyman
Josh Telecsan
Charles Wallner
Myra Mitchell
Michael Hentz
Kurt Grannan
Meeting Minutes
Up-to-date meeting minutes are located at: ​Meeting minutes available soon​​​​​
​Governance Definitions
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Bylaw – a rule or law established by an organization or community to regulate itself. Bylaws can only be amended by the process stated in the Bylaws.
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Procedure – step-by-step instructions on implementing the policies.
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Policy – a general statement designed to facilitate an organization to carry out its duties they are as outlined in the bylaws.
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Directive – an instruction or guideline that indicates how to perform an action or reach a goal. A directive can come from the general membership to the board as a whole, to officers or to committees. It can also come from a board to a committee or a committee to a subcommittee.
Contra Etiquette
Dancer Expectations Cincinnati Contra Dancers aims to create a friendly, welcoming space for all. For safe and fun dancing, our community expects the following from all dancers:
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Foster a culture of respect and consent when interacting with everyone on and off the dance floor.
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Don’t make assumptions about what someone else wants.
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Just because they dance a certain way with one partner does not mean they want to dance that way with everyone. Communicate!
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Ask if your partner wants to be twirled, dipped, lifted off the floor, etc. Respect any requests to cease an interaction that is making someone uncomfortable.​
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​Please use good judgment when choosing to drink alcohol or use other intoxicants. Insobriety cannot be tolerated on the dance floor.
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Use your voice if someone is interacting with you in a way that makes you uncomfortable; saying “no, stop, ouch, or I don’t like” can work well.
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Some dancers are sensitive or allergic to highly scented products such as perfume or aftershave. Please refrain from wearing fragrances and be sensitive to other odors that might cling to you.
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Verbal or physical harassment of any kind is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Examples of inappropriate behavior include, but are not limited to:
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Unwanted close dancing or other unwanted physical contact
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Rough or forceful dancing, including using physical strength to force a turn or flourish
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Twirling new dancers without express consent
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Making unwanted advances
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Shouting, deliberately intimidating, or making prejudicial comments If you experience or witness inappropriate behavior, or encounter a problem at one of the dances that you would like help resolving, please speak to a Cincinnati Contra Dancers board member. You can also send an email to contrasecretary@gmail.com and request a response from our current board facilitator. Dancers behaving inappropriately may be asked to leave the dance. We’re happy that you’re here, and we hope that you have a great time contra dancing! Amendment approved by the board on 05.07.2023: “If a dancer has a conflict with an individual, he/she is encouraged to resolve the conflict with that individual. If that is not feasible, please contact the board via 513-608-9362 (voice or text) or valerieallendorf@icloud.com
Contact Cincinnati Contra Dancers
You can reach out to us to learn more about our dance community and how to participate.
Contact Valerie at ​513-608-9362 (voice or text)
Email: valerieallendorf@icloud.com