Welcome to ContraMontreal!
- Community-oriented: Our dances have dancers of all ages, genders, and experience levels, and anyone can dance with anyone!
- Live music: We always dance to live music, by talented local or travelling musicians.
- No experience necessary: Contra dancing is very beginner friendly. All dances are taught just before they are danced. If you can walk you can dance!
If you have never been to a contra dance before please read our New Dancer FAQ.
Schedule
We usually dance two weekends a month, alternating Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons. During the summer we dance about once per month in the afternoon.
Always check the time and date before coming as our calendar may not be perfectly regular. See our full calendar below.
Our typical times are:
- 2:30pm - 3pm: Introductory lesson, recommended for new dancers
- 3pm - 5:30pm: Contra dance
or
- 6:30pm - 7pm: Introductory lesson, recommended for new dancers
- 7pm - 9:30pm: Contra dance
Location
Our dances are usually at Patro Villeray, 7355 Avenue Christophe-Colomb, Montreal.
Getting there:
- Metro: The closest metro station is Jean-Talon, on the orange and blue lines, a ten minute walk from the hall.
- Bike: There are bike lanes on Christophe-Colomb and bike parking in front of the hall. There are BIXI stations nearby as well.
- Car: Parking is available in the parking lot in front of the building, accessible from Avenue Christophe-Colomb, or the parking lot behind the building, accessible from Rue Everett.
Go in the main entrance on Avenue Christophe-Colomb, then go down the hallway to the left to find Room R.01.
Please be advised that there is major construction on Avenue Christophe-Colomb, and the road may be closed to vehicles at times. The area is still passable on foot and bike.
Cost
We have a sliding scale payment system.
- Minimum: $8
- Suggested: $15-20
- Sponsor: $25-30
- Children under 13: no minimum
We offer this price flexibility to keep our dances accessible while also being able to pay our talented musicians and callers. Cash is preferred, but we also accept Interac e-Transfer and PayPal.
Safety
To keep all of our dancers and our community safe, please stay home if you have cold or flu-like symptoms, even if they are minor. Masks are optional at all of our dances.
Contact
- Subscribe to our mailing list to find out about upcoming dances and other news.
- Follow us on Instagram @contramontreal
- Follow us on Facebook @contramontreal
- Join our Facebook group Montreal Contra Dances
- Email us at info@contramontreal.org
Dances this season
Afternoon dance
Saturday, August 24, 2024
1:30pm - 4:30pm
Patro Villeray Room R.01
Band: Grace Henrickson-Jones and Jacob deGroot-Maggetti
Caller: Qwill Duvall
Open band! Contact us if you would like to play!
Saturday, September 14, 2024
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Patro Villeray Room R.01
Band: Open Band
Caller: Luke Donforth
Saturday, September 28, 2024
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Patro Villeray Room R.01
Band: Les Quatre Patates
Caller: Peter Simonyi
Saturday, October 12, 2024
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Patro Villeray Room R.01
Band: Steve Jones & Marie-Christine Lance
Caller: On Call
On Call is our caller's collective featuring exciting local talent
Saturday, October 26, 2024
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Patro Villeray Room R.01
Band: Richard Forest & Jean Rhéaume
Caller: Nicholas Smith
Saturday, November 09, 2024
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Patro Villeray Room R.01
Band: Carmen Guérard, Liette Remon, & André Marchand
Caller: Mary Collins
Saturday, November 23, 2024
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Patro Villeray Room R.01
Band: Jacob deGroot-Maggetti & Friends
Caller: Drew Delaware
Sunday afternoon dance. Room 1.01
Sunday, December 08, 2024
1:30pm - 4:30pm
Patro Villeray Room 1.01
Band: Cojiro & Grace Hendrickson-Jones
Caller: Jonathan Werk
Saturday, December 14, 2024
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Patro Villeray Room R.01
Band: Open Band
Caller: Rick Szumski
No dance. Happy Holidays!
Saturday, December 28, 2024
Afternoon dance. Room 1.03
Saturday, January 11, 2025
3:00pm - 6:00pm, Introductory lesson 3:00pm - 3:30pm
Patro Villeray Room 1.03
Band: Les Quatre Patates
Caller: On Call
Saturday, January 25, 2025
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Patro Villeray Room R.01
Band: Open Band
Caller: Nicholas Smith
Saturday, February 08, 2025
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Patro Villeray Room R.01
Band: Kittiwake
Caller: On Call
Saturday, February 22, 2025
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Patro Villeray Room R.01
Band: Open Band
Caller: Jonathan Werk
Sunday afternoon dance. Room 1.01
Sunday, March 02, 2025
1:30pm - 4:30pm, Introductory lesson 1:30pm - 2:00pm
Patro Villeray Room 1.01
Band: Stove Dragon
Caller: Grace Hendrickson-Jones
Saturday, March 08, 2025
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Patro Villeray Room R.01
Band: Trèfle: Patrice Boucher, Nicolas Villeneuve, & Louis-Philippe Pharand
Caller: On Call
Saturday, March 22, 2025
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Patro Villeray Room R.01
Band: KLEZ contra: Isaac Beaudet Lefebvre, François-Xavier Dueymes, Zafer Mamilli & Eden Glasman
Caller: Grace Hendrickson-Jones
Room 1.01
Saturday, April 05, 2025
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Patro Villeray Room 1.01
Band: Open Band
Caller: Evan De Smitt
Room 1.02 - 1.03
Saturday, April 19, 2025
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Patro Villeray Room 1.02 - 1.03
Band: Kittiwake
Caller: On Call
Afternoon dance
Saturday, May 03, 2025
3:00pm - 6:00pm, Introductory lesson 3:00pm - 3:30pm
Patro Villeray Room R.01
Band: Open Band
Caller: Peter Simonyi
Saturday, May 24, 2025
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Patro Villeray Room R.01
Band: Carmen Guérard, Sylvie Ladouceur & Jean Rhéaume
Caller: Grace Hendrickson-Jones
Saturday, June 14, 2025
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Patro Villeray Room R.01
Band: Richard Forest, Jean Rhéaume, & Suzie Blanchette
Caller: On Call
Saturday, June 28, 2025
1:30pm - 4:30pm
Patro Villeray Room R.01
Band: Cojiro with Grace Hendrickson-Jones
Caller: Nicholas Smith
Saturday, July 12, 2025
1:30pm - 4:30pm
Patro Villeray Room R.01
Band: Open Band
Caller: On Call
Saturday, August 23, 2025
1:30pm - 4:30pm
Patro Villeray Room TBD
Band: TBD
Caller: TBD
Free dance!
Sunday, September 07, 2025
2:30pm - 5:30pm
Patro Villeray Room TBD
Band: Open Band
Caller: On Call
Saturday, September 20, 2025
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Patro Villeray Room TBD
Band: TBD
Caller: TBD
Sunday, October 05, 2025
2:30pm - 5:30pm
Patro Villeray Room TBD
Band: Frost & Fire
Caller: Luke Donforth
Saturday, October 18, 2025
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Patro Villeray Room TBD
Band: TBD
Caller: TBD
Sunday, November 09, 2025
2:30pm - 5:30pm
Patro Villeray Room TBD
Band: TBD
Caller: TBD
Saturday, November 22, 2025
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Patro Villeray Room TBD
Band: TBD
Caller: TBD
Sunday, December 07, 2025
2:30pm - 5:30pm
Patro Villeray Room TBD
Band: TBD
Caller: TBD
Saturday, December 20, 2025
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Patro Villeray Room TBD
Band: TBD
Caller: TBD
