Contra Dance in Hawaii

The Contradancers of Hawaii's Collection of Dances and Tunes

The Hawai'i collection of traditional contra dances
and English country dances, with tunes you can play on your computer.
The collection includes
The country dances in Pride and Prejudice, from the 1995 A&E/BBC production of Jane Austen's novel.
The Hawai'i collection of tunes in abc format.
Other sources of traditional music on the Web
Other collections of contra dances on the Web

The Contradancers of Hawaii's Regular Contra Dances

Live music always. Beginners are welcome. All dances are taught.
Visitors to Hawai'i are particularly invited to attend.

There are normally two dances each month on O'ahu. There are no regularly scheduled dances on other islands.

O'ahu Dances

First-and-Third-Saturday Evening Series: on the first Saturday and the third Saturday of each month.

7:30-10:00 pm at the Kapi’olani Community College (KCC) Chapel. The Chapel is at the edge of campus, near the Diamond Head Road entrance (approximate address—4266 Diamond Head Road). It resembles a New England church. See picture and map below.

The Chapel has a nice wooden floor, and there are lots of windows as well as some heavy-duty fans. Live music is provided by Whiskey Starship.

Parking is available in a lot adjacent to the building. For information about getting to the Chapel by bus, click here.

All dances are free! We depend on donations from dancers and friends to support this fun and healthy activity.

For more information, contact:
Darrow Hand
phone (808)392-8774
email doctordarrow@gmail.com

Other Dancing In Hawai'i

There is an International Folk Dance group in Hawai'i, several Square Dance clubs, as well as Scottish country dance and Scandinavian dance groups. There are also plenty of opportunities for Swing, Country Western, Latin, and ballroom dancing. The DanceHawaii web site has information on all sorts of dance, from contra through country to rave.

You should also check the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau Calendar of Events and look at the entertainment sections of local papers.

There is no regular English Country Dancing in Hawai'i.

Dance Vacation Weeks in Hawai'i

Ken McFarland holds Dance Weeks in Hawai'i in the spring. These have included English and Scottish dance events as well as American contra dance weeks.

George Marhsall and Wild Asparagus often organize a Tropical Dance Vacation in Hawai'i in the early spring of the year.

More Information about regular dances, or to arrange special events

O'ahu dances, contact:

Darrow Hand
(808)392-8774
doctordarrow@gmail.com

Booking Bands

For information about the Kaimana Ceili Band, and to book engagements, contact Wilson Pang wpang@gte.net

For information about the band Whiskey Starship, and to book engagements, contact Jeff Klein jjklein22@clearwire.net

What is Contra Dancing?

The Honolulu Star Bulletin article about contra dance, including pictures of a Hawai'i dance
A Contra Dance Primer, a brief introduction for beginners
Gary Shapiro's What is Contra Dance?, a longer introduction to contra

Contra Dancing on the Web

Kiran Wagle's contradance page, the original attic-like compilation of Web resources and dance schedules.
New England Folk Festival Association (NEFFA), a beautifully designed site with a Yahoo-ish index of folk-oriented links.
The Contra Corners site, of the Louisville Country Dancers, has a nation-wide index of dances and dance links.
The Anglo-American Dance Service, in Belgium, has a calendar of dances in Western Europe, as well as a catalog of publications, recordings, courses, and dance weeks.
The Country Dance and Song Society is the major membership organization for contra dancers: mail-order store, newsletter, camps, and workshops.
Best of the Web - Contradance - a helpful resource for researching contradance on the Internet.

The Contradancers of Hawaii is a non-profit organization, affiliated with the Country Dance and Song Society.

Last Revised: May 4, 2010.