English Country Dance

Come join us for another fun-filled evening of lively English Country Dancing Thursday night, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., at the Peace United Church of Christ (formerly First Congregational Church), 900 High Street, in Santa Cruz.

Open Band — Bring your instrument, dance and play!
In the early 1990s, performers at the Northern California Renaissance Faire who lived in Santa Cruz, and danced on stage during the Faire season, wanted to create an opportunity to do English country dancing all year round, just for fun. They formed the Santa Cruz English Country Dance, and it’s been going ever since. It’s a casual dance atmospshere, vivacious and fun. We do this purely for recreation, and beginners are always very welcome.

We have live music at some of our dances, and all dances are taught before the music begins. A caller cues the group by shouting out the names of the various moves, and experienced dancers act as “training wheels” for the uninitiated. The moves themselves are simple enough that they can be learned relatively quickly. If you can count and skip and tell your right from your left, you can learn a few basic dances in a single night, and begin dancing immediately. But lest you think that this pastime will never prove challenging enough to hold your interest once you’ve mastered the basics, fear not: The first time through an advanced dance like “Uffington Horse” can make your head spin—which, of course, is half the fun.