FFOTM hosts a great contra dance on the first Saturday evening (usually) of the month from 7:30 until 11:00.  Join us on the hardwood floors of the lovely Ashurst/Old Main Hall on the campus of Northern Arizona University.  Contra dancing is a fine way to spend a Saturday evening! The dances are fun and the break time offers the beautiful trees and green grass of the Old Main campus.  There is instruction given before each dance, and basic contra dance moves are taught at 7:30.  Come alone or bring a friend.  View the NAU North Campus Map (Buildings 10 and 11 on the map.) Everyone is welcome!  Suggested donation is $5.00 for NAU Students and FFOTM members, and $8.00 for non-members.  We will honor the "Rissa Pass" for first-time contra-dancers. View Photos Here

This video features the music of the PRIVY TIPPERS, from Tucson, AZ, who played for our July 5th dance in Flagstaff. The Privy Tippers play tunes from Appalachia, Quebec, New England, and from modern twisted minds. In this video clip, the caller is Deb Comly from Flagstaff, who often calls for our Flagstaff dances. (Video courtesy of the 2008 May Madness Contra Dance Festival, Prescott, AZ) More... Contact Kris for more information 526-3020.

First Saturday Contra Dance News by Kari Usher The first Saturday contra dances are going strong. Make your calendars for the following dances. September 6th Peg Hesley will call to ClusterFolk (all from Phoenix) September 12-14 at the Pickin' In the Pines Bluegrass and Acoustic Music Festival (Flagstaff, AZ) Contra dances are a highlight of our festival! This year, the Sandia Hots are our featured dance band. They will play for three dances: an afternoon family dance, a waltz dance workshop and a Saturday evening contra dance. The caller will be Richard Wilson. **October 11th (the 2nd Saturday) Just Desserts will be the band, caller TBA The October dance gets moved to the second Saturday because of the Prescott Folk Festival that weekend and dance. The Cottonwood dances are going on, Prescott dances are going on. Phoenix dances are going on. Folks are carpooling to get in some extra dancing in their schedules. If you are interested in being a dance gypsy contact Judy at 214-7017. Dances are taught and called thru the evening, so you don't have to have experience. You do need to wear comfortable clothes as this is a very active style of dancing. Besides, once you really start having fun, it is hard not to dance with more enthusiasm. We start at 7:30 pm and go until 11 pm. Ashurst Hall is in old Main on the NAU campus on the second floor. Bring a friend and a smile and meet the friends you haven't met yet. See you on the dance floor. Contra Dances Around the Region   Flagstaff Friends of Traditional Music 1st Saturday Contra Dance (usually) of each month at Ashurst/Old Main Hall, Northern Arizona University. 7:30 - 11:00 pm. $8.00, ($5.00 NAU Students and FFOTM members.) Contact Kris for more information 526-3020.     Cottonwood - AZ We Dance Contra Dance Third Saturday of each month, Cottonwood dances are held at the Cottonwood Civic Center (also known as the Clubhouse) 805 N. Main Street in Old Town Cottonwood.  From I-17, Exit #287 to Cottonwood on Hwy 260, left on Hwy 89A to the Civic Center.   Dances are preceded by a potluck dinner from 5:30 to 6:30 at the hall, with a pre-dance lesson from 6:30 - 7:00 and dance from 7:00 - 10:00. $5 per dancer. Call Deb at 928 -774-5936 or email azwedance@gmail.com to learn more.   Prescott - Folk Happens! Contra Dance First Fridays at the Prescott Armory, 824 E. Gurley St. Instruction 7:30 pm, dance 8-11 pm. $5, $4 for members of AZ dance organizations and students.  Call (928) 445-8823 or visit them online to get all the information on May Madness!.    Phoenix - Phoenix Friends of Old Time Music Phoenix contra dances are held on the second Saturday of each month at the Kenilworth School, 1210 N. 5th Ave. (near I-10 and 7th Ave.)  The pre-dance lesson is at 7:00 with the dance from 7:30 - 10:30.  $9 for public, $7 for members/students, and  $3 for under 18 (includes childcare).  Need more info?  Call Carl at 602-268-7181, Ron or Linda at 480-893-3328, or go to pfotm.org. -  4th Wednesday Contra Dance Location: Irish Cultural Center, 1106 N. Central Avenue (adjacent to I-10 and Margaret T. Hance Park), in downtown Phoenix. Time:   7:30 – 10:00 pm (No dance lesson) Admission:  $7.00 all dancers For information: Call Joe or Peg at 602.564.6620. Email: phoenixcontradancer@cox.net  - Tucson - Tucson Friends of Traditional Music First and Third Saturdays:  First Church United Methodist, at 915 E. 4th St, just west of the UA campus between Park and Tyndall.  All Dances 8-11 pm, instruction at 7:45 pm.   Admission is $6 or $5 for TFTM members. Call (520) 408-6181 or visit them online for Dance in the Desert information! - Visiting New Mexico in the near future ? There are Contra Dances in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos. View the New Mexico Folk Music and Dance Society online for the current schedule and the latest information. - Visiting Las Vegas, Nevada ? The Southern Nevada Old-Time Contra Dancers is an informal collection of people who love to contra dance. We sponsor dances about once a month in the Las Vegas, Nevada area.  Around the Country - Contra Dance Links

Flagstaff Friends of Traditional Music invites you to your first contra dance in honor of Rissa Miller. Our dear friend, Rissa Miller, was passionate about getting new people to try contra dancing.  Her husband, Warren, sent us The Rissa Pass shortly after a wonderful celebration of her life with the hope to continue to serve that purpose. Warren wrote: "You may print as many as you want, cut and fold them, and give them to people with an invitation to try contra dancing. The pass includes information about when dances take place in Prescott, Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Tucson, and web sites that give more information. If any dance community finds that the number of Rissa Passes presented becomes a problem, I will be glad to reimburse the dance groups for Rissa Passes used to attend dances. For people outside of Arizona, I urge you to try presenting the Rissa Pass in other parts of the country. I will make the same guarantee, but I suspect that many dance organizations will be happy to honor the Pass for first time contra dancers." Join us for your first contra dance!   Contact Kris for more information 526-3020

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