Folk Dancing ’Round Boston

As a service to the recreational folk dance community, for many years the Folk Arts Center published Folk Dancing ’Round Boston, a printed two-month calendar that listed participatory folk dance events of all types by sponsors in the Greater Boston area. We are currently posting the series listings below instead. Be aware that schedules have been disrupted by Covid restrictions so we recommend contacting individual groups for the most up-to-date schedule.

Please help us to keep this page accurate – contact the FAC office or the FAC web editor to add or update listings of folk dance series in the Greater Boston area.

Many of these in-person activities have been temporarily suspended due to Covid-19 concerns; some groups are holding events on virtual platforms such as Zoom, but many events are on hold indefinitely. Please check individual group/event links for the most up-to-date information.

Folk Dancing ’Round Boston listings

Balkan and international | English country | Family dance | Greek | Hungarian | Israeli | N.E. contras and squares | Scandinavian | Scottish country | Swing, vintage, waltz

The listings below show the regularly scheduled social dance series of recreational folk dance groups in Greater Boston, mostly in the area within Route 495. See Folk dancing in Massachusetts for more listings. Check each group’s link or contact for updates, special events, and cancelations. Please help us to keep this page accurate - contact FAC to add or update listings of dance series.

Balkan and international folk dance


Arlington:
Friday International Folk Dance (FAC) email: Marcie Van Cleave (781-438-4387)
8:00 - 10:30pm, Fridays, twice a month, September–mid-June,
Park Avenue Congregational Church, 50 Paul Revere Road, Arlington Heights, MA

Arlington:
Thursday Experienced International Folk Dance (FAC) email: Sue Rose
8:15 - 10:45pm Thursdays, twice a month, year-round,
Park Avenue Congregational Church, 50 Paul Revere Road, Arlington Heights, MA

Arlington:
Tuesday Night Revival Balkan Dancing
8-11 pm on one or two Saturdays each month,
Church of Our Saviour, 21 Marathon Street, East Arlington, MA

Belmont:
FAC International Folk Dance Party (781-438-4387)
8-11 pm on monthly Saturdays, most months,
Payson Park Congregational Church, 365 Belmont Street, Belmont, MA

Cambridge:
MIT Folk Dance Club
8-10:30 pm on Sundays, once or twice a month
MIT, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 5-234, Cambridge, MA

Framingham:
Framingham Folk Dancers (978-897-7549)
7:30-10 pm most Wednesdays, September-June,
Edwards Hall, Edwards Church UCC, 39 Edwards Street, Framingham, MA

Newton (and Whately):
Zdravets: Dancing from Bulgaria and F.Y.R. Macedonia (617-964-2003)
8-11 pm on mostly 2nd Saturdays, September-June,
Grace Episcopal Church, 76 Eldredge Street, Newton, MA;
October dance at the Whately Dance Barn, Whately, MA

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English country dance


Country Dance Society, Boston Centre
All English country dance programs and events sponsored by CDS-Boston in the Greater Boston area

Arlington:
CDS Boston Centre Wednesday English Country Dancing (781-324-5338)
7:30-10:30 pm on Wednesdays, September-June,
Park Avenue Congregational Church, 50 Paul Revere Road, Arlington Heights, MA

Arlington, Brookline, Concord, and West Newton:
CDS Boston Centre ACE (Advanced Challenging English) Dance Series (617-721-0600)
7:30-10:30 pm on 1st Fridays or 1st Saturdays, October-May,
various locations

Cambridge:
CDS Boston Centre Beginner-Friendly English Country Dancing (617-524-8869)
7:30-9:30 pm on 2nd and 4th Fridays, September-June,
Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church, 1555 Massachusetts Avenue, Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA

Jamaica Plain:
Boston Gender Free English Country Dance (617-522-2216, 617-512-5554)
7:30-10 pm on 2nd and 4th Tuesdays (5th Tuesday, Experienced),
First Church in Jamaica Plain, 6 Eliot Street, Jamaica Plain, Boston, MA

West Newton:
CDS Boston Centre English Country Dancing Summer Series (781-324-5338)
7:30-10:30 pm on most Wednesdays in July and August,
First Unitarian Society in Newton, 1326 Washington Street, West Newton, MA

Family dance


Cambridge:
BIDA (Boston Intergenerational Dance Advocates) Family Dance
5:30–6:30 pm on third Sundays, September–June,
Cambridge Masonic Hall, 1950 Massachusetts Avenue, Porter Square, Cambridge, MA

Greek dance


Cambridge:
Boston Lykeion Ellinidon (508-393-3563)
7-9 pm on Wednesdays and 12 noon-2 pm on Saturdays,
Greek American Political Center, 2nd floor hall, 288 Green Street, Central Square, Cambridge, MA

Hungarian dance


Arlington:
Improvisational Hungarian Dancing (781-648-6887)
6:30-8:30 pm most Sundays,
Church of Our Saviour, 21 Marathon Street, East Arlington, MA

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Israeli dance


Israeli Folk Dancing in Boston
List of Israeli dance sessions in Brookline, Cambridge, Chestnut Hill, Marblehead, Newton Centre, North Andover, Peabody, and Sharon, MA

Brookline:
Israeli Folk Dancing
8 pm-1 am on Mondays,
Temple Kehillath Israel, 384 Harvard Avenue, Brookline, MA

Cambridge:
MIT Folk Dance Club Israeli Dancing
formerly 8-11:30 pm most Wednesdays at MIT
NOTE: This series ended as an MIT club activity on October 31, 2018.
Greater Boston Israeli Dance now runs a
Wednesday night Israeli dance, 7:30–11 pm, at the
Jewish Community Day School gymnasium, 57 Stanley Avenue, Watertown, MA

Chestnut Hill:
Israeli Folk Dancing
7-9:30 pm on Sundays,
Temple Emeth, 194 Grove Street, Chestnut Hill, Brookline, MA

Lexington:
Israeli Folk Dancing
8-10 pm on Mondays,
Temple Emunah, 9 Piper Road, Lexington, MA

Marblehead:
Israeli Folk Dancing
7-9:15 pm on Sundays,
Temple Sinai, 1 Community Road, Marblehead, MA

Newton Centre:
Israeli Folk Dancing for Women Only (617-527-7637)
Mondays, (time TBA) with Judith Aaronson,
Shaarei Tefillah, 35 Morseland Avenue, Newton, MA

North Andover:
Israeli Folk Dancing
7-8:15 pm on Sundays,
Osgood Landing (SE entrance, Building 30, upstairs), 1600 Osgood Street, North Andover, MA

Peabody:
Israeli Folk Dancing (978-532-1293)
8-9:15 pm most Tuesdays,
Temple Ner Tamid, 368 Lowell Street, Peabody, MA

Sharon:
Israeli Folk Dancing (781-784-3986)
8-9:30 pm most Thursdays (email Eric Pomerantz to confirm),
Temple Israel, 125 Pond Street, Sharon, MA

Watertown:
Boston Wednesday Night Israeli Dancing
7:30–11 pm most Wednesdays
Jewish Community Day School gymnasium, 57 Stanley Avenue, Watertown, MA

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New England contra and square dance


NEFFA: New England Folk Festival Association
Regularly scheduled contra dances in eastern Massachusetts

Cambridge:
BIDA (Boston Intergenerational Dance Advocates) Sunday Contras
7:30-10:30 pm on 1st and 3rd Sundays,
Masonic Hall, 1950 Massachusetts Avenue, Porter Square, Cambridge, MA

Cambridge:
MIT Tuesday Contra Dance
formerly 8-10:30 pm on several Tuesdays per month,
MIT, Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA
NOTE: This series ended on October 31, 2018.

Carlisle:
Carlisle Contra Dance (617-661-1865)
8-10:30 pm on 2nd Fridays, October-June,
First Religious Society in Carlisle U.U. Church, 27 School Street, Carlisle, MA

Concord:
Challenging Contra Dance Series for experienced dancers (978-779-6077)
8-11 pm on selected first Fridays,
Concord Scout House, 74 Walden Street, Concord, MA

Concord:
Monday Contras (978-341-4143)
7:30-10:30 pm on Mondays,
Concord Scout House, 74 Walden Street, Concord, MA

Concord:
NEFFA Thursday Contras
7:30-10:30 pm on Thursdays,
Concord Scout House, 74 Walden Street, Concord, MA

Gloucester:
Cape Ann Contra Dance
7 pm (instruction at 6:30) on selected Sundays,
First Baptist Church, 38 Gloucester Avenue, Gloucester, MA

Jamaica Plain:
Boston Gender Free Contra Dance (617-522-2216, 617-852-4042)
Usually 7:30-10:30 pm on 2nd and 4th Saturdays, September–July,
First Church in Jamaica Plain U.U., 6 Eliot Street, Jamaica Plain, Boston, MA

Lexington:
Roaring Jelly Contras (781-235-0713)
7:45-11 pm on 3rd Fridays, September–June (no dance in April 2019),
First Parish in Lexington U.U. Church, 7 Harrington Road, Lexington, MA

Westford:
Barn Dances at the PCA (978-692-6333)
3–5 pm on 1st or 2nd Sundays, November–March,
7:30-10 pm on 4th or 5th Saturdays, October-April,
Parish Center for the Arts, 10 Lincoln Street, Westford, MA

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Scandinavian dance


Arlington:
FAC/Scandia Boston Scandinavian Sundays (781-438-4387)
1:30-5:30 pm on monthly Sundays, September-December,
Park Avenue Congregational Church, 50 Paul Revere Road, Arlington Heights, MA

Scottish country dance


Royal Scottish Country Dance Society, Boston Branch
List of Scottish country dance classes in the Northeast

Arlington:
RSCDS Boston Challenge Scottish Country Dance Classes (617-864-8945, 781-643-3977)
7:30-9:30 pm on monthly Fridays,
Calvary Church, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA

Brookline:
RSCDS Boston, Brookline Class (617-661-5899, 617-244-6914)
7:30-9:30 pm on Sundays, September–May,
Church of Our Saviour, 25 Monmouth Street, Brookline, MA

Newton:
Scottish Country Dancing (call to confirm: 617-244-6914)
10:30 am-12 noon on Wednesdays, September–mid-June,
The Hut, 69 Tyler Terrace, Newton, MA (September-May;
VFW Post 440, 295 California Street, Newton (June-August)

North Chelmsford:
RSCDS Boston, Nashua Class, North Chelmsford (978-764-4538, 508-574-1533)
7-9 pm on 1st Fridays, year-round,
31 Princeton Street, North Chelmsford, MA

Salem:
RSCDS Boston, Salem Class (617-462-1925)
8 pm (beginners 7:30) on Thursdays, year-round,
First Universalist Society of Salem, 211 Bridge Street, Salem, MA

Stow:
RSCDS Boston, Stow Class (978-897-2466)
7:30-10:30 pm (children 7-7:30; adult beginners 7:30–8) on 2nd and 4th Fridays, September-June,
Old Stow Town Hall, 375 Great Road, Stow, MA

Watertown:
RSCDS Boston, Cambridge Class
7:45-10:15 pm most Mondays,
Canadian-American Club, 202 Arlington Street, Watertown, MA

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Swing, vintage, waltz


Swing - List:
DanceNet: Swing Dancing in Boston and Beyond
Listings for Greater Boston and New England

Vintage:
Commonwealth Vintage Dancers
Various classes and special events in eastern MA

Waltz, Concord:
FAC Mostly Waltz for Boston (781-438-4387)
2-5:30 pm on monthly Sundays, September-May,
Concord Scout House, 74 Walden Street, Concord, MA

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