San Diego Folk Heritage is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the folk arts in greater San Diego: acoustic music, storytelling, and Contra Dances. We provide an opportunity for members of the community to see, hear, and take part in these activities.
We meet these goals throughout the year by presenting concerts, and storytelling by local artists, by offering Contra Dances featuring live music, and by sponsoring concerts by touring musicians. In addition, we present the Sam Hinton Folk Heritage Festival every spring/summer, featuring concerts, contra dances, storytelling, and educational workshops. We also sponsor an annual Train Song Festival at Old Poway Park.
We believe that the many traditions of our various cultures are important and that they must be preserved and passed on. We also believe that without a conscious effort to preserve these arts, they can easily be lost in the fast pace and noise of today’s popular culture.
Contra is a joyous, social, American folk-dance style. No partner or experience is needed. Beginners are welcome. We feature live music and gender-free calling.
Contra dance is an evolving American folk dance style with European origins. This is a social dance form with an emphasis on community participation, not performance. The dance is led by a caller who teaches and calls a sequence of moves (figures) usually danced to live music. While one dances with a partner, couples form sets of two couples in lines running the length of the dance hall and progress up and down the line repeating the sequence of figures to dance with every other couple in the line. At the conclusion of each dance, dancers generally change partners.
Contact Information
San Diego Folk Heritage
P. O. Box 270562
San Diego, CA 92198
Concert Information: sdfh@san.rr.com
Contra Dance Information: sdfhcontradance@gmail.com
Learn More: sdfolkheritage.org/contradance
Contra dance, folk dance