In March 2023 Leeds Contra will celebrate our 25th birthday.
Our first dance was organised on Wednesday March 4th 1998 by Thomas Green at The Methodist Hall in Headingley. By the start of 1999 the venue had changed to The Feast and Firkin in Headingley but we only stayed there until March 1999 when we moved to The Civil Service Sports Club where we stayed for less than a year. During this period I had my first experience of Contra dancing and my enjoyment has never subsequently diminished. By January 2000 we changed venue yet again to St Columbas in Headingley when we switched to Friday night dances. These continued until September 2001 when we moved to our present home of Headingley Parish Hall on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday nights of every month except July, August and December.
Over the years we have now (October 2018) organised over 60 special Contra Ceilidhs on Saturday nights or Sunday afternoons starting in May 1999. In June 2002 we were invited to organise a dance with Atlantic Crossing, our first stateside band or caller. Subsequently we were in regular contact with the late Jim Robb and organised several dances with American bands or callers who he had arranged tours for in the UK. We started “Contra in the Fall” in September 2006 with a series of three Contra Ceilidhs and have now held our twelth successful series with planning for the thirteenth series now complete together with a Spring Contra Ceilidh in May (see below).
To celebrate we held a party night on March 27th when all were welcome.
So if you fancy trying your hand, or should I say feet, at Contra Dancing come along on a 2nd or 4th Tuesday night to Headingley Parish Hall where we dance to our resident band All the Right Notes ! and club callers. You don’t need to be experienced nor to bring a partner and you will be made very welcome.
With “Spring Contra 2022” now a happy memory, watch out for details of “Contra in the Fall 2022” on Saturdays in September, October and November or December on the website or on Facebook
Richard Gibson
27th May 2022
http://www.leedscontra.freeuk.com/
| Day | Date | Band | Location |
| Sat | 08 May 1999 | Village Band & Rhodri Davies | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 01 April 2000 | Illicit Goods & John Meechan | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 30 September 2000 | Knotted Chord & Rhodri Davies | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 29 June 2002 | Atlantic Crossing (USA) & Geoff Cubitt | Cookridge Village Hall |
| Sat | 05 April 2003 | English Contra Dance band & Geoff Cubitt | Cookridge Village Hall |
| Sun | 27 July 2003 | Rodney Miller and Friends (USA) & Rhodri Davies | Stainbeck Community Hall |
| Sun | 13 June 2004 | English Contra dance Band & Cis Hinkle (USA) | Queen's Hall |
| Sat | 12 February 2005 | Fiddlin Around & Rhodri Davies | Queen's Hall |
| Sat | 11 June 2005 | KGB (USA) & Rhodri Davies | Queen's Hall |
| Tue | 28 February 2006 | Changeling (USA) & Diane Silver (USA) | Headingley Parish Hall |
| Sat | 13 May 2006 | Reckless Ramblers (USA) & Cis Hinkle (USA) | Queen's Hall |
| Sat | 23 September 2006 | Skylark & John Meechan | Queen's Hall |
| Sat | 28 October 2006 | Cruise Control & Rhodri Davies | Queen's Hall |
| Sat | 25 November 2006 | English Contra Dance band & Mike Courthold | Queen's Hall |
| Sat | 12 May 2007 | Stick Shift & Mike Barraclough | West Park Centre |
| Sat | 09 June 2007 | Good Parking & Al Green | Cookridge Village Hall |
| Tue | 12 June 2007 | Good Parking & Kathy Anderson (USA) | Headingley Parish Hall |
| Sat | 22 September 2007 | Stick Shift & Mike Barraclough | West Park Centre |
| Sat | 27 October 2007 | Skylark & Andrew Swaine | West Park Centre |
| Sat | 24 November 2007 | Vertical Expression & Rhodri Davies | West Park Centre |
| Sat | 10 May 2008 | Crowfoot (USA) & Lynne Render | West Park Centre |
| Sat | 14 June 2008 | Good Parking & Al Green | Cookridge Village Hall |
| Sat | 27 September 2008 | Skylark & Geoff Cubitt | West Park Centre |
| Sat | 25 October 2008 | English Contra Dance Band & John Turner | West Park Centre |
| Sat | 22 November 2008 | Stick Shift & Rhodri Davies | West Park Centre |
| Sun | 07 June 2009 | Stick Shift & Cis Hinkle (USA) | Cookridge Village Hall |
| Sat | 26 September 2009 | English Contra Dance Band & Geoff Cubitt | West Park Centre |
| Sat | 24 October 2009 | Vertical Expression & John Turner | West Park Centre |
| Sat | 28 November 2009 | Brian Stone and Elaine Meechan & John Meechan | West Park Centre |
| Fri | 18 June 2010 | Appalachian Storm & Diane Silver (USA) | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 25 September 2010 | Skylark & Chris Turner | West Park Centre |
| Sat | 23 October 2010 | Stick Shift & Rhodri Davies | West Park Centre |
| Sat | 27 November 2010 | English Contra Dance Band & Henry Morgenstein | West Park Centre |
| Sun | 08 May 2011 | English Contra Dance Band & Cis Hinkle (USA) | Cookridge Village Hall |
| Sat | 11 June 2011 | Good Parking & Al Green | Cookridge Village Hall |
| Sat | 24 September 2011 | Stick Shift & Geoff Cubitt | West Park Centre |
| Sat | 29 October 2011 | King Kontra & John Turner | West Park Centre |
| Sat | 26 November 2011 | Skylark & Adam Hughes | West Park Centre |
| Sat | 29 September 2012 | English Contra Dance Band & John Turner | West Park Centre |
| Sat | 27 October 2012 | Brian Stone and Elaine Meechan & John Meechan | West Park Centre |
| Sat | 24 November 2012 | King Kontra & Henry Morgenstein | City of Leeds School |
| Sat | 28 September 2013 | Stick Shift & Rhodri Davies | St Margaret's Church Hall |
| Sat | 26 October 2013 | King Kontra & Geoff Cubitt | Cookridge Village Hall |
| Sat | 30 November 2013 | Skylark & John Meechan | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 31 May 2014 | Stick Shift & Seth Tepfer (USA) | St Margaret's Church Hall |
| Sat | 27 September 2014 | The Night Before & Rhodri Davies | St Margaret's Church Hall |
| Sat | 25 October 2014 | Brian Stone and Elaine Meechan & Lynne Render | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 22 November 2014 | King Kontra & Geoff Cubitt | St Margaret's Church Hall |
| Sun | 17 May 2015 | Stringrays (USA) & Geoff Cubitt | St Margaret's Church Hall |
| Sat | 26 September 2015 | English Contra Dance band & Rhodri Davies | St Margaret's Church Hall |
| Sat | 31 October 2015 | Vertical Expression & Rhodri Davies | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 28 November 2015 | The Night Before & Andrew Swaine | St Margaret's Church Hall |
| Sun | 15 May 2016 | Vertical Expression & Cis Hinkle (USA) | Waring Green Community Centre |
| Sat | 24 September 2016 | Vertical Expression & Lisa Heywood | Mechanics Institute |
| Sat | 05 November 2016 | Wild Ride & Geoff Cubitt | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 26 November 2016 | Portland Drive & caller Rhodri Davies | Mechanics Institute |
| Sun | 09 April 2017 | Minor Contravention & Andrew Swaine | Waring Green Community Centre |
| Sat | 30 September 2017 | ECDB & Carol Ormand (USA) | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 04 November 2017 | Contra Alt Delete & Bob Morgan | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 02 December 2017 | King Kontra & Geoff Cubitt | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 19 May 2018 | Stringrays (USA) & Rhodri Davies | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 22 September 2018 | Ed Wallace band & Rachel Shapiro Wallace (USA) | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 27 October 2018 | Vertical Expression & Charlotte Rich | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 01 December 2018 | Contrasaurus & Geoff Cubitt | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 21 September 2019 | Band TBC & Geoff Cubitt | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 19 October 2019 | Audacious (USA) & Rhodri Davies | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 30 November 2019 | English Contra Dance Band & Lynne Render | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 21 May 2022 | Stringrays & Will Mentor (all USA) | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 24 September 2022 | English Contra Dance Band & Geoff Cubitt | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 22 October 2022 | Vertical Expression & Rhodri Davies | St Chads Hall |
| Sat | 3 December 2022 | Contrasaurus & Andrew Swaine | St Chads Hall |