Chain Reaction! Maine Contra Dance Weekend 2026

Calling: Alex-Deis Lauby + Liz Nelson
Music: The Faux Paws + Gus & Pepin
Sound: Ethan Tischler
See performer bios at the bottom of page

Don't miss 3 days of magical contra dancing in Downeast Maine!

PRICING
Whole Weekend: Sliding scale admission: $80-$120. Only 200 spots available, so book now!
Update 4/23: SOLD OUT! Click "buy tickets" to join waitlist
Morning Only Tickets: Available
Very Late Night Only Tickets: Available

MORNING & LATE NIGHT TICKETS
🪩 Alternative Waltz - $10 - Fri @ 11pm. "Modern Musicality" - waltzing but to modern tunes! With DJ Alex Hennings, who will offer waltz tips n tricks to those interested
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Authentic Relating Games & Contras - $15 - Sat @ 8.45am~12pm. Closed session with Frances Idlebrook at the Grange, doors shut at 9am.
Authentic Relating (AR) games are interactive connection exercises designed to help people drop in, get real, and connect more deeply. Through simple, guidd prompts, participants engage in conversations that are often playful and surprising - and sometimes invite a gentle stretch beyond the familiar. AR games create a space where strangers can feel like friends in a matter of minutes. They offer a chance to move past small talk and experiment with honest, in-the-moment expression, with each person choosing their own level of openness. Just as contra invites connection through movement, AR invites connection through presence and conversation. Come as you are - curious, playful, and open to meeting each other a little more fully.
🔥 Fusion Dance - $10 - Sat @ 11pm. DJ Alyssa Adkins with the Portland Fusion Dance will give some guidance for those who are new to fusion
🌞 Mellow Morning Folkdance & Contras - $15 - Sun @ 9am~12pm. Are You Still Dreaming? The Kotwica Band will lead us in gentle dances for morning wake up. Circle dances from Armenia, Brittany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Poland, Serbia, Sweden, and Ukraine. For beginners and experienced dancers, we'll hold hands in community and end the session with energy for the rest of the day.
The Kotwica ("Kot-veets-ah") Band plays folk music from the Baltic to the Black Sea and Beyond. Featuring vocalists Anne Tatgenhorst, Eloise Schultz, and Frances Stockman with Kevin Stone on button accordion and Carolyn Rapkievian leading dances. Kotwica means "anchor" in Polish - the symbol of the resistance against tyranny during WWII. The band is dedicated to resisting tyranny and fostering peace between all peoples of the world.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE
May 29th, 30th & 31st 2026
Friday 7pm - 1am
Saturday 9am - 1am
Sunday 9am - 1.30pm
What to expect: 90 minute dance segments with breaks. Larks & robins role terms. Tons of contra... plus waltzing, merch printing party, music jams, guest callers, late night fusion, authentic relating games, morning balfolk, community meals, joyful connections!

VENUE
The Surry School Auditorium has unsprung but slick floors, and carpeted walls for awesome sound!

LOCATION
Surry Elementary School, 754 North Bend Rd, Surry, ME 04684
By car: 50 mins from Bangor Airport, 2.75hrs from Portland ME, 4.5hrs from Boston MA
Surry is a small and quaint town along the coast of Downeast Maine. The venue is walking distance from the town wharf, hiking trails, convenience store and ice cream shop!

Bonus: Surry is only 40 minutes away from Acadia National Park! If you haven't been, it's spectacular... consider extending your stay here and visit more of this beautiful corner of the world.

CONTRA CAMPING NOW AVAILABLE!
Stay for Fri & Sat night or extend your visit and book for Thurs & Sun night, too... I'm working on some fun activities & socials for before and after the dance! Or take the extra time to visit Acadia or enjoy the beautiful quiet beaches and hiking trails in Surry and Blue Hill.
We will be camping on the fabulous grounds of the Surry Arts Barn, a short & quiet 3-mile trip to the dance venue, 2.5 miles to the beach, and a 5 minute walk to the ocean & hiking trails. Carpooling, biking encouraged! Indoor communal areas for hanging n' jammin, hot showers, kitchen use, fire pit, grills, gorgeous views of Cadillac Mtn. Tent camping or car camping. I'll be there, and our performers too - it's a contra camping hostel kinda vibe! See the space and read about its history at surrybarn.com.
$25 per person per night. Book during checkout or buy here if you already have your weekend ticket.

OTHER ACCOMMODATIONS
~ Stay with a local dancer - will attempt to connect hosts and guests, indicate interest during booking (very limited availability)
~ AirBnBs/VRBOs/HipCamps nearby, plus hotels/motels/campgrounds in Surry/Ellsworth/Blue Hill & further afield

FOOD & DRINK
Food & drinks will be available to purchase, on-site and nearby, provided by local non profit organizations! There will be lunchtime meals, community dinners and even breakfast! Your food purchases will help support the Surry Fire Dept, Surry Garden Club, School Garden Club, Girl Scouts, School Athletic Club and Ellsworth Pride Festival!
Feel free to bring your own food, too. The Surry Store down the road has some nice to-go meals. Nearby Ellsworth (6 miles) and Blue Hill (9 miles) have ample grocery stores, cafes and restaurants. Pugnuts Icecream will now be open til 7pm!
There's a filtered drinking fountain on site... remember your refillable water bottles!

MERCH
You already have too many t-shirts (and the world doesn't need any more new clothing made for the next 100 years). So instead, please bring your own clothing items and we will have a block-printing party! Friend, musician and artist Amy Gagnon has designed the new logo (thanks for feedback on finding a local artist) and she will help you hand-print your own tees, bags, hats, pants, skirts, bandanas, patches etc during Saturday lunchtime! Yay!!!

CHEM-FREE
Absolutely no alcohol, drugs, smoking or perfumes/fragrances - thank you!

COMMUNITY CARE POLICY
Pretty simple! Don't be a jerk, don't be a creep. We're all just here to have a magical time together! If someone is preventing you from having an amazing time with the way they talk or act, you're welcome to call them out on it, and come see me (Alice). If you're not enjoying someone's attitude, chances are you're not the only one - so let's support one another in this! I love enlightening folks on how to treat people, and I don't mind asking them to leave if needed.

VOLUNTEERING
Everyone will help out a little bit at the dance! Floor's dirty? Sweep it! No paper in the bathrooms? Get some from the front desk and replace it! Trash on the floor? Pick it up! Something's not quite right? Fix it! This is your dance, help make it awesome.

SPONSORS
Huge thanks to these local groups for supporting this dance weekend:
WERU Community Radio will loan us a sound system for the late night after-parties. They rock, give em a listen, donate to a good cause!
Pugnuts Ice Cream & Gelato Shop is just around the corner - they will give every dancer a discount coupon, and stay open until 7pm on Fri & Sat! We'll also have an Ice Cream Social over there On Sunday at 3.30pm for those who wanna hang out after!
Community Closet 207 is kindly loaning us some coat hangers. They're a free clothing store in Ellsworth, supporting low income folks, and are powered by volunteers. You can donate clothes or cash!

REFUND POLICY
You may cancel your ticket and receive a full refund (minus any fees and donations made) for any reason 14 days before the event, or within 14 days as long as there are folks on the waitlist to take your spot.

SOCIAL MEDIA
You can follow @SurryContraDance on Facebook and Instagram, and share/attend the FB Event to get occasional updates! 

QUESTIONS?
Email here or call Alice: 207-385-7694

MEET THE PERFORMERS!

ALEX DEIS-LAUBY
A NYC-based folk dancer, caller, teacher, and organizer, Alexandra calls
dance weekends, camps, and festivals all over the country. Her clear teaching, smooth voice, and fun dance selection delight dancers coast-to-coast (and once in Paris, France!!). Alex is excellent with all levels of dancers whether they just walked in the door or have been dancing since before she was born. She enjoys challenging the brains of experienced dancers and making dance accessible for new folks. She has dances for all the folks! Check her out here!

LIZ NELSON
Liz is a dance caller residing in Western Massachusetts. She is well-known for her clear, concise teaching and warm, welcoming presence. She knows that everyone can dance and firmly believes “if you’re having fun and being safe, you’re doing it right!”. Nothing delights her more than working with a group of enthusiastic, joyful dancers (no matter what age or experience level). Check her out here!

THE FAUX PAWS
The Faux Paws, when playing contra, are Noah VanNorstrand (fiddle), Dean Miller (sax, banjo) and Owen Morrison (guitar). "The Faux Paws have a problem. They’re a triangle band in a land of circles. Musically impossible to describe, they don’t even fit into todays often hyphenated-genre world. No fan, industry expert, nor member of the band can seem to sum up this band’s sound in any kind of marketable way. They continue to remain a singularly unique outfit in the acoustic music community, always on the fringes, always memorable and with an increasing number of die-hard fans who feel like they’ve uncovered a secret." Check em out here!

GUS & PEPIN
Gus La Casse (fiddle, feet) and Pepin Mittelhauser (tenor guitar, mando) are Downeast Maine's superstahs! They rarely play outside of New England, so if you haven't heard them yet, you're in for a treat. Gus is a folk fiddler with both speed and savage energy, and his repertoire reflects his innovative spirit & dedication to the Acadian fiddle tradition. Pepin's a musician, broadcaster, singer, carpenter, actor and sound engineer, but his job this weekend will be providing some solid rhythms while keeping Gus under control! Hairs will be breaking, strings will be flying. Come join them on their *first ever* dance weekend!!! <3 Check em out here!

ETHAN TISCHLER
Ethan is our sound engineer for the weekend! He wears many hats: singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist... you may recognize him from playing with Springtide and the Gawler Family Band. Ethan lives in Maine, teaches sound recording and guitar at Bagaduce Music, and is a Maine Fiddle Camp staple! He's the sound technician at the Rockport Opera House so we're in great hands. Check him out here!