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Hi Friends!

Welcome to our NOVEMBER Social Dance Newsletter! It's time for some fall fun, with countless opportunities to dance at Glen Echo Park this month.

But before we get into November dances, there's one more October dance to spotlight—a Honky Tonk Dance with Karen Collins & the Backroads Band this Friday, October 30! One of the DC area's top honky-tonk groups, this band plays real country music. They have an authentic vintage sound that includes shuffles, two-steps, and buckle-polishing slow tunes with some early rockabilly songs mixed in.

Now on to November... The month starts off with some square dance fun! Sunday, November 1, swing your partner at an afternoon Bumper Car Squares dance in the Bumper Car Pavilion. McEver Dugan calls to live music by East of Exxon (Ben Miller/Kinsey Wilk/Brent Feito/Melissa Wright). Kids 12 & under get in free!

Ballroom Time presents their Fourth Annual Fall Ball in the historic Spanish Ballroom on Saturday evening, November 14. This special Ballroom Dance Gala starts off with a beginner lesson in Foxtrot, followed by dancing to live music from the 20-musician Unforgettable Big Band from York, Pennsylvania! Suggested attire is "Cocktail Fancy."

In collaboration with Dancing by the Bayou, the Partnership presents a Cajun dance to live music from Dennis Stroughmatt et L'Esprit Creole on Sunday, November 15. Led by fiddle player Dennis Stroughmatt, L'Esprit Creole brings you the sights, stories, and sounds of French Creole music from The Illinois Country. We'll start off with a 30-minute Cajun dance lesson (included with the price of admission) with Sharon Schiliro and Michael Hart of Dancing by the Bayou, followed by dancing with the band!

The dance & music celebration continues Sunday, November 15 at a Sarau de Samba! Co-presented by EducArte and the Glen Echo Park Partnership, this once-a-month Brazilian Samba gathering features a dynamic ensemble of skilled musicians and dancers. Each session starts with a beginner dance lesson and is open to people of any skill level, no partner or instruments required.

See more featured dances below, including Zouk, Waltz (a dance with Waltz Time and a workshop with DanceSport Endurance), Contra, Ballroom, Latin, and more!

DanceFit for Body & Mind Saturday morning drop-in classes continue throughout November, with DanceFit: Shake Your Soul 9:30am, one more DanceFit: Folk Dances of India class at 11:15am, and DanceFit: Line Dancing back by popular demand starting next week!

In addition to our fabulous social dance events, Glen Echo Park also hosts social dance classes in a variety of styles at various levels. Registration for Fall & Winter 2026-2027 classes is ongoing! Browse the Fall/Winter catalog to find upcoming dance offerings.

Read on to learn more about all our featured dances for the month—as well as the entire Social Dances calendar, including ballroom, waltz, contra, salsa, bachata, zouk, and lots more! Keep an eye on our Social Dances page to stay up to date with future dances! We can't wait to see you at the Park soon, and as always, we appreciate your support.

Keep on Dancin',

Emily Crews

Dance and Events Program Director

VIEW THE FULL DANCE CALENDAR

DanceFit

for Body & Mind

Saturday morning, drop-in classes

Join us for a Saturday morning dance fitness class series designed to keep your body moving and your spirits up! Although bringing a friend is always welcome, a partner is never needed for any of our DanceFit classes, just come ready to move & groove.

LEARN MORE

FEATURED DANCES

HONKY TONK DANCE with Karen Collins & the Backroads Band

October 30 | 7:30pm - 10:30pm | Bumper Car Pavilion

Enjoy an evening of live music at a Honky Tonk Dance with Karen Collins & the Backroads Band! A free beginner lesson in two step included with admission, led by Sharon Schiliro and Michael Hart of Dancing by the Bayou. One of the DC area's top honky-tonk groups, Karen Collins & the Backroads Band play real country music. They have an authentic vintage sound that includes shuffles, two-steps, and buckle-polishing slow tunes with some early rockabilly songs mixed in.

Learn More >> | Purchase Tickets >>

BUMPER CAR SQUARES

November 1 | 2:45pm - 5:30pm | Bumper Car Pavilion

Join us for Sunday afternoon square dancing at the Park! We'll start out with a square dance intro lesson for all skill levels from 2:45pm - 3:00pm. Then, caller McEver Dugan will lead a rousing square dance to live music from East of Exxon (Ben Miller - fiddle, Kinsey Wilk - guitar, Brent Feito - banjo, and Melissa Wright- bass)! The band will play from 3:00pm - 5:30pm so get ready for square dancing fun that still gets you home early.

Learn More >> | Purchase Tickets >>

WALTZ DANCE with Waltz Time

November 1 | 2:45pm - 6:00pm | Spanish Ballroom

Enjoy a fall afternoon with waltzing and more in the Spanish Ballroom. Live music by KAREN COLLINS & THE BACKROADS BAND with Karen Collins (vocals, rhythm guitar), Ira Gitlin (lead guitar, vocals), James Key (upright bass), Pat Puglisi (vocals, drums). Beginner Social Waltz lesson starts at 2:45pm, included with admission. No partner required, participants are encouraged to rotate so everyone can learn and practice the moves. Live music for dancing - waltz mostly, with polka, schottische, tango, swing and more - from 3:30pm - 6:00pm.

Learn More >> | Purchase Tickets >>

BALLROOM DANCE with Ballroom Time

November 8 | 2:45pm - 6:00pm | Spanish Ballroom

Ballroom Time presents a ballroom dance in the Spanish Ballroom on Sunday afternoon, November 8, 2026. A beginner lesson in Slow Waltz will take place at 2:45pm. Music by DJ Broomtime (our volunteers) from 3:30pm until 6:00pm.

Learn More >> | Purchase Tickets >>

View upcoming Ballroom Workshops >>

VIENNESE WALTZ WORKSHOP with DanceSport Endurance

November 14 | 2:30pm - 5:00pm | Spanish Ballroom

Learn the basics of social Viennese Waltz in this workshop with Todd and Migle of DanceSport Endurance which includes lessons and supervised and assisted dancing. Schedule: 2:30pm - 2:45pm Warm-up | 2:45pm - 4:15pm Lesson | 4:15pm - 5:00pm Social Viennese Waltz Dancing.

Learn More >> | Purchase Tickets >>

CAJUN DANCE with Dennis Stroughmatt et L'Esprit Creole

November 15 | 1:00pm - 4:00pm | Bumper Car Pavilion

In collaboration with Dancing by the Bayou, the Partnership presents a Cajun dance to live music from Dennis Stroughmatt et L'Esprit Creole. Led by its ambassador Dennis Stroughmatt, L'Esprit Creole brings you the sights, stories and sounds of French Creole music from The Illinois Country. A 30-minute Cajun dance lesson (included with the price of admission) with Sharon Schiliro and Michael Hart of Dancing by the Bayou will start at 1pm, followed by dancing with the band!

Learn More >> | Purchase Tickets >>

SARAU DE SAMBA with EducArte

November 15 | 2:00pm - 5:00pm | Ballroom Back Room

Co-presented by the Glen Echo Park Partnership and EducArte, Sarau de Samba is an authentic samba de mesa or samba de roda (jam session). The event features a dynamic ensemble of musicians and dancers, showcasing everything from Golden Age samba classics and choro to modern pagode and high-energy carnival beats. We kick off with a beginner-friendly dance lesson, so everyone can join the fun—no partner nor experience required.

Learn More >> | Purchase Tickets >>

¡MÚSICA! LATIN DANCE SOCIAL! with Moxie Movement Dance Company

November 20 | 7:30pm - 12:30am | Ballroom Back Room

¡Música! Latin Dance Social! is a social dance focusing on salsa and bachata. Two lessons are offered by instructor Amber Logan prior to the social: a sensational salsa lesson from 7:30pm to 8:15pm and a fiery bachata lesson from 8:15pm to 9:00pm. All levels are welcome. The social, where everyone dances together, starts after the two 45-minute lessons at 9:00pm, with DJ Sidekick spinning the best salsa and bachata songs until 12:30am!

Learn More >> | Purchase Tickets >>

CONTRA DANCE with Dancing Planet

November 22 | 2:30pm - 6:00pm | Bumper Car Pavilion

Enjoy a fabulous afternoon of contra dancing in the Bumper Car Pavilion, presented by Dancing Planet. Will Mentor will call to the music of Leeway – Rhys Jones (fiddle) & Max Newman (guitar and piano). Dance the afternoon away!

Learn More >>

ZOUK DANCE with District Zouk

November 27 | Time Coming Soon | Ballroom Back Room

Join us for a District Zouk social at the Park! As usual, we'll have an open level beginner-friendly class followed by social dancing. We'll also have a lambada practica before the class so our lambada students and dancers can practice together. Come get your dance on!

Learn More >> | Tickets Coming Soon

Dance for PD®

Wednesdays 2:30pm - 3:45pm

In collaboration with Dance for PD® (Parkinson's Disease), the Glen Echo Park Partnership presents a Dance for PD® class series. These classes are free for participants, care partners, and family members thanks to the generous support of the program's donors.

LEARN MORE

NOVEMBER DANCES AT-A-GLANCE

Wednesday

October 28

Thursday

October 29

Friday

October 30

Saturday

October 31

Sunday

November 1

DANCE FOR PD®

-------------

FOLK DANCE*

with

Dancing Planet

BLUES DANCE*

with

Capital Blues

CONTRA DANCE & OCCASIONAL SQUARES*

with

Friday Night Dancers

-------------

HONKY TONK DANCE*

with

Karen Collins & the Backroads Band

DANCEFIT: SHAKE YOUR SOUL

-------------

DANCEFIT: FOLK DANCES OF INDIA

-------------BALLROOM WORKSHOP

with

Ballroom Time

-------------

WEST COAST SWING DANCE*

with

Late Night Early

-------------

SWING DANCE*

with

Gottaswing

SQUARE DANCE*

(Bumper Car Squares)

-------------WALTZ DANCE*

with

Waltz Time

-------------

TANGO DANCE*

with

Tango Brillante

Wednesday

November 4

Thursday

November 5

Friday

November 6

Saturday

November 7

Sunday

November 8

DANCE FOR PD®

-------------

FOLK DANCE*

with

Dancing Planet

BLUES DANCE*

with

Capital Blues

CONTRA DANCE & OCCASIONAL SQUARES*

with

Friday Night Dancers

DANCEFIT: SHAKE YOUR SOUL

-------------

DANCEFIT: LINE DANCING

BARN DANCE*

with

Folklore Society of Greater Washington

-------------

BALLROOM DANCE*

with

Ballroom Time

-------------

TANGO DANCE*

with

Tango Brillante

Wednesday

November 11

Thursday

November 12

Friday

November 13

Saturday

November 14

Sunday

November 15

DANCE FOR PD®

-------------

FOLK DANCE*

with

Dancing Planet

BLUES DANCE*

with

Capital Blues

CONTRA DANCE & OCCASIONAL SQUARES*

with

Friday Night Dancers

-------------

BALBOA DANCE*

with

Gottaswing

DANCEFIT: SHAKE YOUR SOUL

-------------

DANCEFIT: LINE DANCING

-------------

VIENNESE WALTZ WORKSHOP

with

DanceSport Endurance

-------------

BALLROOM DANCE*

with

Ballroom Time

(Fourth Annual Fall Ball)

CAJUN DANCE

with

Dennis Stroughmatt et L'Esprit Creole

-------------

SARAU DE SAMBA*

with

EducArte

-------------

WALTZ

DANCE*

with

Waltz Time

-------------

TANGO DANCE*

with

Tango Brillante

Wednesday

November 18

Thursday

November 19

Friday

November 20

Saturday

November 21

Sunday

November 22

DANCE FOR PD®

-------------

FOLK DANCE*

with

Dancing Planet

BLUES DANCE*

with

Capital Blues

CONTRA DANCE & OCCASIONAL SQUARES*

with

Friday Night Dancers

-------------

LATIN DANCE*

(¡Música! Latin Dance Social!)

with

Moxie Movement Dance Company

-------------

SWING DANCE*

with

Capital City Shuffle (Stardust Slow Balboa Weekend)

DANCEFIT: SHAKE YOUR SOUL

-------------

DANCEFIT: LINE DANCING

-------------

SWING DANCE*

with

Capital City Shuffle (Stardust Slow Balboa Weekend)

CONTRA DANCE*

with

Dancing Planet

-------------

TANGO DANCE*

with

Tango Brillante

-------------

SWING DANCE*

with

Capital City Shuffle (Stardust Slow Balboa Weekend)

Wednesday

November 25

Thursday

November 26

Friday

November 27

Saturday

November 28

Sunday

November 29

DANCE FOR PD®

-------------

FOLK DANCE*

with

Dancing Planet

Thanksgiving

NO BLUES DANCE

CONTRA DANCE & OCCASIONAL SQUARES*

with

Friday Night Dancers

-------------

ZOUK DANCE*

with

District Zouk

BALLROOM WORKSHOP

with

Ballroom Time

-------------

WEST COAST SWING DANCE*

with

Late Night Early

-------------

SWING DANCE*

with

Gottaswing

WALTZ

DANCE*

with

Waltz Time

-------------

TANGO DANCE*

with

Tango Brillante

*Includes beginner lesson & social dance

KEY:

bold = Partnership-presented social dance or class/workshop

italics = Dance class/workshop (no social dance)

underline = Free for all ages or free for kids

VIEW THE FULL DANCE CALENDAR

Want to dance for FREE?

Volunteer for Partnership Dances!

We need volunteers at many of our dances! Volunteer for one hour, to either help set up or break down for a dance or event, and gain free admission to the dance or event!

Upcoming social dances & performances in need of volunteers:

October 30 | Honky Tonk Dance

November 1 | Bumper Car Squares

November 15 | Cajun Dance

November 15 | Sarau de Samba (Brazilian Dance & Music Party)

To volunteer, please send an email to volunteer@glenechopark.org.

Social Dance Classes

Have you ever wanted to attend one of our social dances but don’t feel comfortable enough with the style? Or are you looking to hone your skills and show off to the crowd? While our dances are beginner-friendly, we are proud to offer dance classes in a variety of styles at various levels.

BROWSE THE CATALOG

glenechopark.org | 301.634.2222

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The Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council (msac.org) and also by funding from the Montgomery County government and the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (creativemoco.com). All programs are produced in cooperation with the National Park Service and Montgomery County, Maryland.