Queer Contra Dance Camp is a queer-normative contra dance weekend on an island in Puget Sound with incredible callers and musicians and an enthusiastic and friendly community. 

Camp Sealth
14500 SW Camp Sealth Rd,
Vashon, WA 98070

Camp costs $325 per person and our sliding scale is $125 - $525
Food and housing included 

Register Here

Dancing – Island - Community

Our Camp

San Francisco Bay Queer Contra Dance's first fall camp welcomes dancers of all identities and experience. We use the calling terms larks and robins, prioritize consent, and have gender-free facilities so that everyone can be included. New dancers will find that contra is an exuberant, social, and easy-to-learn American barn dance with roots in English folk dance. For experienced dancers, dancing as part of a community that prioritizes inclusion and everyone's enjoyment is one of the most magical opportunities contra provides. Take a weekend away with us to dance, relax, make friends, and enjoy the beautiful Vashon Island in Washington’s Puget Sound.

See what campers said about Queer Contra Dance Camp 2024!  

This year's camp falls on Halloween and we encourage those who enjoy dressing up to bring Halloween costumes for our Friday night dance.

Staff

Lindsey Dono

is a serene and sunny Washington-based caller for contra and other social dance. Passionate about the user experience, Lindsey leverages a background in cognitive science and a career in tech to continually hone teaching skills. When not at the mic, Lindsey can be found mentoring up-and-coming callers, geeking out over choreography, and working on dance floorcraft.

Maia McCormick

is a contradance caller and choreographer based in New York City and has called festivals, dance camps, and weekends all over the country. She got her calling start while organizing the Williams College contra dance, and has been behind the mic ever since. Maia is known for her accessible and stimulating programming, her dedication to building safe and comfortable dance floors, and her terrible (charming?) puns.

Raven and Goose

Raven & Goose are a nationally touring contra duo. Corwin Zekley (fiddle) uses their eclectic musical roots to play fiery fiddle with an intensity yet delicacy that pulls on the heartstrings. Grace Fellows (keyboard) is a singer-songwriter and powerhouse whose foot stompin’ piano propels dancers around the floor. Together, they play original compositions and breathe new life into traditional tunes, all delivered with a passion that will get you up and dancing.

2nd band to be announced...

Our staff provides a full weekend of contra dance, with a second track of dance and singing workshops led by the community during the day. Specifics will be announced as camp approaches, but workshop topics in the past have included waltz, consent, flourishes, English country dance, traditional folk songs, complex contras, and much more. Sessions targeted to beginning and intermediate dancers are also included. 

Venue

Sitting on the southwest coast of Vashon Island in Puget Sound, Camp Sealth offers wooded hiking trails and over a mile of beach and coastline. The cost of camp includes heated rustic dormitory cabins to stay in, six meals, and a spread of snacks throughout the weekend. Meals, from dinner Friday through lunch Sunday, are served buffet-style with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Refrigerator space is available for those on special diets. Accommodations are shared rooms ranging from 4-10 people or camping space for those who would prefer to bring a tent to sleep in. Rooms are pre-assigned, and campers have the chance to express housing preferences and needs as part of registration. Campers need to bring their own towels, pillows, and sleeping bags or sheets and blankets. Local dancers are asked to bring extras to help campers flying in from out of state.  

Registration

The cost of running camp is about $325 per person, but we have a sliding scale ranging from $125 to $525 to make the weekend accessible to as many people as possible. Transparency about our costs and our sliding scale recommendations are on the second page of our registration form. If you need to cancel your registration, we will fully refund cancellations through July 31 or in the case of communicable illness. After August 1, other refunds (minus a $50 fee) are not guaranteed but may be available if your vacant spot is filled. If you're not able to pay upfront, you may pay a $50 deposit to hold your spot. Additional payments for camp can be made via PayPal donation.

Health Safety Precautions

We know that everyone is in different places as to their own needs around COVID-19 and health safety. We will require everyone to show a negative COVID-19 rapid test taken on Friday before arriving at camp, and will refund admission for anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 or has another communicable illness. We encourage vaccination and getting the latest COVID booster, but do not require it. While we support and welcome dancers to continue to mask, masks will be optional.

Transportation

Camp Sealth is only accessible by private vehicle and drive-on ferry. It is a 1 hour and 20 minute drive and ferry ride from either Seattle or Olympia, plus waiting time for the ferry. Driving directions are available here. On-site parking is limited and if you can offer a ride or need a ride to/from camp, please let us know on the registration form. We will do our best to coordinate as many rides as possible. Campers for whom we are arranging rides may need to take public transit to meet their carpool. If you are flying in, we recommend arriving at Seatac airport by 3:00 pm on Friday, October 31. We don’t expect to have rides available for campers flying in during the evening.

Code of Conduct

We want all people to feel safe and comfortable at Queer Contra Dance. We value and expect consent and communication, community mindness, and physical safety. Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated. If someone's behavior is offensive or harassing during the dance, we encourage you to speak with one of the organizers.

Please read our Values and Expectations if you would like to know more about our community norms and how we handle unwelcome behavior.

Queer Contra Dance Camp Roadtrip: Vashon

October 31-November 2, 2025