Bonjour-Hey Contra Dance Weekend
April 17–19, 2026
Genticorum (Pascal Gemme, Yann Falquet & Nicholas Williams)
Cedar Stanistreet, Eric McDonald & Grace Hendrickson-Jones
Bev Bernbaum
Luke Donforth
Centre Saint-Barthélemy, Montreal, QC
Join us for our first annual contra dance weekend here in Montreal!
Interested but not ready to register? Join our Bonjour-Hey mailing list to stay up-to-date. Respond to or share our event on Facebook.
Date
Bonjour-Hey will take place the weekend of April 17-19, 2026.
Talent
Genticorum is among the most distinctive voices of Québécois traditional music. Founded in 2000, when fiddler Pascal Gemme and guitarist Yann Falquet met in Montreal’s trad scene, Genticorum quickly earned international recognition for bringing out all the poetry and nuance of French Canada’s old songs and step-dance tunes. In 2015, Nicholas Williams added his flute and accordion to the mix. Their compositions have become beloved standards at dances and sessions, their approach influencing peers and younger musicians alike. They’ve won Canadian Folk Music Awards and performed everywhere from Scotland to Malaysia, Egypt to Australia. With impeccable musicianship and infectious joie de vivre, Genticorum is bound to draw you in.
Cedar Stanistreet, Eric McDonald & Grace Hendrickson-Jones
Bev Bernbaum (Peterborough, ON Canada) has been addicted to all things contra since she was first introduced to it as a dancer at the wonderful Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (Albany, NY) in the summer of 1996. Since then, Bev has been in demand as a caller in her home town, at other dances, dance weekends and camps across Canada, the US, New Zealand, Denmark, Scotland and the Czech Republic.
Communities seek Bev out to provide a great experience for their dancers. Her easy going style has also made her a popular choice with bands. Bev's philosophy is to call dances that she loves to dance herself. She's always on the lookout for interesting figures or formations to mix things up. Her clear voice, calm manner and straightforward teaching style make dancing a pleasure for both beginning and experienced dancers.
Luke Donforth is a contra caller and choreographer based in Burlington, VT. He brings a warmth to the mic and focuses on facilitating everyone in the hall joyously moving to the music. He's a founding member of the Mad Robin Callers Collective, and calls everything from family dances to festivals. Luke is a prolific writer of dances, and you can expect new and classic compositions to keep your feet flying.
Venue
We will be dancing at Centre Saint-Barthélemy, 7111 avenue des Érables, Montréal. This fabulous and recently renovated building has an original wood floor and is just steps from the D'Iberville and Fabre metro stations and many restaurants, with a park across the street.
Unfortunately there is no step-free access to the hall at this time; it requires climbing about two dozen steps. The venue has applied for a permit to construct an elevator, but we cannot guarantee it will be ready for our 2026 dance.
Roles and language
Calling will use Larks and Robins. Everyone is welcome, and anyone may dance any role. Dances will be called in English, but we invite everyone to join us and we are happy to provide explanations in French. Even so, dancing is a universal language, and you can learn just by watching others, even if you understand neither English nor French.
Schedule
Friday: 7:00 p.m. – 11:15 p.m.
Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 11:15 p.m.
Sunday: 11:15 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Dancing will start and end at the times listed, with regular breaks, plus meal breaks on Saturday. A more detailed schedule will be available closer to the event.
Pricing
Please pay after submitting the registration form. Your registration is not complete until we receive your payment!
We have separate pricing for Canadian Dollars and United States Dollars to account for different transaction fees.
If you would like to use another method to pay we can probably accommodate you. Please email us.
Canadian Dollars
Intended for Canadians or anyone with access to Interac e-Transfer. Pay by sending an e-Transfer to bonjourhey@contramontreal.org
| Adult (18+) | Teen (11-17) | Child (≤10) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Bird Price (until January 4) | CA$145 | CA$70 | Free |
| Regular Price (from January 5) | CA$165 | CA$80 | Free |
United States Dollars
Intended for Americans or any other international visitors. Pay at this Stripe page. Stripe accepts all major credit cards.
| Adult (18+) | Teen (11-17) | Child (≤10) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Bird Price (until January 4) | US$110 | US$55 | Free |
| Regular Price (from January 5) | US$125 | US$60 | Free |
Refund policy
Email us to cancel your registration. We will refund your registration cost (minus transaction fees) if any of the following are true:
- You cancel your registration before February 20, or
- We are sold out and we can fill your place, or
- You are sick— Please don't come if you are sick!
Transportation
No matter how you come to Montreal, we recommend you use public transit to get to the hall. You can buy an unlimited weekend pass or a three-day pass at the airport or any metro station. We are a short walk from Fabre and D'Iberville metro stations. If you drive be aware many street parking spots are for residents only. We encourage you not to rent a car while here, public transit is the fastest and easiest way to get around!
Housing and Meals
Housing and meals are not included in your registration. There are many great restaurants a short walk from the hall, and some grocery stores nearby, as well as the famous Jean-Talon public market a short hop west on the 93 bus or the metro. The hall will be open during meal breaks to eat your own food, and there is a nice park behind the hall.
While we would love to be able to host/billet people, this being our first year we don't know if that will be possible. We will let people know if space becomes available; we encourage you to book refundable hotels and sign up for our email list. There are no hotels within walking distance of the venue, but there are many choices a quick drive or metro trip away. Prices start around CA$125/US$90 a night. There are many options at various price ranges around town, including downtown (great for transit access, but if you drive you'll likely have to pay for parking), in a few small hotels and homestays in between downtown and the hall (Plateau, Rosemont, etc.; good for both transit and driving, but limited options) and along many of the major highways (easy car access, less good transit access). We encourage you to check your preferred major hotel aggregator websites for options.
International visitors
Montreal welcomes millions of tourists every year and you'll have no trouble getting by even if you don't speak French, but feel free to dust off your French and a smile. We encourage you to explore our lovely city before, during and after our weekend. We're happy to answer any questions and help make your visit a memorable one!
And don't forget your passport!
More to come!
We have lots of ideas for how to make this a memorable weekend, and we will post them once confirmed. If you have any suggestions, or want to help, please reach out.
Share
This event is only possible thanks to the wonderful dancers who come and encourage others to come as well. Here's what you can do to help:
- Respond to our Facebook event
- Print our flyer to share at your local events
- Talk to your friends about it in person!
Contact
Email us at bonjourhey@contramontreal.org
