FiftyBogue

OK, I’ve skirted this very important issue long enough. Time to talk about contra dancing.

First of all, others have already described it better than I can, so I’ll quote a couple of them.

Here’s a good definition from Leanne E. Smith:

“Contra dancing is difficult to describe in words. It must be experienced. There are, however, some definitions that may be helpful. Contra dancing has its roots in Scottish and English country dancing and American square dancing. The progression and figures allow everyone to dance with everyone else. Two long lines of people face each other at the start, but as the dance continues, some couples progress up the set and some progress down the set. By the end of every dance you will most likely have danced with everyone in your set. Yes, this may sound confusing, but it is much easier to do it than it is to think about it.

The soundtrack of a contra dance may include celtic, old time, bluegrass, swing, and popular music styles – all from a live band – depending on where the dance is held. Our contra evenings also include waltzes, occasional squares, and other fun surprises.

Contra dancing is a great form of exercise and an excellent way to meet new people with varied personalities.

You do not need to bring a partner because there will be others with whom you can dance. If you do have a favorite partner, it is a great way to spend time together.

If you are doubtful about coming because you do not know exactly what it is or because you do not already know how, the best thing to do is to come and find out.

If it must be described…perhaps the best way is to say that contra dancing is as a self-inflicted amusement park ride…but do not let that scare you !

Here’s an excerpt from a GREAT article by Greg Rohde of St. Louis:

“What I discovered that July night was wonderful live music that compels me to move, a community that extends great hospitality to new dancers and a style of dance that is very easy to learn. Much of contra’s popularity is in its simplicity: if you can walk, you can contra dance. It doesn’t matter if you have two left feet. (Contra dancing uses a walking step so it doesn’t matter which left foot you start on.) I was thrilled to encounter a place where the whole community dancing together is more important than any one person or any couple looking good. I had previously taken some dance lessons that were horrible because the instructor kept chastising us for every small mistake. Worrying about getting each step right meant that the evening caused more stress than it relieved. The contra dance floor, on the other hand, was a playful oasis. Everyone was very patient with teaching someone who was new, had no idea what was going on and lacked a good sense of rhythm. I was hooked. Since then, it’s seeped into my blood as I’ve danced thousands of dances and have discovered a source of deep joy and great playfulness.”

Now, like I said, they’ve described it very well, but they can’t tell you what this “self-inflicted amusement park” means to me.

When I started dancing I was single. While I hoped to meet a nice guy at the dances – and there was always someone there I was interested in – it was never an atmosphere that was just about hooking up. In fact, it took a while to figure out who was already partnered, since couples don’t always dance together. And I did, in fact, meet B. at a dance, so that worked out very well. Before that, I had taken Irish and swing dance classes, but what I found was that this kind of dance took away my loneliness and gave me a community, much in the way that church does for many people, I guess. But this fix also satisfied my physical need to touch people. Contra dancers like to say, “Where else can you be in the arms of different man/woman every 30 seconds?” And although you may not be attracted to every guy or gal you swing (hopefully not, at least), a contra dance is a comfortingly safe place to be physical with other humans.

Plus, it’s just plain fun. It’s the only exercise I’ve ever loved. Since I seem to have no endorphins (I exercise, but I’m always grumpy afterwards), it was a big surprise to love something so aerobic and to feel so joyful during and after. It’s a very sociable environment too, and now contra dancers figure prominently among my friends.

And yes, it’s a little bit like the square dancing you did in junior high, but not very much, and you don’t have to wear a cowboy hat or a big petticoat unless you want to. And you’re older now, so you don’t have to worry so much about looking cool or no one asking you to dance. Besides, they will ask you to dance! And it’s OK for you to ask them! They will, too, I swear! It’s a very friendly place.

One surprise for me was that contra dance is like this huge, secret society that you don’t know about until you, uh… well, know about it. I’m sure there are a lot of things like that around, but I never fail to marvel at how many places there are to contra dance across the country and around the world. Just Google it, or search “contra dance” on youtube – you’ll see. Before I travel, I check dance websites to see if I can catch a dance somewhere, and when I do, the group is unfailingly welcoming. Many dance folks are “dance gypsies” and travel around to lots of regional dance weeks or weekends, which often offer nationally known callers and bands. I mostly stay in the Missouri/Kansas area, where I can enjoy four or five dance weekends a year, but I’ve traveled to Kentucky and Wisconsin just to dance. I know folks who travel to dances almost every weekend. (Some drive for 2 hours just to go to their “local” dance!) I have a friend who spent most of one summer traveling from dance to dance, calling or e-mailing ahead to a dance group to see if someone could put her up. They always did, and she was safe and sound and had a blast.

And the music! If you’d told me 15 or 20 years ago that I’d be this interested in old-time fiddle music, I’d have thought you were nuts. But if I had more time and money, I swear I’d be a groupie for some of my favorite dance bands. Hotpoint, Wild Asparagus, Airdance, Nightingale – the ones I like are non-traditional, incorporating some bluesy-cajuny-rocking funk into those old fiddle tunes. And don’t get me started about my waltz music! There are always at least two waltzes played at every contra dance, and waltz workshops are offered at most dance weekend workshops. I fell in love with the waltzing early on, then I fell in love with Larry Unger’s waltz music. If I were to get married tomorrow, I’d walk down the aisle to one of those songs.

So, it’s obviously more than dancing for me. It’s fun, family, friendship, fitness, love, and a twirlingly good reason to wear a skirt. It’s a high. It’s bliss. It’s a good reason to keep my knees in shape. It’s my guaranteed slice of joy.

You can take a look at my dance videos on Youtube here or click below. For those of you in the Kansas City area, who’d like to check out a dance, visit the CrossCurrents Dance website. For those of you who are elsewhere, visit here for national dance listings.

This entry was posted on November 14, 2008 at 12:29 am and is filed under contra dancing . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.