375th Contra Dance

Come alone, come with your partner, come with your children
– come dance the night away.

Here’s a
straightforward answer: Contra Dancing is a form of American folk
dance in which the dancers form a set of two parallel lines that run the length
of the hall.  Each dance consists of a
sequence of moves that ends with couples having progressed one position up or
down the set. As the sequence is repeated, a couple will eventually dance with
every other couple in the set.  Contra
Dancing was all the rage in 1800.

But here’s a better one: Contra dance is a form of dance that
thrusts a different person of the opposite sex into your arms every 30 seconds
or so.  Actually, this is only true
sometimes.  Contra dance is one of the
few dance forms where by the end of the evening you are likely to have danced
with everyone.

·        
NEW DANCERS  Your feet are never asked to do more than walk to the
music.  Each dance is taught by the
caller before it is danced.  The caller
continues to prompt the dancers as needed.

·        
PARTNERS  New
dancers learn best by seeking out more experienced dancers as partners.   If you
attend with a date, give each other a present by dancing with others for a
while.

·        
Because the pattern of moves of each Contra Dance is
repeated often, Contra Dances are easy to learn.  Both beginning and experienced dancers happily
share the same set.

·        
CHILDREN
as young as seven can participate as long as parents are responsible for
keeping non-dancing children out of harm's way.

·        
WHAT TO WEAR Most
people dress for comfort and in anticipation of vigorous exercise. Loose, light
dresses or skirts or slacks or shorts – some men wear kilts.  Be sure to bring a separate pair of
soft-soled, comfortable shoes for dancing.

·        
WHAT’S THE MUSIC LIKE?  Jack
O’Connor will be calling and leading the group of musicians that will likely
play traditional jigs, reels, and hornpipes from the Scots-Irish
tradition.  The fiddle is often the lead
instrument.

There is a charge of $10 per person to pay for the musicians.

·        
HOW
CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT CONTRA DANCING?

www.youtube.com/embed/gSPmHoStII8

www.mondaycontras.com contra dancing in
nearby Concord

www.hamiltoncontra.ca/contraculture.html

 FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call Molly Faulkner 978-505-5912 (M)