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Contra dance (also '''contradance''', '''contra-dance''' and other variant spellings) refers to several Folk Dance styles in which couples dance in two facing lines of indefinite length. Contra dances can be found around the world, though they are especially popular in the United States . Also referred to as Tradition al New England folk dance. HISTORY .]] At the end of the 17th Century , English Country Dances were taken-up by French dancers — hybrid choreographies exist from this period using the steps from French Court Dance in English dances. The French called these dances ''contra-dance'' or ''contredanse''. As time progressed, English country dances were spread and reinterpreted throughout the Western world, and eventually the French form of the name came to be associated with the American folk dances, especially in New England (this Frenchified name change may have followed a contemporary misbelief that the form was originally French : ''(as access to the OED online is not free, the relevant excerpt is provided)'' "Littré's theory, that there was already in 17th c. a French ''contre-danse'' with which the English word was confused and ran together, is not tenable; no trace of the name has been found in French before its appearance as an adaptation of the English. But new dances of this type were subsequently brought out in France, and introduced into England with the Frenchified form of the name, which led some Englishmen to the erroneous notion that the French was the original and correct form, and the English a corruption of it." ). As of 2005 , there is a regularly scheduled contra dance in most North American cities or regions, as well as in Belgium , Denmark , England , Czech Republic and Australia . CONTRA DANCE EVENTS Most contra dance events are open to all, regardless of experience. A typical evening of contra dance is three hours long, including an intermission. Many events offer beginner-level instructions for up to half an hour before the dance. A typical event consists of a number of individual ''contra dances,'' divided by a scattering of other partner dances, perhaps one or more Waltz es, Schottische s, Polka s, or Swedish Hambo s. In some places, Square Dance s are thrown into the mix. Music for the evening is typically a live band, playing Jig s and Reels from the British Isles , Canada , or the USA ; often the tunes are traditional and more than a century old, and sometimes a few tunes which are more recent compositions that follow the traditional form, perhaps composed by the musicians on stage. Generally, a leader, called a Caller , will teach each individual dance just before the music for that dance begins. This is an introductory period called the "walk-through", during which the dancers learn the dance by walking through the steps and formations while following the caller's instructions. The caller gives the instructions orally, and sometimes augments them with demonstrations of steps by experienced dancers in the group. The walk-through usually proceeds in the order of the moves as they will be done with the music; in some dances, the caller may vary the order of moves during the dance, a fact that is usually explained as part of the caller's instructions. After the walk-through, the music begins and the dancers repeat that sequence some number of times before that dance ends, often 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the length of the contra lines. Calls are normally given at least the first few times through, and often for the last. At the end of each dance, the dancers thank their partners. The contra dance tradition in North America is to change partners for every dance, while in the United Kingdom typically people dance with the same partner the entire evening. One who attends an evening of contra dances in North America does not need to bring his or her own partner. In the short break between individual dances, women and men invite each other to dance. Booking ahead is discouraged by some dance organizations, as it locks out dancers from participating. At most dances no special outfits are worn, but "peasant skirts" or other full, lightweight skirts are popular, as these have a very pretty effect when swinging and are more comfortable to dance in than pants. This includes some men as well; contradancers can be quite liberal in the way they dress. Low, broken-in, soft-soled, non-marking shoes are recommended and, in some places, required. However it is also very common to dance barefoot. Perfumes, colognes, or other scented products are not commonly worn. As in any Social Dance , cooperation is vital to contra dancing. Since over the course of any single dance, individuals interact with not just their partners but everyone else in the set, contra dancing might be considered a group activity. As will necessarily be the case when beginners are welcomed in by more practiced dancers, mistakes are made; mistakes will be overlooked, in most circles, as long as they do not upset the experience for the rest of the group -- as long as dancers are not thrown off from the music, and as long as no one is hurt. FORM OF A CONTRA DANCE Formations Although most people think a municipal hall is always called "town hall," there is a long tradition of calling the building with town offices the "town house" as Peterborough calls their municipal building. [http://www.townofpeterborough.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B492C637A-0E03-496F-A4D5-FF976BE0148B%7D Peterborough NH: Town House Rentals, Park Rentals & Tent Rentals ] .]] Contra dances are arranged in long paired lines of couples. A pair of lines is called a ''set''. Sets are generally arranged so they run the length of the hall, with the ''top'' or ''head'' of the set being the end closest to the band and caller. Correspondingly, the ''bottom'' or ''foot'' of the set is the end farthest from the caller. Couples consist of one ''lead'' (also ''gentleman,'' or simply ''gent'') and one ''follow'' (or ''lady''). By custom, leads are male, and follows are female, though this need not be the case. Couples interact primarily with an adjacent couple for each round of the dance. Each sub-group of two interacting couples is known to choreographers as a ''minor set'' and to dancers as a ''foursome''. Couples in the same minor set are ''neighbors''. Minor sets originate at the head of the set, starting with the topmost dancers as the 1's (the ''active couple'' or ''actives''); the other couple are ''2's'' (or ''inactives''). The 1's are said to be ''above'' their neighboring 2's; 2's are ''below''. If there is an uneven number of couples dancing, the bottom-most couple will wait out the first time through the dance (see "Progression," below). There are three common ways of arranging dancers in the minor sets: ''proper'' formation, ''improper'' formation, and ''Becket'' formation. There are many additional forms a contra dance may take. Five of them are: ''triple minor'', ''triplet'', ''indecent'', ''four-face-four'', and ''whole-set''. (For diagrams and full descriptions, see Contra Dance Form main article.) Progression A fundamental aspect of contra dancing is that the same dance, one time through which lasts roughly 30 Second s, is repeated over and over - but each time you dance with new neighbors. This change is effected by ''progressing'' the 1's ''down'' the set and progressing the 2's ''up'' (also ''up the hall'' and ''down the hall''; see Contra Dance Form main article for full characterizations of the progression in the eight dance forms mentioned above). A single dance runs around ten minutes, long enough to progress 15-20 times. If the sets are short to medium length the caller will often try to run the dance until each couple has danced with every other couple both as a 1 and a 2 and returned to where they started. With longer sets (more than ~40 people) this would require long enough sets that the caller will usually only run the dance all the way around on (rare) non equal-turn dances. CHOREOGRAPHY Contra dance Choreography specifies the dance formation, the ''figures'', and the sequence of those figures in a dance. Notably, contra dance figures (with a few exceptions) do not have defined footwork; within the limits of the music and the comfort of their fellow dancers, individuals move according to their own taste. Most contra dances consist of a sequence of about six to twelve individual figures, prompted by the Caller in time to the Music as the figures are danced. As the sequence repeats, the caller may cut down his or her prompting, and eventually drop out, leaving the dancers to each other and the music. A figure is a pattern of movement that typically takes eight ''counts'', although figures with four or sixteen counts are also common. Each dance is a collection of figures assembled to allow the dancers to progress along the set (see "Progression," above). A count (as used above) is one half of a Musical Measure , such as two quarter notes in 4/4 time or three eighth notes in 6/8 time. A count may also be called a ''step'', as contra dance is a walking form, and each count of a dance typically matches a single physical step in a figure. Typical contra dance choreography comprises four parts, each 16 counts (8 measures) long. The parts are called A1, A2, B1 and B2. This nomenclature stems from the music: Most contra dance tunes (as written) have two parts (A and B), each 8 measures long, and each fitting one part of the dance. The A and B parts are each played twice in a row, hence, A1, A2, B1, B2. While the same music is generally played in, for example, parts A1 and A2, distinct choreography is followed in those parts. Thus, a contra dance is typically 64 ''counts'', and goes with a 32 ''measure'' tune. Tunes of this form are called "square"; tunes that deviate from this form are called "crooked". Crooked tunes are more commonly used in Square Dancing , where the phrasing of the dance does not have to align as closely with the phrasing of the music. Sample contra dances: Michael Dyck's Country Dance Index
Chorus Jig (Proper duple minor) :A1 (16) Actives down the outside and back :A2 (16) Actives down the center, turn individually, come back, and cast off :B1 (16) Actives turn contra corners, turning inactives by the left :B2 (16) Actives meet in the middle for a balance and swing, end swing facing up :Occasionally inactives will swing in the middle (14 beats) while actives are going down the outside
Hay in the Barn by Chart Guthrie (Improper duple minor) :A1 (16) Neighbors balance and swing :A2 (8) Ladies chain across, (8) Half hey, ladies pass right shoulders to start :B1 (16) Partners balance and swing :B2 (8) Ladies chain across, (8) Half hey, ladies pass right shoulders to start TERMINOLOGY Formation terminology:
Progression terminology:
Other terminology:
REFERENCES 5. ''A Time To Dance: American Country Dancing from Hornpipes to Hot Hash'' by Richard Nevell, St. Martin's Press, 1977,New York. Out of Print SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS Contra dance organizations
Contra dance defined
Different traditions and cultures in contra dance
Research resources
Photography and Video
Locate dance events
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