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Contra dance

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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. Contra dance is also referred to as traditional New England folk dance.

Template:Contra 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).[1][2] Contra dancing remained popular in New England up until the early 20th century, when the big band era drew crowds away. Ralph Page almost single-handedly maintained the tradition until it was re-vitalized in the 1950s and 1960s, particularly by Ted Sannella and Dudley Laufman.

In the 1970s, Sanella added heys and gypsies to the contra dances.[3] New dances, such as Shadrack's Delight by Tony Parkes, featured symmetrical dancing by all couples. (Previously, the actives and inactives —see Progression below— had significantly different roles). Double progression dances, popularized by Herbie Gaudreau,[4] added to the aerobic nature of the dances, and one caller, Gene Hubert, wrote a quadruple progression dance, Contra Madness. Becket formation was introduced, with partners next to each other in the line instead of opposite. The Brattleboro Dawn Dance started in 1976,[5] and continues to run semiannually.[6]

In the 1980s, Tod Whittemore started the first Saturday dance in the Peterborough Town House, which remains one of the more popular regional dances.[7] Whittemore also started the popular Thursday night Boston area dance.

As callers moved to other locations, they took the dance with them, creating contra dances in Michigan, Washington, California and Texas, as well as many other locations. On the East Coast contra dancing has a long tradition all the way from Maine to Florida.[8]

Today, there are regularly scheduled contra dances in most North American cities or regions, as well as in Belgium, Denmark, England, Czech Republic and Australia. In the US, the New England Folk Festival and dance camps such as Pinewoods serve as a focal point for callers, dancers and musicians each year.

Contra dance events

A Thursday night contra dance at the Fresh Pond VFW in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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 waltzes, schottisches, polkas, or Swedish hambos. In some places, square dances are thrown into the mix. Music for the evening is typically a live band, playing jigs 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 (lining up a partner or partners ahead of time) cuts down the number of potential partners and is discouraged but is common at some of the larger dances.[neutrality is disputed][9][10][11][12][13]

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, dancing barefoot is also common. 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 or anyone hurt. Injuries do not commonly occur, although they can happen from wayward arms or feet in a crowded hall.

Form of a contra dance

Main article: Contra dance form

Formations

File:Contra dance sets.gif
Contra dance sets, seen from the balcony of the town house of Peterborough, New Hampshire[14].

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 two people, traditionally but not necessarily one male and one female, referred to as the gent or gentleman and lady. Gender free dances (a modern, less common variation) use gender free terminology, such as having half of the dancers wear an armband. See gender roles for a discussion of gender roles in square dancing.

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.

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 seconds, 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

Main article: Contra dance 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 one quarter note in 2/4 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:[15]

  • Traditional - the actives do most of the dancing
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
  • Modern - the dance is symmetrical for actives and inactives
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

See also

Further reading

  • Daniels, Bruce Colin (1995). Puritans at Play: Leisure and Recreation in Colonial New England. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9781403972125. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) See chapter VI, "Frolics for Fun: Dances, Weddings and Dinner Parties, pages 109 - 124.
  • Holden, Ricky (1997). The Contra Dance Book. Lovendegem, Belgium: Anglo-American Dance Service. ISBN 90 802087 3 6. {{cite book}}: External link in |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help) (Reprint: first published in 1956 by American Squares as a part of the American Squares Dance Series)
  • Jennings, Larry (1983, revised with corrections 1988). Zesty Contras: A Selection of 500 New England Syle Dances with a Provacative Explanatory Text. Cambridge Massachusetts: New England Folk Festival Association. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) (No ISBN)
  • Jennings, Larry (2004). Give-and-Take: A sequel to Zesty Contras, featuring 628 dances in the New England style, provocative remarks, exhortative essays and arcane analysis. Cambridge, Massachusetts: New England Folk Festival Association. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) (No ISBN)
  • Jennings, Larry (2004). The Contra Connection & Basically for Callers: Reprints from the Country Dance and Song Society NEWS (2nd Edition). Northampton, Massachusetts: Country Dance and Song Society. ISBN 0-917024-14-1. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Keller, Kate Van Winkle (2007). Dance and Its Music in America, 1528-1789. Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press. ISBN 978-1576471272. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Linscott, Eloise Hubbard (1993, a reprint of the 1963 2nd edition). Folk Songs of Old New England. Dover Publications. ISBN 0486278271. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) See chapter entitled "Country Dancing," Pages 57 - 120. (The first edition was published in 1939.)
  • Nevell, Richard (1977). A Time To Dance: American Country Dancing from Hornpipes to Hot Hash. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0312805227. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) (Out of Print)
  • Parkes, Tony (1992). Contra Dance Calling, A Basic Text. Bedford, Massachusetts: Hands Four Productions. ISBN 978-0963288011. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) (Out of Print)
  • Sannella, Ted (1982). Balance and Swing: A collection of fifty-five squares, contras and triplets in the New England tradition with music for each dance. Northampton, Massachusetts: Country Dance and Song Society. ISBN 0-917024-05-2. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Sannella, Ted (1996). Swing the Next: A second collection of squares, contras, triplets and circles in the New England tradition, with music for each dance. Northampton, Massachusetts: Country Dance and Song Society. ISBN 0-917024-05-2. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  • Sannella, Ted (2005). Calling Traditional New England Squares. Northampton, Massachusetts: Country Dance and Song Society. ISBN 0-917024-16-8. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

References

  1. ^ "Contra dance". Merriam-Webster OnLine. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-01.
  2. ^ "Contre-dance, -danse, contra-dance". Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press. 1989. Retrieved 2006-11-01.
    (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."
  3. ^ how figures like heys and gypsies got into modern contradancing
  4. ^ Gaudreau, Herbie Modern Contra Dancing Sandusky, OH: Square Dance Magazine, 1971
  5. ^ Michael McKernan (1995). "A look at late-night dancing in the Brattleboro, VT area from the 1920s to the 1960s". Brattleboro Dawn Dances History. Retrieved 2007-01-15.
  6. ^ Brattleboro Dawn Dances
  7. ^ Peterborough Contra Dance
  8. ^ Newspaper and Magazine Articles about Contra Dance
  9. ^ English / American dancing - a comparison
  10. ^ 10 reasons not to book ahead
  11. ^ Susan Kevra's Letter to the Greenfield Contra Dancers
  12. ^ Dance Community Hospitality
  13. ^ Notes on Calling Contra Dances
  14. ^ 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. Peterborough NH: Town House Rentals, Park Rentals & Tent Rentals
  15. ^ Michael Dyck's Country Dance Index
Descriptions & definitions
Different traditions and cultures in contra dance
Research resources
Contra dance associations
  • Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS) works to preserve and sustain a variety of Anglo-American folk traditions in North America, including folk music, folk song, English country dance, contra dance and morris dance, through its hundreds of affiliated associations.
  • Anglo-American Dance Service Based in Belgium, promoting contra dance and English dance in Western Europe.
Photography and Video
Locating contra dances in North America
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