Contra Dance is one of the most famous hall dances of post-Renaissance Europe, enabling dancers to arrive to social gathering without the dancing partner.
And to enjoy dance routine that involves two long lines of male and female dancers, who move up the line during the dance and eventually coming in contact with all participants of the dance.
3. ď§ Contra Dance is one of the
most famous hall dances of
post-Renaissance Europe,
enabling dancers to arrive to
social gathering without the
dancing partner.
ď§ And to enjoy dance routine
that involves two long lines of
male and female dancers, who
move up the line during the
dance and eventually coming
in contact with all
participants of the dance.
4. No partner or experience is
necessary.
This dance that was very
popular in England, Scotland
and France eventually
arrived in the United States
where it became not only
popular but also morphed
into a dance that is today
regarded by most as
âAmerican danceâ.
6. ď Modern Contra Dance was originally the
English Country Dancing which had
spread to France and America in pre-
and-post-Revolutionary times (think
Jane Austen movies).
ď American Colonials loved to dance, but
they didn't want to be seen doing
anything "English" so they adopted the
French name, "Contre Danse" (meaning
"Country Dance"). The name lived on as
"Contra Dance".
ď It survived, like an underground stream,
was revived by some enterprising dance
leaders in New England in the early-mid
twentieth century, and became
nationally popular during the counter-
culture 60s.
7. ď It spread rapidly because it was fun and
flirtatious and communal, reflecting the
times.
ď The dances changed, as new dances
were written in which there was less
standing around and more "swing time".
ď The tempos became faster, the dances
more flowing and energetic. In the
Northeast, most of the dances were done
to the jigs and reels of the British, Irish
and French Canadian traditions.
ď In the South and here in the Midwest,
most dancing was done to more
southern, old-timey fiddle music. The
West Coast is home to healthy examples
of both traditions.
9. Country dances, of which
the contra dance is one
form, are primarily figure
dances that make use of
group movements and
patterns for their
expressiveness rather than
complex stepping
patterns.
Relying on group
participation, they are
social dances rather than
performance dances.
FORMATIONS
Country dances can be
classified by the
formations in which they
are danced, formations
which include the circle,
the square, opposing lines,
and other more
specialized arrangements.
10. Contra Dances are
generally done to
tunes that are 32
musical bars (64
beats) long and it
has live music
The dancers dance the
figures once through with
their partners and
neighbouring couples, and
then move on (progress) to a
new couple and do the
pattern all over again.
We usually repeat the
dance 10 or 15 or 20 times
through. The caller prompts
the figures for as long as is
necessary until the dancers
can do it on their own.
The band plays the
music in this form
(ideally without
dropping any parts
or adding any
extra beats) until
the caller decides
to end the dance.
12. ⢠As the dance adapted to more
modern times when social
dancing lost its appeal to many,
the changes seen within the
dance are not as easy to follow.
⢠Changes to the styles and
trends, a clear picture of how
fast this dance evolves to fit
the times and needs of the
people dancing it.
⢠The evolution of the dance at
this point had taken the dance
from a spontaneous expression
of dance early on, to a
formalized and standard for in
1980s.
⢠The 20th century brought
many changes to contra
dancing, the dance begins to
lose popularity. SQUARE
DANCING at this time develops
out of contra dancing.
â˘
Callers started writing new
dances with steps adapted
from other styles of dance and
traditional steps were altered
to fit the mood of the dance,
the expertise of the dancers,
etc.
SQUARE DANCING
13. In the early 21st century, a new
generation was introduced to contra
dancing, either through parents who
had danced, or being friends with
such children, In the past few years,
people have started altering popular
music to make it danceable, holding
alternative contra dances with this
music, holding youth festivals,
organizing college groups supporting
both folk music and dance, and many
other returns to styles that many still
consider âold fashioned.â
