Contra dance for beginners
Contra dance is a social folk dance in long lines, led by a caller and danced to live fiddle music. You don't need a partner, special shoes or experience: the caller teaches every dance before the music starts.
- Roots
- 17th-century English country dance, with Scottish and French influences
- Most popular in
- New England and across North America
- Formation
- Long lines of couples, grouped in "hands fours"
- Music
- Live reels and jigs, 32 bars in AABB form, about 108–132 beats per minute
- Typical event
- About 3 hours, with a beginners' lesson first
How a contra dance works
Dancers form two long lines facing each other, in couples. Each couple joins another couple to make a group of four, called a "hands four." The caller walks everyone through the sequence of moves, called figures, then the band starts and the caller prompts each move until the dancers have it.
A dance has about 6 to 12 figures, repeated for roughly 15 minutes. Each time through, couples move one place up or down the line, so you dance with a new couple every round. After each dance, everyone finds a new partner.
Roles
Traditionally the two roles were "gents" and "ladies." Many dances now use gender-neutral names such as "larks and robins" or "leads and follows," and some callers avoid role names altogether. Anyone can dance either role.
Figures you'll hear called
| Figure | What you do |
|---|---|
| Swing | Turn with one person in a close, walking spin |
| Balance | Step toward someone and back, in rhythm |
| Do-si-do | Pass around someone back to back and return |
| Allemande | Join hands (left or right) and turn around each other |
| Circle | The four in your group join hands and circle left or right |
| Ladies' (or robins') chain | One role crosses the set and is turned by the other |
| Hey | Four people weave past each other in a figure-eight |
| Long lines | Everyone joins hands along the line and steps forward and back |
Exact figures vary by dance, and the caller explains them each time.
The music
Contra is danced to live, fiddle-led music: Irish, Scottish, New England and old-time tunes. Tunes are 32 bars long in AABB form, so each part lines up with a phrase of the dance. Bands often change tunes (and keys) partway through a dance. A tune like Old Joe Clark is typical of the old-time side of the repertoire.
Tips for your first dance
- Arrive in time for the beginners' lesson.
- Wear soft-soled shoes that turn easily, and light clothes: it gets warm.
- Ask experienced dancers to partner you for the first few dances; they'll steer you through.
- Getting lost is normal. Find your partner, listen for the next call, and jump back in.
- Give weight in a swing (lean back slightly against your partner's hold) and it becomes smooth instead of dizzy.
More: old-time music · Celtic music